Deadline for applications: 09/08/2024

Application process open *

The Cyprus Institute (CyI) is a European non-profit Science and Technology oriented Educational and Research Institution based in Cyprus and led by an acclaimed Board of Trustees. The research agenda of the CyI is pursued at its five Research Centres: The Computation-based Science and Technology Research Centre (CaSToRC), the Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Centre (STARC), the Energy Environment Water Research Centre (EEWRC), the Climate and Atmosphere Research Centre (CARE-C), and the Science and Technology Driven Policy and Innovation Research Centre (STeDI-RC). Considerable cross-centre interaction is a characteristic of the Institute’s culture.

The Cyprus Institute invites applications for a highly qualified and motivated individual to join the Institute as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Geospatial Analysis and Land & Water Management in the Water Department of EEWRC. The Water Department investigates hydrologic and ecosystems processes and tests agro-ecosystems innovations and management practices through field observations, experimental research and modelling, in cooperation with various stakeholders in Cyprus and abroad.

In general, the successful candidate is expected to:

• Conduct research to further develop research skills and competencies, and publish novel and significant results in selective peer-reviewed journals and conferences.
• Contribute to all aspects of sponsored Research, Innovation and/or Development projects (including conducting research, co-authoring publications, implementing deliverables, reporting activities, dissemination activities, etc).
• Contribute to new grant proposals preparation.

More specifically, the successful candidate is expected to contribute to the research projects of the Water Department, with a special focus on the newly funded Horizon Europe TERRASAFE Project on "Terrestrial resilience and restoration strategies for (semi) arid and fragile ecosystems through a multi-actor approach". This project is a cooperation between research groups and innovators from Austria, Cyprus, England, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Tunisia. This project aims to develop an integrated approach for the mapping and analysis of land degradation status, drivers, impacts and responses. Data from field surveys, online spatial databases, remote sensing and modelling will be used to develop GIS Apps for the analysis of land management practices and climate scenarios for combatting desertification in pilot areas in Cyprus, Romania, Spain and Tunisia.

The initial period of the appointment will be for a duration of 24 months. Post-Doctoral Fellowships can be renewed depending to performance and availability of funds for a fixed-term period. An internationally competitive remuneration package will be offered, which is commensurate with the level of experience of the successful candidate.

Project Related Responsibilities:

1. Review of integrated assessments and mapping of desertification status, impacts and responses
2. Collection and analysis of spatial data and remote sensing images for desertification assessments
3. Development of online GIS applications for desertification analysis (e.g., Google Earth Engine)
4. Land degradation field surveys
5. Soil, water and plant sampling and analysis

General Responsibilities:

• Conduct research, innovation and development activities based on project requirements.
• Collect and analyze data as stipulated by project specifications and supervision.
• Write research papers in collaboration with the line manager and other peers.
• Present results at conferences and meetings and contribute to journal publications.
• Contribute to research proposal preparation, scientific reporting, and project management.
• Provide mentoring and guidance to Graduate Research Fellows and Research Engineers, if applicable.
• Contribute to dissemination activities (such as public seminars or targeted talks), promoting external recognition at the national and international levels.
• Contribute to planning and organization of Center-level and Institute-level internal and external events (such as workshops, conferences) to promote external recognition at the national and international levels.
• Provide independent input related to research directions, methodologies, etc.

Required Qualifications

1. PhD degree in Physical Geography, Environmental, Ecological or Earth Sciences/ Engineering or any other related field
2. Proven experience in geospatial analysis
3. Programming skills, e.g., Python, Javascript, C, R
4. Experience with soil and land management field and laboratory research
5. Experience in conducting peer-reviewed research in the relevant field.
6. Demonstrated record of publications and conference presentations.
7. Ability to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team.
8. Proficiency in English (written and verbal).
9. Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
10. High level of organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with analysis of Remote Sensing images
• Experience with land degradation field surveys
• Experience with soil, water and plant sampling and analysis
• Experience in working in interdisciplinary research teams
• Greek language will be considered an advantage

Application

For full consideration, interested applicants should process their application at The Cyprus Institute Exelsys Platform (https://bit.ly/3HDLRTw) based on the instructions given. Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae including a short letter of interest, list of publications and a list of three (3) referees (including contact information) (all documentation should be in English and in PDF Format). For further information, please contact Dr Adriana Bruggeman (a.bruggeman@cyi.ac.cy). Please note that applications which do not fulfill the required qualifications and do not follow the announcement’s guidelines will not be considered.

*Recruitment will continue until the application process is marked as closed

The Cyprus Institute is an Equal Opportunities Employer certified from the Cypriot Ministry of Labor and also an HRS4R accredited Institution that adheres to the European Commission’s “Charter & Code” principles for recruitment and selection.

Contact person: Dr Adriana Bruggeman

Reference number: EEWRC_PDF_24_05