Select Page

Collaborative Doctoral Program between European University Cyprus and the Joint Research Center of the European Commission.

Posted: June 6, 2024

JRC and European University Cyprus (EUC) have engaged in a research program in which they will jointly supervise a PhD student as well as work together in other areas of hybrid threats and critical entities resilience research.
The PhD dissertation will be awarded by the European University Cyprus and the successful candidate will be co-supervised by supervisors from both JRC and European University Cyprus. The successful candidate (post holder) will be based at the Directorate for Space, Security and Migration as well as at the Centre for Risk and Decision Sciences (CERIDES – Excellence in Innovation and Technology).

More specifically, the vacancy is within Unit E2 – Technologies for Space, Security and Connectivity. Its mission is to foster EU’s resilience and citizens’ trust by enhancing the security and resilience of essential space-based, terrestrial and connectivity infrastructures and services. The Unit does this through research, assessing current and emerging technological trends, and by anticipating the geopolitical security landscape including hybrid threats and technological risks.

Furthermore, the successful candidate (post holder) will be located at European University Cyprus, CERIDES in Nicosia, Cyprus.

What we propose 

The objective of the Collaborative Doctoral Program is to establish strategic collaborations in the context of operational research in the areas of hybrid threats and critical entities resilience with higher education institutions characterized by research excellence and international reputation in the field to:

  • train a new generation of doctoral students in science and technology with a focus on the science-policy interface, able to understand the research needs at different stages of the policy cycle, capable of providing scientific support to policy and of using transferable skills in science communication and knowledge management;
  • co-develop, co-host and co-supervise doctoral studies between higher education institutions and the JRC;
  • strengthen collaboration between the JRC and higher education institutions by promoting mutual enhancement of related skills and competences, combining existing knowledge and capacities, and enhancing networking in key scientific areas.

We look for 

The candidate should have familiarity with the security domain ideally, combined with state-of-the-art expertise in emerging technologies. Any experience in hybrid threats, cybersecurity, physical security, critical infrastructure protection, geopolitics would be considered as an asset.

Employment conditions

The post is located in Ispra, Italy as well as in Nicosia, Cyprus. The successful candidate will spend 1.5 years in Ispra and 1.5 additional years of the PhD program in Nicosia. For the 1.5 years spent at JRC Ispra, the candidate will we employed full-time by the JRC by a Grantholder Contract (Cat. 20) in accordance with Grantholder rules and the applicable Vademecum. Interested candidates will be able to find the Vademecum for Ispra and a draft of the Grantholder contract, among other useful information here

The selected candidate will be provided with a 50% scholarship on their fees by EUC. The selected candidate will enroll at the PhD in Occupational Safety and Health of EUC and will attend 3 preparatory compulsory courses at the EUC Campus in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Selection

Selected candidates will be called to an interview, based on CV screening, and will be asked to present their proposed plan of action and their previous relevant experience.  It should be noted that selection will be made in two phases, first by EUC and then by JRC. 

Eligibility criteria

Candidates must, prior to the start of the employment contract with the JRC:

  • have the nationality of a Member State of the EU or a country associated to the Research Framework Programmes or being resident in an EU Member State since at least 5 years, and
  • be enrolled in the PhD programme with the EUC.
  • The selected candidate will have not more than 6 months from the request for confirmation of interest in the position, and to produce proof of enrolment in the doctoral study program.

Selection Criteria

The following elements will be evaluated: 

  • A Master’s degree in Operations Research (OR), engineering, computer science or similar is a must.
  • Familiarity with EU policies in the field of security and defence and in particular critical infrastructure and Hybrid Threats.
  • Experience with innovative technologies in Security is desirable.
  • Very good knowledge of English language both written and spoken at the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is a must.

Closing date of applications

30.08.2024

How to apply

Candidates will have to submit their APPLICATION via the electronic submission system of EUC (choose the PhD in Occupational Safety and Health) and within the application will have to provide a research proposal, a CV and proof of their previous academic and professional experience.