The Cyprus Institute

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 postgraduate 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 Cyprus Institute actuates its educational mission through its Graduate School. 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 successful applicants will be based at the Graduate School of The Cyprus Institute and at the Climate and Atmosphere Research Centre’s Environmental Observations Department. The selected applicants will be enrolled in the PhD program: Environmental and Energy Sciences.

Homepage: https://www.cyi.ac.cy/

- Do you have a MSc degree in Environmental, Atmospheric or Plant sciences, or in similar fields?
- Do you enjoy fieldwork and the challenge of troubleshooting scientific equipment?
- Are you passionate about solving problems and conducting interdisciplinary research?
- Do you want to explore the fascinating links between urban vegetation and air quality?

If yes, this PhD position could be the perfect opportunity for you! It offers excellent prospects for professional development within the framework of the EU-H2020 initiative, EMME-CARE (Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate and Atmosphere Research Centre, http://emme-care.cyi.ac.cy/; TEAMING Grant No. 856612). Through this initiative, the Cyprus Institute has established a Centre of Excellence in Climate and Atmosphere research for the EMME region, in collaboration with leading European institutions: Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (Germany), University of Helsinki (Finland), and CEA (France).

Description of the position
The successful candidate will play a key role in advancing CARE-C’s pioneering research and innovation agenda within the rapidly evolving field of Environmental Observations. The focus will be on experimental research exploring reactive trace gases, with particular emphasis on the biosphere-atmosphere interface. This exciting opportunity offers the chance to use cutting-edge technology, including a Proton Transfer Reaction – Time of Flight – Mass Spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS) and a portable photosynthesis system, to monitor biogenic VOC (bVOC) emissions from urban vegetation.

In this role, the candidate will not only investigate the environmental stressors that influence bVOC emissions but will also contribute to a deeper understanding of their significant implications for atmospheric chemistry and climate change. This research is essential for advancing knowledge of how urban ecosystems interact with the atmosphere, and your findings will have a direct impact on our understanding of air quality, climate processes, and environmental health.

By joining this project, the candidate will:
1. Design and refine methodologies for measuring biogenic VOC emissions from urban vegetation, contributing to the growing body of knowledge on environmental interactions.
2. Identify and characterize the environmental factors and stressors that regulate bVOC emissions, with a focus on climate and pollution-related tipping points.
3. Assess the role and significance of bVOC emissions in atmospheric chemical processes, providing valuable insights into their contributions to urban air quality.

Required Qualifications
1. Master’s degree in Atmospheric Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, or a related field.
2. Fundamental understanding of atmospheric sciences.
3. Excellent knowledge of the English language, both verbal and writing.
4. Basic programming skills (e.g. Matlab, R, Python).
5. Independent and proactive mindset.
6. Strong analytical skills with attention to detail and the ability to organize and manage research tasks effectively.
7. High interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate in a diverse, multidisciplinary team.

Preffered Skills

• Research experience on reactive trace gases; prior experience with bVOCs is an asset.
• Hands-on experience on mass spectrometers or gas chromatography.
• Publication record.
• Driving licence.

Financial Support
The successful candidate will benefit from highly competitive financial support, provided either as a Graduate Research Assistant employment package or a stipend, in accordance with the regulations of the Cyprus Institute Graduate School. The exact details of the salary or stipend will be determined upon appointment, ensuring alignment with the candidate’s role and contributions to the project.

Application Process
Interested applicants should visit the Cyprus Institute website under the PhD in Energy, Environment and Atmospheric Sciences Admissions section section for detailed information on the application requirements and process. When completing the online application, please ensure you enter the specific PhD project reference code GS-EAS-BEUV-25-1 in Step 2 to be considered for this position. Please note that only applications that have been sent through the online application system of The Cyprus Institute Graduate School, will be considered.

Required Documents – Curriculum Vitae (CV) – Electronic copies of academic degrees – Proof of English language proficiency – Examples of written work (e.g. link to your thesis, published articles, etc.) – Two References – Motivation letter

Application Process
Interested applicants should visit the Cyprus Institute website under the PhD in Energy, Environment and Atmospheric Sciences Admissions section section for detailed information on the application requirements and process. When completing the online application, please ensure you enter the specific PhD project reference code GS-EAS-BEUV-25-1 in Step 2 to be considered for this position. Please note that only applications that have been sent through the online application system of The Cyprus Institute Graduate School, will be considered.

Required Documents
– Curriculum Vitae (CV)
– Electronic copies of academic degrees
– Proof of English language proficiency
– Examples of written work (e.g. link to your thesis, published articles, etc.)
– Two References
– Motivation letter

Application Deadline
The application deadline for this project is March 15, 2025. The selected candidate will be admitted to the PhD programme in 2025.

Contact Information
For further information, please contact Assistant Professor Dr. Efstratios Bourtsoukidis (e.bourtsoukidis@cyi.ac.cy). 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 office.school@cyi.ac.cy or at tel: +357 22208614.