Research position in Science, Technology & Society studies at TILT: Privacy by Design, surveillance, and technology regulation.

Tilburg University is a modern and specialized university. With a broad variety of international programmes and innovating research, Tilburg Law School stands for high quality. Tilburg Law School fosters fundamental, empirical and multidisciplinary research at the forefront of science. It received the highest score in the Dutch national assessment for legal research.

TILT – Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society is a multidisciplinary institute conducting research into the legal and social implications of emerging technologies. With over 40-person staff and over twenty years of experience, TILT is one of the leading European institutes in the area of technology regulation. TILT is consistently ranked a top institute for research and education by the Legal Research and Education Assessment Committees.

TILT is looking for a researcher with a background in Science, Technology & Society studies (STS). Until mid-2019, the position is part of the VICI project of prof. Bert-Jaap Koops, ‘Privacy in the 21st century: finding a new paradigm to protect citizens in the age of ubiquitous data’. The project seeks to find ways to reinvent how privacy is or can be protected. New privacy conceptualisations, such as ‘home 2.0’ or the mosaic theory, seem promising, but need to be further developed and made more concrete. The VICI project uses an interdisciplinary approach of comparative law and Science, Technology & Society studies. The postdoc will be responsible for the STS part, collaborating closely with legal researchers. The postdoc’s role is to study whether and how new concepts could be embedded in technology (Privacy by Design) and practice (Responsible Research and Innovation). From mid-2019 onwards, the researcher will work in other projects at TILT in privacy, surveillance, and technology regulation, contributing with qualitative STS methods; the researcher is encouraged to develop her own line of research here, including applying for research grants.

You have completed a PhD in Science, Technology & Society studies. You combine experience in qualitative empirical research in the field of sociology of technology with a theoretical grounding in philosophy of technology. You have experience or demonstrable interest in the field of privacy or surveillance, and are familiar with approaches to design-based regulation or responsible innovation. You have experience with various qualitative social-science methods, such as interviews, focus groups, stakeholder meetings, and/or scenario studies.

You have an academic mind-set, very good research, writing and collaborative skills, and an excellent command of written and spoken English. You like to work independently but also to collaborate closely within a small team.

Fixed-term contract: fixed term for 5 years.

Tilburg University offers a good benefits package in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. We offer competitive European salaries. The appointment will be made at the rank of Assistant professor 2 The salary for the position of Researcher has a maximum of € 4757,00,- gross per month and is based on the scale 11 of the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities. The position is for a fixed-term contract for five years. Tilburg University is rated among the top of Dutch employers, offering very good fringe benefits, such as the possibility to determine your benefits individually through a labour choice model and reimbursement of moving expenses. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a tax-free allowance equal to 30% of their taxable salary. The university will apply for such an allowance on their behalf whenever the criteria are met.

You will devote 80% of your time (0.8 fte) to the VICI activities, and 20% (0.2 fte) to other responsibilities, such as teaching, master thesis supervision and other tasks.

Tilburg Law School

Tilburg Law School (TLS) is a modern and specialized university. With a broad variety of international programmes and innovating research, the Tilburg Law School stands for high quality. Research at the Tilburg Law School is conducted in an organisation that fosters diversity. The Tilburg Graduate Law School is responsible for the training and guidance of its Research Master students and of the Faculty’s PhD researchers. With its open and inspiring atmosphere, this school is a congenial working environment.

TILT

TILT – Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society is a multidisciplinary institute conducting research into the legal and social implications of emerging technologies. With over 40-person staff and over twenty years of experience, TILT is one of the leading European institutes in the area of technology regulation. TILT is consistently ranked a top institute for research and education by the Legal Research and Education Assessment Committees.