Cyprus Institute

Homepage: https://dust-dn.cyi.ac.cy/

The Dust Doctoral Network (Dust-DN) has been selected with full marks to contribute to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) of Horizon Europe, and will officially start operations on 1 November 2024. A recruitment campaign for seventeen doctoral candidates within our prestigious network has now started, with a deadline at the end of August 2024. The Dust-DN website explains the network’s objectives and displays the job adverts: https://dust-dn.cyi.ac.cy

Dust is a major atmospheric aerosol, and it gives us one of the most visible and detectable aspects of transboundary transport of atmospheric constituents, impacting visibility, radiation and climate. It affects the environment, society, and several economic sectors, with impacts on the transportation and energy sectors for example, the nature and cost of which is not fully understood and quantified. Dust-DN will train a cohort of scientists to become leaders in this field of research.

Dust-DN in a nutshell:

• The first doctoral network on a European scale (to our knowledge), bringing together expertise on mineral dust in the atmosphere, combining multidisciplinary aspects.
• A strategic international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral alliance of high-profile beneficiaries and associated partners, able to leverage on unique state-of-the-art facilities
• A careful blend between individual research projects and integrated combined training and networking, and a critical mass on dust-focused studies using complementary methodologies.
• Exposure of the doctoral candidates to differing research and working environments, multiple technologies and methodologies.
• Training in the atmospheric sciences, dust science questions, transferable skills and on the partners’ unique research infrastructures, enabling to tackle the bigger picture of dust challenges. Dedicated applied research projects with direct contributions and impacts embedded with the societal and industrial sector.

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We will hire doctoral candidates on 17 projects (see research positions). Hereby is some general information common to all positions.

• The selected candidates will be appointed under a 36-months full-time employment contract.
• The doctoral candidates will be enrolled in a PhD programme at one or more project partner institutions, and will be included in the “Dust Doctoral Network”, which involves highly prestigious research groups on this scientific topic, and which will ensure that the cohort of doctoral candidates is integrated in a dynamic and enthusiastic scientific environment.
• The doctoral candidates will learn about the consortium partners’ unique facilities and research topics/methods, and will exploit these opportunities for their research. All Dust-DN doctoral candidates will work side-by-side with lead scientists at world-leading institutes.
• The doctoral candidates will (a) take responsibility for the scientific project that they are involved in, and the instruments and/or software required; (b) collect scientific knowledge through experiments and/or numerical modelling, and data analysis; © develop tailor-made data processing methods; (d) advance the fields of research in atmospheric dust and/or the related measurement and/or modelling techniques; (e) participate in the Dust Doctoral Network training and networking activities and (f) publish research results in scientific peer reviewed journals, and present at conferences and workshops.
• The annual gross salary is indicated in the individual job adverts, but the exact gross salary will be confirmed upon appointment (employer costs and other deductions may vary based on circumstances).
• Qualifications: Candidates must hold a title satisfying the admission requirements for a doctoral candidate at the institution where they will be enrolled (see qualification requirements). A doctoral degree in any field is not compatible with these positions.
• Mobility: Transnational mobility is an essential requirement of MSCA Doctoral Networks. At the time of recruitment, the candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the host country for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the recruitment date. Applicants must be aware that seconding periods are planned for this position as described above. International applicants are welcomed.
• Post-specific qualification requirements and preferred qualifications must be justified and demonstrated with evidence in the application (motivation letter).
• It is understood that failure to successfully continue the PhD program will result in immediate cancellation of the employment contract and the financial support provided.

Application and selection

Application advisory: A pre-screening of the candidates will be made by the Dust-DN consortium as a first step prior to the formal recruitment process. Candidates should submit a CV and motivation letter on the Dust-DN website, together with their university transcripts and the name and contact information of two referees, and indicating up to 3 preferred doctoral projects (in order of preference) amongst the ones advertised within the whole Dust-DN (which includes the one in the present advert). It is very important that the motivation letter should recall each of the qualification requirements and preferred qualifications indicated in this advert, clearly justifying how the candidate is able to meet each of them, and providing evidence. After short-listing, the most suitable candidates will be called for an interview.
The deadline for the application advisory phase is 31 August 2024

Formal recruitment phase: The most highly-ranked applicants interviewed during the application advisory phase will be re-directed for the formal application.

With the submission of the documents, applicants agree that the documents will be shared among all supervisors of the Dust-DN consortium and members of the respective shortlisting and interviewing panels.

Dust-DN respects and supports the compatibility of professional and private life and promotes development opportunities for its cohort of doctoral researchers. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment.

Rights and Responsibilities of Researchers Participating in Marie Skłodwska-Curie Actions:

The European Charter for Researchers is a set of general principles and requirements which specify the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of both researchers and the employers and/or funders of researchers. The aim of the Charter is to ensure that the nature of the relationship between researchers and employers or funders is conducive to successful performance in generating, transferring, sharing and disseminating knowledge and technological development and to the career development of the researchers.

It is obligatory for applicants to read and understand the detailed information regarding the rights and responsibilities of researchers engaged in an MSCA Doctoral Network.

The European Charter for researchers can be accessed at: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/european-charter

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