Post-doctoral Researchers and PhD Candidates

About IFF

The Institute For the Future (IFF) is an interdisciplinary research center at the University of Nicosia (UNIC), aimed at advancing emerging technologies and contributing to their effective application in industry, government and education as well as evaluating their impact on society at large. Our mission is to educate leaders, develop knowledge and build communities to help society prepare for a future shaped by transformative technologies.

Our current focus is on two areas:

• Crypto-assets and Blockchain: The University of Nicosia hosts the largest university initiative in this field, having been the first university in the world to offer a course and degree program in 2014 (MSc in Blockchain and Digital Currency). IFF is involved in multiple crypto and blockchain research consortia and is academic advisor to the European Commission through the EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum. Further, it has built a 40,000-member community of students and alumni in 100+ countries and has already launched its first crypto start-up.
• Forecasting: The Makridakis Open Forecasting Centre (MOFC), one of IFF’s independent research centers, hosts the largest open data forecasting competition series in the world (see here). The M Competitions attract tens of thousands of participants and have historically broken new ground in state-of-the-art forecasting methodologies.

Doctoral candidate and post-doctoral researcher openings

IFF is looking to fill several funded positions for post-doctoral researchers and doctoral (PhD) candidates in the areas of crypto-assets, blockchain or forecasting. The new hires will join a dynamic and fast-growing team of faculty and research staff at IFF, working on technological, business, financial, regulatory or societal research problems. The chosen candidates will join existing and new teams working on research projects funded by the European Commission (e.g. Horizon2020, Erasmus+ and other programs) and corporate sponsors.

Further, doctoral candidates will be enrolled into the University of Nicosia’s PhD program, working towards their doctoral degree under the supervision of IFF faculty.

IFF faculty have expertise and are interested in supervising research in the following areas (additional areas can be proposed by the candidates and will be considered):

• Decentralized Finance (DeFi): algorithmic design, decentralized oracles, synthetic assets, disruptive innovation, regulatory implications, etc.
• Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and asset tokenization: digital collectibles, real-world asset securitization, metaverses, valuation models, etc.
• Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs): algorithmic governance, programmable trust, new forms of organizational design, personal data markets, etc.
• Convergence of blockchain with other technologies: blockchain combined with artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT), Machine-to-Machine (M2M) commerce, non-human sovereign identities, etc.
• Blockchain protocols: scalability, consensus algorithms, interoperability
• Quantum computing impact on blockchains
• Pattern recognition, machine learning and data analytics for blockchain, crypto-assets or forecasting
• Societal and ethical implications of emerging technologies
• Emerging technologies for sustainable growth and development
• Legal and regulatory aspects of crypto-assets

Requirements

Post-doctoral researchers:

• You have obtained (or are close to finishing) a PhD in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Mathematics, Business, Economics, Finance, Law, or Social Sciences.
• You have a record of peer-reviewed publications, ideally including related to crypto-assets, blockchain or forecasting.

PhD candidates:

• You have obtained a postgraduate (MSc, MA or equivalent) degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Mathematics, Business, Economics, Finance, Law, or Social Sciences.

All candidates:

• You have an active interest and know-how on crypto-assets, blockchain or forecasting methods, which may or may not be related to your academic studies.
• You have strong analytical skills and the ability to work independently, as well as in a team.
• You have excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

Information and Application

Applicants should submit the following items (in electronic form) as an e-mail to with indicating the position applied for as the subject of the email:

• a cover letter (maximum 1 page A4), emphasizing your specific interest, qualifications and motivations to apply for this position;
• a full Curriculum Vitae (CV);
• extended abstract of your research proposal (2-5 pages, including research question, motivation and expected results);
• if you have already spoken to (or are interested in being matched to) a specific IFF faculty member, please indicate

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified. All applications will be treated in confidence.

Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.