Department of Architecture, University of Cyprus
Society and Urban Form Lab

Title: Special Scientist for Research (Native Speaking: Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese)
Positions: Four (4) – one per language
Category : Full-time or part-time for a total of 560 hours to be completed between April 2025 and March 2026, with a maximum monthly employment of 140 hrs/month.
Place of Work: Department of Architecture, University of Cyprus, Nicosia.
Research Project: Active RoofTops South Europe (aRTes)
Project Coordinator: Dr.Nadia Charalambous, Department of Architecture, University of Cyprus (UCY), Nicosia, Cyprus.
The Department of Architecture of the University of Cyprus (UCY) accepts applications for a Special Scientist for Research.

Terms of employment:
The duration of employment will be between 4 months (full-time) and 11 months (part-time), with a total number of 560 hours allocated proportionally depending on the duration of employment. The monthly gross earnings for full-time employment equals to €3.487,81. Employee’s contributions will be deducted from this amount. The Research Programs does not provide for the payment of a “13th salary”.

Research project
aRTes is a project funded by the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) through The Driving Urban Transitions programme. Rooftops represent a largely untapped resource within the urban infrastructure of Southern European cities, where they are plentiful due to favorable climates, rich urban culture, and historical factors. These spaces could offer substantial opportunities for enhancing urban sustainability and resilience.
By serving as insulative elements and providing verdant, open areas, rooftops can significantly reduce carbon emissions, mitigate urban heat island effect and stormwater runoff, and support vibrant social activities.
Active rooftop spaces could also enable innovative goods delivery via drones, foster biodiversity and through urban farming initiatives create new business opportunities.
In line with the European Renovation Wave and New European Bauhaus initiatives, our consortium aims to redefine rooftop use across Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Finland, and Cyprus. We are tackling the major challenges to rooftop adaptation by developing innovative design and engineering solutions for extensive prototyping and testing. Our mission is to transform these spaces into accessible, efficient, safe, and multifunctional areas that enhance urban life and integrate seamlessly with the city's social and ecological landscape.
This project aligns with several UN Sustainable Development Goals—promoting clean energy, sustainable cities, responsible consumption, climate action, and more—driving a comprehensive approach to sustainable urban development.

Duties and Responsibilities
The Society and Urban Form (SURF) Research Lab at the Department of Architecture of the University of Cyprus is seeking an experienced Researcher, based in Cyprus, with a background in architecture, urban design, planning or civil engineering to independently carry out research on building and planning regulations, and best practices for rooftops in the partners’ countries (Italy, France, Spain Portugal). The successful candidate will be able to work independently to access, analyze and evaluate information, regulations, legislation and case studies in their assigned country relating to technical and planning requirements for rooftops and their usage. The candidate will assess the local regulatory context in relation to proposed aRTes rooftop technological innovations: raised floor, perimetral wall, photovoltaic pergola, communal and public access, drone deliveries, urban farming, etc.

Key Responsibilities
1.Desk-based policy research
• Design the methodology to execute best practice, policy and regulation research.
• Carry out best practice, policy and regulation research for the designated country, including EU and national legislations and related standards, specific targets or reference performances per each objective, such as minimum requirements and performances for thermal insulation, acoustic comfort, RES installation, waterproofing, nature-based solutions, urban farming equipment, and best practices for the use of recycled components and materials for building purposes.
• Carry out best practice research of rooftop solutions to contribute to the development of an atlas of rooftop solutions that can be adopted and adapted to typical southern European building types, which comply with regulatory requirements and meet aRTes’ objectives.
• Organise and carry out workshops with and visits to stakeholders to identify possible barriers, needs, challenges and trends to the penetration and market uptake of rooftops in Southern EU Countries.
2.Content and report writing
• Producing reports, papers and visuals summarizing the analysis of the regulatory landscape and best practices.
• Produce written and visual content in relation to the research for dissemination and communication use.
3.Partner Communication and Coordination
• Actively communicate and liaise with project partners to gather local information on regulatory landscape, best practices and stakeholders.
4.Willingness to Travel: Some travel, including international trips, may be required for project-related events, meetings, and activities.

