PhD in Energy, Environment and Atmospheric Sciences (Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus)
THIS PROJECT IS CLOSED
The Institute and the Research Center
The Cyprus Institute (CyI) is a young and rapidly growing non-profit research and educational institution with scientific and technological focus. It is supported by the Government of Cyprus, which views its establishment as important to its overall policy of transforming Cyprus into a regional center for research and education.
The Energy, Environment and Water Research Center (EEWRC) was launched in December 2007 as the first research center of The Cyprus Institute. EEWRC works in close cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany, the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF), as well as many national institutions and organizations in Cyprus and the region. The work and collaborations focus on societally relevant issues related to Energy and Renewables, Environment, Atmosphere and Climate, Water and Natural Resources.
The Graduate School
The Graduate School was established in 2010 and is the educational arm of The Cyprus Institute. It is a fully accredited, degree-granting institution of higher education offering exclusively postgraduate programs. It maintains a small number of students that are fully integrated into the research activities of the institute. This provides the students with the opportunity to acquire hands-on training in the use of the latest methods and techniques, have access to state-of-the-art infrastructure and conduct research with internationally recognized research teams.
The Water Division of the CyI’s Energy, Environment and Water Research Center (EEWRC) is seeking an enthusiastic and highly motivated PhD candidate who is interested in developing and applying methods and tools for operationalizing the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus at different scales in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) region.
The successful applicant will be based at the Graduate School of The Cyprus Institute and at the Water Division of the Energy, Environment and Water Research Center (EEWRC). The selected person will be enrolled in the PhD program: Energy, Environment and Atmospheric Sciences.
Description of the PhD Research Project
The WEFE nexus has recently emerged as a critical concept to describe and address the complex and interrelated nature of resource systems, on which different economic sectors depend to achieve social, economic and environmental sustainability goals. In practical terms, it presents a conceptual approach to better understand and systematically analyse the interactions and trade-offs between the natural environment and human activities, and to work towards a more coordinated management and use of natural resources across sectors and scales. The aim of the project is to develop and apply a modelling framework to analyse the WEFE Nexus and identify trade-offs and synergies between sectors for achieving water security, improving agricultural productivity, integrating renewable energy resources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and preserving natural ecosystems, in Cyprus and other EMME countries. It is foreseen that the WEFE nexus modelling framework will be combined with climate and socio-economic scenarios and greenhouse gas emission inventories. Along this line, the successful candidate will cooperate with sectoral and policy stakeholders to link quantitative modelling outputs with policy scenarios (e.g., CAP, Green Deal for Europe), and thus provide policy and implementation instruments that support and facilitate sustainable development for specific sectors and scales.
Required Qualifications
- MSc degree in natural sciences, engineering, economics or related field
- Programming and modelling skills (e.g., Matlab, Python)
- Statistical analysis (e.g., SPSS, STATA, R)
- Strong analytical and organizational skills
- Fluent in oral and written English
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with hydrologic, energy or System Dynamics Models
- Experience with GIS software and analysis (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIS)
- Experience with Life Cycle Analysis tools
- Scientific publication record
- Experience in working in interdisciplinary teams
- Experience in working with stakeholders
- Greek language will be considered an advantage
How to Apply
Applicants should refer to additional information about admission requirements which can be found on our website under the PhD in Energy, Environment and Atmospheric Sciences Admissions section.
Kindly note that applications should be sent through the online application system of The Cyprus Institute Graduate School. When applying through the online application, in Step 2 of the application under the section ‘Scholarship or Financial Aid’, applicants should select ‘Specific PhD Project’ and they should enter the project reference code: GS-EAS-WEFEN-22-1 in order to be considered for the position.
Please refer to our website for important details on the application deadlines.
Application Deadlines
September 15, 2023
Financial Support
The successful candidate will be employed as Graduate Research Assistant or receive a stipend in accordance with the current regulations at the Graduate School. We offer competitive financial support with the exact salary / stipend level to will be confirmed upon appointment.
Contact Information
For further information, please contact Associate Professor Adriana Bruggeman (e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).