The CARE-C Centre of Excellence (CoE), stemming from “Eastern Mediterranean Middle East – Climate and Atmosphere Research” Project (EMME-CARE, H2020 GA no.856612), will be embedded into the legal structure of CyI, but will have full autonomy in any of its executive decisions as well as in defining its Research and Innovation agenda. This autonomy is already in place in every research centre of CyI and has shown to be a key driver for the rapid development and the competitiveness of these centres. 

CARE-C will retain this well-defined level of autonomy through the institution of the Management Board that will oversee the operations of the Centre, as illustrated in the figure below.

Management Board (MB)

The Management Board is the ultimate decision-making body of the Consortium and Center, with full oversight of and responsibility for the operations of the centre. The Management Board will make decisions on budget, recruitment and internal affairs and will report directly to CREF. It reports directly to the CyI President and has the prerogative to safeguard the independent-decision making capacity of the centre in the implementation of its R&I agenda, operational and administrative policy and of its educational activities. The management board will approve the hiring of senior scientific and technical personnel for the centre and will approve and monitor the implementation of the centre’s annual budget.

The Structure of the Management Board below safeguards the centre’s autonomy and promotes the international dimension of CARE-C:

• Four Partners of the EMME-CARE H2020 Teaming project;
• Two representatives of the Cyprus Institute (VPR, VPO) to ensure a harmonious development of the Centre;
• One representative (senior Faculty) from the EMME-CARE academic network;
• One of the General Assembly and;
• The Center Director.

General Assembly (GA)

The General Assembly acts is the body comprising of all the centre’s employees (researchers, technical experts, administrative and support staff), with an appointed representative to the MB every two years. It is a body that will ensure the smooth development of the Research Center, offering equally to all the CyI employees working in EMME-CARE the possibility to express their opinions (and share ideas) on the ways to improve the working environment of the Research Centre, thus providing a participatory element. Administrative information (budgets, recruitments, internal policies) will also be presented and explained during the meetings of the GA to further enhance transparency.

Scientific Expert Panel (SEP)

The Management Board of the centre is advised and aided by an international panel of experts (SEP) with expertise related to the centre’s activity. Built on the existing CyI research centre model, the SEP will have competencies in the research and innovation topics covered by the four R&I departments. SEP will also address issues related to diversity, gender, integrity, and GDPR. Every year, the SEP will go through an in-depth evaluation of the performance (KPIs) and objectives of the centre in general and more specifically for each R&I department. The SEP will be composed of atmosphere and climate experts already engaged in the EEWRC SEP, while additional members will be appointed by the CyI Scientific Advisory Council with additional expertise (e.g. innovation) and international dimension.

International Policy Advisory Board (IPAB)

The International Policy Advisory Board (IPAB) will support the new centre in its endeavours to promote and structure an active dialogue between the scientific community of CARE-C and regional and international policy makers on the development of transnational solutions. Composed of leading regional and international policy makers, stakeholders, and opinion-formers, the IPAB will facilitate the transfer of new regionally focussed scientific knowledge of the impact of climate change and support its translation into current and future national interests and policies.