CERIDES – PhD in European Interagency Exchange (MSCA)

November 13, 2019
Christos Dimopoulos

Deadline : December 9th, 2019

Do you have a genuine interest in landscape fires and resilience? Are you up for an interdisciplinary challenge, looking and learning beyond your own field and assumptions? With a international team that is inclusive, collaborative, creative and open minded? Then we are looking for you!

15 PhD positions in PyroLife Innovative Training Network on integrated fire management

The 2018 wildfire season was a glimpse of what to expect in the future: deadly mega-fires in Mediterranean regions and high fire activity in temperate and boreal areas outside the typical Spring fire season. We cannot solve this challenge with the old mono-disciplinary approach of fire suppression: there is a critical need to change fire management from fire resistance to landscape resilience: Living with Fire. This requires a new type of diverse experts, who not only understand fire, but who are also able to communicate risks, deal with uncertainty, and link scientific disciplines as well as science and practice.

 The new Innovative Training Network PyroLife will train the new generation of interdisciplinary experts in integrated fire management, acknowledging that 1) knowledge transfer from southern Europe (and worldwide) to temperate Europe can support the new generation of experts; and 2) fire risk planning, communication and management can learn from cross-risk lessons including temperate European expertise in water management. In doing so, this project combines how the North solves community problems with the fire knowledge of the European South.

15 PhD positions

We are hiring 15 PhD candidates across Southern and Northwest Europe and across a range of scientific disciplines, from social sciences and policy to environmental sciences and engineering. We are looking for a diverse group of creative and open minded Early Stage Researchers who are able to link innovative science to society, and communicate with media, stakeholders, and policy makers.

These 15 positions are open at 6 universities, 2 research institutes, a foundation and a company across Southern and Northwest Europe. For an overview of all positions, please visit https://pyrolife.lessonsonfire.eu/

 Topic description

The objectives of this PhD project are to 1. Identify how fire resilient environmental governance can be implemented at local, national and European levels, 2. Assess how NW Europe can learn from Southern practices and vice versa, 3. Identify best governance practices on a multi-hazard level that can be used in fire prevention and suppression contexts

 We provide

  • A PhD position in the diverse PyroLife training network together with 14 other PhD candidates that study landscape fire using an integrated approach.
  • A strong, engaging, collaborative and inclusive network of academics and practitioners
  • The first doctoral training program on integrated fire management worldwide, with research, collaboration and training focused on understanding fire, risk communication, integration across disciplines, scales, sectors, and countries, and personal development
  • Enrolment in a fully-funded PhD program
  • Team up with other PhD students in the network that work in other risk communication topics.
  • Research including an applied traineeship that will provide hands-on experience to work with communities located in areas with a high and/or new risk of wildfires.
  • Become part of a dynamic team, that works with and for the fire community and society.

Skills desired

Specific

  • recent university MSc degree in safety, fire safety, fire engineering, environmental management or related area, with a strong understanding of how science impacts on science.
  • illustrate their good understanding of how science impacts on policy.

General

  • A genuine interest in landscape fire and resilience. Experience with (the management of) fire, forests, water, storms or other risks is appreciated;
  • Ambition to obtain a PhD degree, and become a scientific expert able to convert knowledge and ideas into products and services, for social and economic benefit;
  • Good communication skills and good proficiency in English (both oral and written);
  • Willingness to (learn how to) communicate risk, make inter- and transdisciplinary linkages;
  • Willingness to travel including moving to another country for the PhD project, completing two 4-month secondments in Europe or abroad, and travel to international training courses and any fieldwork;
  • Ability to function as a team member, work independently and take responsibility for own research goals.
  • Meet the mobility and early stage researcher requirements defined for the MSCA-ITN projects.

Mobility and early career requirements

Applicants should comply to the EU rules regarding ITN projects:

(https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/other/guides_for_applicants/h2020-guide-appl-msca-itn_en.pdf). The most important rules are that you should not have a doctoral degree, have obtained your Master degree within the last four years (full-time equivalent research experience) and should not have spent more than 12 months of your time during the last 3 years in Cyprus.

Employment conditions

We offer a full-time position, initially for 6 months after which a go/no go decision will be taken on extension with another 30 months. Gross salary per month €2,350 for a fulltime appointment. In addition to this salary, you will receive a mobility allowance and, if relevant, a family allowance for a total of 36 months of the employment.

About the employer

European University Cyprus operates five Schools, namely, the School of Humanities, Social & Education Sciences, the School of Business Administration, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the School of Sciences, the Medical School, and the School of Law with the mission to educate students for successful careers and life achievement, to understand and serve the needs of society, and to create knowledge through research and innovation. EUC is the only university in Cyprus and Greece to be rated by QS TOP UNIVERSITIES (QS Stars), which ranks many of the most prestigious universities in the United States, Canada and Europe. The University has been assessed with the highest distinction of 5-Stars in Teaching, Facilities, Inclusiveness, Social Responsibility and Internationalization. Its 4-Star distinction in the field of Employability is also considered a remarkable success, a result of the close association of its academic programs to the job market.

EUC is ranked among the 300+ Universities at Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings.

The Centre for Risk and Decision Sciences (CERIDES) provides a holistic offer to the academic and business world. The Centre is based on the offering of educational (taught), research and consulting solutions. The Centre has emerged from the synergies that have been identified between the Centre for Risk, Safety and the Environment (CERISE) and the Decision Support and Systems Optimization (DSSO) Laboratory and operates under the auspices of European University Cyprus. It is the first cross-disciplinary, cross-School Center of Excellence of European University Cyprus.

The areas of focus of the Centre of Excellence revolve around the development, use and evaluation of primarily quantitative and to a lesser degree qualitative methods in order to measure, assess, manage and communicate risk, and to analyze, design and implement decision-making mechanisms and systems.

CERIDES aims to create high quality output and build a high caliber reputation along three main areas:

Research–through its participation in National, EU and private research projects CERIDES aspires to create a vibrant research community within Cyprus and the broader geographical area. Postgraduate and Postdoctoral research fellows will be recruited to work in projects relevant to the Centre’s thematic pillars, creating an inspiring and productive environment, which is primarily focused on delivering high quality research output on the CERIDES topics. CERIDES’s objective is to develop an environment that stimulates scientific debate

The Centre fulfils its aims through:

  • Recruitment of top-class academics with the potential to not only contribute to science but to become trend-setters.
  • The recognition and adoption of best practices in research
  • Publication in peer reviewed Journals, proceedings, and/or books
  • Inviting highly respected visiting scholars, and finally;
  • Contribution to science through extensive dissemination of our research results e.g. through publications and conferences

CERIDES has already participated in a large number of EU Funded projects (H2020, MCSA, DG ECHO, FP7, DG HOME, DG JUSTICE) and has amassed significant experience.  CERIDES has provided training and consulting for the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, the World Bank and private organizations.

 More information

For more information about these positions please contact Prof. Georgios Boustras ([email protected]) or look at http:www.euc.ac.cy and https://cerides.euc.ac.cy/

How to apply

  • Submit motivation letter and a CV
  • Use template for motivation letter at https://pyrolife.lessonsonfire.eu/ that outlines four topics we expect you to cover, and that also includes a form to show your eligibility for the program in terms of early stage researcher and mobility requirements
  • Job announcement open until 09/12/2019
  • Do not e-mail directly to the person mentioned above, but forward your application to the EUC Research Office at [email protected].

All applications shall be treated in strict confidentiality and only candidates that meet the job specifications will be contacted.