Qualifications and Skills
Required:
• Experience: Minimum of 3 years in a research role within the R&I sector.
• Research: Proven experience of high-quality research and outputs.
• Writing Skills: Excellent analytical and writing skills for producing reports (English).
• Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and one language of the partners’ countries (Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese)
• Education: Master’s degree in architecture, urban design, planning or civil engineering. A PhD in the same fields is desirable but not essential, especially if similar professional experience is demonstrated.
• Project Management: Strong organizational skills with an ability to manage multiple tasks, deadlines, and stakeholders in a fast-paced environment.
• Teamwork and multicultural skills: Flexibility, collaborative working and experience of working with colleagues and partners from different cultural backgrounds.

Desirable:
• Experience of research management and administration.
• Knowledge of an additional language of the partners’ countries (Greek, Italian, French, Spanish or Portuguese).

About University of Cyprus
The University of Cyprus, established in 1989, is a vigorous community of scholars engaged in the generation and diffusion of knowledge. The main objectives of the university are twofold: the promotion of scholarship and education through teaching and research, and the enhancement of the cultural, social and economic development of Cyprus. High-calibre scholarly research is one of the main pillars of development of UCY and has been a central tenant in its mission statement since the University's establishment. In recent years, the University has become internationally recognized as a leading research institution for its contribution to the advancement of science and culture. This recognition has brought the University substantial external research funding as well as a number of highly prestigious chairs of excellence. UCY comprises 9 faculties, 22 departments and 11 research units. The Department of Architecture leading this ESR project, and the department’s research labs, offer expertise on both the design and sustainability of housing as well as on the educational framework needed to address the design of sustainable housing environments, focusing on the synergistic relationships between economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainability.

Application and Selection Procedure
Please provide the following information through this form, before the closing date (05 March 2025):
• Letter of motivation (maximum 2 pages)
• CV in EUROPASS format, including name, address, nationality, country of residence, academic degrees)
• Certificate of English proficiency
• Transcripts of academic degrees (translated into English, by a sworn translator; including ranking of degree classification)
• Names and contact details of two referees that can provide reference letters for the candidate

Selection Process
There will be a two-step selection process:
1. After reviewing the applications received, the aRTes recruitment committee will make a short list of candidates. Applicants will be selected on their potential for meeting the project and role requirements, academic excellence, organisational skills, their adaptability to work in a multicultural environment and their capacity to conduct research. The same procedure will be followed in all cases to ensure comparable selection.
2. Interviews will be conducted by project team members (3 members - committee). The interviewers will include the Project Coordinator and the Senior Researcher from UCY and the research work package leader from Chalmers.
Recruitment will be a transparent, open and equal process following the guidelines of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.

Contact
Please contact the Project Coordinator:
Dr. Nadia Charalambous (charalambous.nadia@ucy.ac.cy)

At least the top three candidates who meet the required qualifications will be invited for an interview.
Candidates will be notified by the entity via email of the outcome of their application.
The University of Cyprus shall collect and process your personal data according to the provisions of the General Regulation on Personal Data 2016/679 (EU).
Applicants need not be citizens of the Republic of Cyprus. Applicants should however ensure, before applying, that in case they are selected they will be residing in Cyprus on a full-time basis during the employment period; submission of application implies acceptance of this condition.
The University of Cyprus (UCY) is committed to promoting inclusivity, diversity, and equality, as well as the elimination of all forms of discrimination in order to provide a fair, safe, and pleasant environment for the entire university community, where students and staff members will feel supported both in their professional and personal development, within and beyond their multiple identities. To this end, UCY seeks to create the necessary conditions that will encourage and respect diversity and ensure dignity both in the workplace and society at large. Moreover, UCY has adopted specific policies to promote equal opportunities, as well as respect and understanding of diversity, while it is committed to promoting and maintaining a working, teaching, and learning environment, free from any form of discrimination, whether direct or indirect.