PhD position Ethics of Neuroinclusive Research and Interaction Technology

Job description

Autistic people often experience communication challenges and breakdowns in their daily social lives. These challenges can have a severe impact on educational and societal outcomes later in life. The project takes a neurodiversity perspective and asks how technologies can support social interactions between autistic children and their social contacts in respectful, non-stigmatizing neuro-inclusive ways, and how to research and embed such technologies in a neuro-inclusive manner.

The Ethics and Philosophy of Technology Section at TU Delft is hiring a PhD candidate to combine descriptive and normative theories with bottom-up empirical research. The PhD student will be embedded at different field sites, including at least one elementary school, the homes of participating neurodiverse families, and one neuro-inclusive technology company. The PhD project is part of COINTEND, a large overarching project on neuro-inclusive interaction technology funded by the Dutch Research Council.

COINTEND brings together researchers from five universities and universities of applied sciences, elementary schools, technology companies, and experts-by-experience to inform normative recommendations and guidelines for neuro-inclusive interactions at micro, meso, and macro levels.

The PhD student is expected to identify needs, values, opportunities, hurdles, and practices in real-world settings to generate actionable insights.

We are looking for a candidate with a strong affinity for neurodiversity and one or more of the project emphases (ethics, participatory research and design, enactive/embodied cognition & phenomenology, philosophy of technology, ableism, communication). Some familiarity with empirical research methods (e.g., phenomenological interviews or ethnographic research) is a plus but not required. Experiential expertise (lived experience with neurodiversity) candidates are encouraged to apply.

Training in applying experiential expertise is a plus. Because the position involves field work in a Dutch elementary school, strong Dutch language skills are required.

Additional requirements include:

• Strong English communication and writing skills.
• MA in philosophy, STS (science, technology and society studies), disability studies, medical humanities, anthropology, media studies, or comparable fields.
• Openness to working in teams in a neuro-inclusive consortium.
• Interest in participatory research with neurodivergent children.
• Openness to spend a period abroad (opportunity for field work at special needs schools in the UK).
• Willingness to teach ethics and philosophy of engineering to BSc and MSc students.

TU Delft is a leading international university blending science, engineering and design. We value diversity and aim to create a home where everyone can flourish. We invite you to apply and will give fair consideration to all applicants.

Conditions of employment
Doctoral candidates are offered a 4-year contract, typically as two periods with a mid-term progress assessment. An initial 1.5-year contract with a progress assessment at 15 months, followed by a 2.5-year contract contingent on performance.

Salary and benefits follow the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, ranging from €3,059 to €3,881 gross per month for a full-time 38-hour week, plus 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus. You will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School, which provides a supportive research environment and a Doctoral Education Programme to develop transferable and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a configurable compensation package, health insurance discounts, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. If relocation is needed, the university offers assistance through Coming to Delft Service and a Dual Career Programme to support accompanying partners.

For more information, contact Dr. Janna van Grunsven at J.B.van Grunsven. Candidates selected for a first-round interview will receive the full COINTEND proposal. General project information is available at the project page.