THIS PROJECT IS NOW CLOSED  

The Cyprus Institute (CyI) is a non-profit research and educational institution with a strong scientific and technological orientation, emphasizing international collaborations, cross-disciplinary research, innovation, and post graduate education. CyI, through its established research centres, addresses challenging issues that are important at both the regional and international levels. Many of its research activities are being carried out in partnership with leading institutions in the respective thematic areas.

The position offers excellent possibilities for professional development of highly motivated individuals in the framework of the EU-H2020  “EMME-CARE” (Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate and Atmosphere Research Centre; http://emme-care.cyi.ac.cy/; TEAMING Grant no. 856612), within which the Cyprus Institute established a “Centre of Excellence” in Climate and Atmosphere research for the EMME region in cooperation with EU Advanced Partners (Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany; University of Helsinki in Finland; and CEA in France).

The successful applicant will be based at the Graduate School of The Cyprus Institute and at the Climate and Atmosphere Research Centre. He/she will be enrolled in the PhD program: Energy, Environment and Atmospheric Sciences. 

Description of the position

The successful candidate will advance the CARE-C’s research and innovation agenda in its scientific focus of Environmental Observations area through experimental research or reactive trace gases and particularly on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). A newly acquired Proton Transfer Reaction – Time of Flight – Mass Spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS) will be used to monitor atmospheric VOCs and identify the regional sources and sinks, through observations and atmospheric chemistry investigations. The regional sources will be investigated both with ground-based observations and with drone applications for VOC mapping. The successful candidate will operate the PTR-ToF-MS in Cyprus and participate in numerous international field campaigns in Middle East, starting with a campaign in Qatar that will take place in spring 2022.

Responsibilities/activities to be involved in:

• Responsible for the operation of a PTR-ToF-MS system in the laboratory and in field campaigns, following international standard operating procedures.
• Responsible for data processing using advanced software tools.
• Contribute to research related to VOC emissions from anthropogenic and biogenic sources.
• Contribute to research related to the atmospheric chemistry implications of VOCs.
• Contribute to publications and communicate the research output and implications at different levels, including academic, public and policy related.
• Participate in the field intensive campaigns of EMME-CARE (Cyprus and abroad).
• Actively pursue regional and international networking, by participating in national and international conferences.
• Willingness to participate in the educational programs of the Institute and training of new research staff.

Required Qualifications

• Master degree in Atmospheric Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, Engineering or related field.
• Basic knowledge of environmental physics and chemistry.
• Excellent knowledge of the English language, both verbal and writing.
• Basic knowledge of programming (e.g. Matlab, R, Python).
• Independent thinking.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills.
• High interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team.

Preferred skills

• Research experience on reactive trace gases.
• Publication record.
• Driving licence.

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.

Application Process

Applicants should refer to the CyI website under the PhD in Energy, Environment and Atmospheric Sciences Admissions section for additional information about the application process.

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-EMME-21-7 in the Project Code field. Applicants should also mention in their statement of intent that they are applying for the PhD position with reference code: GS-EAS-EMME-21-7. If the code is not entered in the online application, the applicant may not be considered for this position.

Application Deadline

The application deadline for this project is 27th of August, 2021. The selected candidate will be admitted to the PhD programme in Fall 2021.

Contact Information

For further information, please contact Assistant Professor Dr. Efstratios Bourtsoukidis (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). For more information about postgraduate studies at The Cyprus Institute and admission requirements, please contact the Office of Graduate Studies of The Cyprus Institute at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at tel: +357 22208614.