• Posted 24-Jun-2019

RISE PhD Fellowships

RISE announces five (5) PhD Fellowships under various Multidisciplinary Research Groups (MRGs).

The Research Centre on Interactive Media, Smart System and Emerging Technologies (RISE), announces five (5) PhD Fellowships under various Multidisciplinary Research Groups (MRGs). The Fellowships aim to encourage participation in RISE’s Doctoral Training Program.

RISE is an equal opportunity employer. The positions are open to nationals of all EU countries. Applicants outside the EU may require a working VISA for Cyprus.

About RISE

RISE is a newly founded research centre in Cyprus aiming to become a centre of excellence empowering knowledge and technology transfer in the region. It is a joint venture between the Municipality of Nicosia, the Max Planck Institute for Informatics (Germany), the University College London (UK) and the three public universities of Cyprus - University of Cyprus, Cyprus University of Technology, and Open University of Cyprus.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017 (Teaming Phase 2) under grant agreement No. 739578, as well as from the Cypriot Government, the local partners and other sponsors.

The research focus of RISE is on interactive media. Interactive media have become an integral part of our lives, changing the way that information is conveyed to the user and the ways users interact with devices, with other people, and with the world around them.

Research in RISE integrates the Visual Sciences, Human Factors and Design, and Communications and Artificial Intelligence, in a tight synergy that provides a unique
interdisciplinary research perspective that emphasizes an “Inspired by Humans, Designed for Humans” philosophy. RISE is designed to act as an integrator of academic research and industrial innovation, towards the sustainable fuelling of the scientific, technological, and economic growth of Cyprus and Europe. For more information about RISE, please visit www.rise.org.cy. 

Overview of RISE’s Doctoral Training Program

RISE’s Doctoral Training Program (DTP) will kick off in 2019-2020 to provide the best possible experience of impactful collaboration, following best practices from across Europe. RISE’s DTP is far more attractive as an engagement point than an individual supervisor or small group in a University. The DTP experience will rely on a good cohort environment at RISE itself, but also on training the students to engage with the wider community and the partner institutions.

RISE’s DTP includes an in-house program for supporting and guiding PhD students who will be registered at a University of the RISE consortium (University of Cyprus, Cyprus University of Technology or Open University of Cyprus). Scientific colloquia, mobility activities and visits, joint supervision of PhDs, and joint projects organized in collaboration with RISE’s advanced partners (UCL and Max Planck) and other members of the RISE developing network will provide opportunities for training in research and innovation activities as well as knowledge transfer.

Indicative list of DTP courses:

1. Project Management
2. Innovation, Entrepreneurial and Intrapreneurial skills for Research Engineers
3. Product from Concept to Market
4. IP Protection Workshop: Key IP, commercialization, methods for Higher Education: licensing, spin-ins and spin-outs
5. Research Methods and Research Ethics
6. Science communication and dissemination
7. Grant-writing
8. Other seminars

The program will include a colloquium series in which there will be monthly presentations by PhD students in a closed and supportive environment. The format of the colloquium series will be mentoring oriented (e.g. PhD students share their work, their challenges, their concerns, they get peer feedback and guidance from senior researchers, they interact with post-doc researchers and they hear their stories and struggles).

Via RISE’s DTP, one can experience a broad range of projects, activities and training possibilities. RISE will also facilitate the development and innovation of research ideas and outcomes. RISE DTP will aim to provide a direct link to the advance partners via short-term placements at their premises. RISE DTP will support PhD students’ participation in conferences and study visits at established research centres across Europe. RISE will award a certificate for the participation in the RISE DTP program.

RISE PhD Fellowships

In the academic year 2019-2020, RISE will offer up to five (5) PhD fellowships to encourage participation in RISE’s DTP.
Fellowships will be for up to 3 years, during which the candidate needs to complete his/her PhD. The fellowship includes a monthly salary of €1.650 (€19.800 yearly) along with a tuition waiver for the Host University.

Fellowship and Participation in RISE’s DTP require:

1. Register at one of the local partner Universities of Cyprus (i.e., Host University), under the supervision of a RISE academic. Note: Depending on the university of registration, the PhD student will have to follow the respective doctoral program with expectations and examination procedures. RISE will not interfere with the PhD requirements of the University where the PhD student is registered. The PhD degree will be awarded by the University the PhD student is registered at.
2. Spent 70-80% of their time at RISE Centre itself and 20-30% at the external partners. The costs for the placement at the external partners will be covered by RISE.
3. Complete a minimum of 4 courses or series of seminars offered by RISE’s DTP inhouse program, preferably during the first 2 years of their PhD. Note: These courses are independent of any coursework/seminar PhD requirements by the Host University. Yet, provided that the Host University/Department agrees, these courses may count towards the course requirements of the PhD program at the Host University.
4. Engage in year-round communication and dissemination activities of RISE (e.g. poster days, industry events)

RISE fellowship might be discontinued if the fellow does not adhere to the obligations of RISE’s DTP.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

• Be 35 years of age or younger on the date of application
• Have a Bachelor’s degree (4 years or 5 years program) in the area of concentration
• Have an MA/MSc in the area of concentration
• Have a proven record of high-achievement
• Have a PhD thesis proposal centred on the topic of interest from the composed list of RISE topics.
• Be fluent in written and verbal communication in English

Application Process

The application should be sent to [email protected] and should include:

1. The selected topic (one application for each topic, max 2 topics per applicant)
2. Full CV of the applicant
3. Full transcripts of all previous studies
4. English language degrees
5. A letter of interest or statement of purpose written in English, which describes 1) previous work performed in the topic under study 2) why the candidate wishes to undertake the specific studies (1000 words max).
6. A PhD thesis proposal centred on the topic of interest including initial research objectives (1000 words max). Note: A different application must be submitted for each topic of interest with a maximum of 2 applications per candidate.
7. Names and contact information of two referees. Note: Referees will be contacted by RISE to submit their letters, if the candidate is shortlisted.

Deadline for applications: 10/07/2019

List of Topics and more information at http://www.rise.org.cy/en-gb/media/news/announcement-of-rise-phd-fellowships/