Research Associates - WALKING MEMORY Project

Responsibilities

Department: Research Department /Extended Experiences Research Group  

No. Of Positions: 2 Part Time or Full Time Researchers 

Reporting Line: Extended Experiences Research Team Leader 

Contract Type: Fixed Term Fixed Term project-based contract for the duration of the project. 

Duration of project: 30 months (October 2026 – March 2029)

Location: Nicosia, Cyprus

Indicative Annual Gross Salary Range for Full Time Equivalent (FTE): 

Research Assistant: €18,000 – €32,000

Research Associate: €28,000 – €45,000  

Senior Researcher: starting from €36,000 - €55,000

The salary will be determined based on qualifications, experience, and suitability for the role. 

Preferred Start Date: September 2026, or as soon as possible.

Application Deadline: Position will remain open until the position is filled. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

 About the project / position:

The Extended Experiences (EX) Multidisciplinary Research Group (MRG) at CYENS Centre of Excellence invites applications for 2 Research Assistant / Research Associate / Senior Researcher positions in the areas of Augmented Reality, Digital Heritage, Immersive Storytelling for Cultural Heritage. The successful candidate(s) will contribute to the Horizon Europe project WALKING MEMORY, which aims to foster an inclusive, participatory, and technology-enabled approach by combining AR Memory Walks, digital storytelling toolkits, and FAIR data pipelines into a coherent framework tested across diverse cultural and geographical contexts. 

The project’s overall objective is to deliver ECCCH-validated workflows and tools that lower adoption barriers, support replication, and embed community voices into Europe’s digital heritage. By engaging municipalities, researchers, SMEs, cultural institutions, policymakers, and diaspora associations in co-creation and training activities, WALKING MEMORY strengthens social cohesion, intergenerational dialogue, and innovation capacity. Ultimately, the project contributes to building a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable European heritage ecosystem, enhancing scientific excellence, expanding cultural-tech markets, and aligning cultural preservation with Europe’s climate-neutrality and digital transformation goals. 

The positions offer the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research at the intersection of augmented reality, human-computer interaction, digital heritage, and immersive technologies, under the supervision of the Director of Research, Prof. Fotis Liarokapis.

• Conduct research in one or more of the following areas: 
  1. Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality (VR/AR/MR) 
  2. Computer Graphics and Animation
  3. Human-computer interaction
  4. Digital Heritage
  5. Immersive Storytelling
• Design, develop, and evaluate novel systems integrating immersive technologies with cultural heritage. 
• Develop research prototypes and demonstrators using modern software and XR development frameworks. 
• Contribute to scientific publications, technical reports, project deliverables, and dissemination activities. 
• Support the overall coordination of the EX MRG in line with the Grant Agreement, Description of Action and Consortium Agreement. 
• Monitor implementation progress across all relevant Work Packages and ensure timely follow-up with partners. 
• Maintain the project workplan, deliverables calendar, milestones tracker, action log, risk register and decision log. 
• Participate in proposal preparation, stakeholder engagement, training activities, and knowledge transfer initiatives. 
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across academia, industry, and public-sector organisations.

Your profile

• Self-motivated with the ability to take initiative and work independently.
• Strong organizational, communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Excellent analytical skills with attention to detail.
• Dynamic, adaptable, hands-on, and results-driven.
• A team player with the ability to work independently and under pressure.
• High levels of commitment, energy, and drive.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

General qualifications and requirements

1. Qualifications: 

1. For Research Assistant Level: B.Sc. or M.Sc. degree from an accredited university in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Extended Reality, Cognitive Science, or a related field. 
2. For Research Associate Level: Ph.D. degree from an accredited university in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Extended Reality, or a related field. 
3. For Senior Researcher Level: Over 5 years of post-doc experience in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Extended Reality, or a related field. 

1. Virtual, Augmented, or Mixed Reality 
2. Strong programming skills (e.g., C#, C++, or similar). 
3. Ability to independently identify research problems and contribute to innovative solutions. 
4. Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. 
5. Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary and international research teams. 
6. Strong organisational and problem-solving skills. 

• Unity or Unreal Engine development 
• Human-computer interaction
• User experience research 
• Experimental design and user studies 
• Experience with large multi-partner EU projects
• Knowledge of quality assurance, risk management, GDPR, ethics or data management in EU projects. 
• Experience working in a research centre, university, innovation organisation or European consortium.

Why us?

CYENS offers the opportunity to work at the forefront of research and innovation within a dynamic, multidisciplinary, and international environment. Researchers benefit from collaboration with leading academic and industry partners, participation in high-impact national and European projects, access to state-of-the-art infrastructure, and opportunities for professional growth and scientific excellence.

Application process

For full consideration, interested applicants should submit the following items via the online application form and clearly indicate the position title in their application:

1. Full CV (including contact details).
2. Cover letter outlining: 
   1. your suitability for the role
   2. your motivation for applying; 
   3. contact details of two referees. 

Contact details

Enquiries
 For general enquiries, applicants may contact the HR Department at vacancies@cyens.org.cy.

About us

CYENS Centre of Excellence (formerly known as RISE) is the Research and Innovation Centre on Interactive media, Smart systems and Emerging technologies empowering knowledge and technology transfer in the region. CYENS CoE is supported by the European Commission, the Republic of Cyprus and its founding Partners, the Municipality of Nicosia, the Max Planck Institute for Informatics (MPI), University College London, the University of Cyprus, the Cyprus University of Technology and the Open University of Cyprus.   

The Centre conducts excellent, internationally competitive scientific research in the areas of visual sciences, human factors and design, communication, and artificial intelligence delivered by high-calibre multidisciplinary research teams. CYENS engages in knowledge transfer and innovation activities aiming to bridge the gap between scientific research and STEM-led innovation and entrepreneurship. 

 CYENS, as a Centre of Excellence, cultivates a culture of innovation and creativity in an inspiring environment filled with academics, researchers, creative and onward-looking people, innovators, entrepreneurs, and practitioners. The Centre operates under the moto “Inspired by Humans Designed for Humans” with the vision to produce world class research that drives innovation towards social and economic benefit while conducting excellent, internationally competitive scientific research in the areas of visual sciences, human factors and design, communication, and artificial intelligence. It sets out to meet the challenge with a total potential funding of more than 30 million Euros for the first 7 years, from a Horizon 2020 Teaming Action and multiple other sources, and a business plan for long-term sustainability and growth.