Postdocs in Atmospheric Sciences at Cyprus Institute

 

Postdoc(s) in Atmospheric Sciences

Closing Date: 11/04/21

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, and postgraduate education. CyI, through its established research centers, 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 CARE-C Centre of excellence invites applications for the position of Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Atmospheric Sciences to join the Cyprus atmospheric Observatory (CAO, https://cao.cyi.ac.cy/) team. The position offers excellent possibilities for 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 candidates will contribute in advancing the CARE-C’s research and innovation agenda in its scientific focus of Environmental Observations area through experimental research on 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 as the core instrumentation for the research investigations.

Depending on their skills and interests, the selected candidates will undertake different responsibilities as below:

 -Operation of the PTR-ToF-MS to monitor anthropogenic VOCs and identify the regional sources and sinks, through observations and atmospheric chemistry investigations (in the frames of ACTRIS network). The regional sources will be investigated both with ground-based observations and with drone applications for VOC mapping. He/she 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.

- Operation of the PTR-ToF-MS to monitor biogenic VOCs in the soil-biosphere-atmosphere interface and witin the context of climate change in the East Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) region. He/she will be responsible for performing flux observations of bVOCs in forested and agricultural environments and link the emissions with plant physiology (using a portable photosynthesis system) and environmental drivers.

The positions will be on a full-time basis for a fixed period and duration based on the responsibilities to be undertaken as described above, and are renewable depending on performance and availability of funds.

 

Responsibilities/activities to be involved in:

1. Responsible for the operation of a PTR-ToF-MS system in the laboratory and in field campaigns, following international standard operating procedures;
2. Responsible for data processing using advanced software tools;
3. Contribute to research related activities to VOC emissions from anthropogenic and/or biogenic sources;
4. Contribute to research related activities to the atmospheric chemistry implications of VOCs;
5. Contribute to publications and communicate the research output and implications at different levels, including academic, public and policy related;
6. Actively pursue regional and international networking, by participating in national and international conferences;
7. Co-supervise research projects/students;
8. Willingness to participate in training of new research staff

Required Qualifications

1. PhD in one of the below:
   1. Atmospheric Chemistry
   2. Environmental Sciences
   3. Biogeochemistry
   4. Plant Physiology
2. Authored/co‐authored at least five peer‐reviewed publications
3. Three years of relevant experience (including PhD)
4. Research experience on Volatile Organic Compounds;
5. Participation in field campaigns;
6. International experience;
7. Driving license;
8. Experience with trace gas instrumentation;
9. Excellent programming skills (e.g. Python, Matlab, R);
10. Excellent knowledge of English, both verbal and writing;
11. Strong analytical and organizational skills;
12. High interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team;
13. Willingness to travel and spend time in campaigns and in Partner Organizations;
14. Willingness to participate in the educational programs of the Institute.

 

Application

For full consideration, interested applicants should process their application at The Cyprus Institute (https://onlinerecruitment.exelsyslive.com/?c=6E7274A2-8EBA-4BEA-905B-06F790EEB566&v=2021/0012) based on the instructions given. Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae including a short letter of interest 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 Assist. Prof. Dr. Efstratios Bourtsoukidis (e.bourtsoukidis@cyi.ac.cy). Please note that applications which do not follow the announcement’s guidelines will not be considered.

Recruitment will continue until the positions are filled.