The high-tech environment of academic hospitals is increasingly shaped by the use of algorithms for medical diagnosis and treatment. The introduction of algorithms is a transformation process which redefines work, professional roles and work relations in hospitals. Academic medical professionals in these hospitals are key actors since they are directly involved in the development of algorithms but, at the same time, their medical work is affected by these algorithms. This ethnographic study investigates the reconfiguration of academic professional work in the high-tech setting of algorithmicized academic hospitals and the implications for the organization and quality of healthcare.

This project is part of the Gravitation programme Public Values in the Algorithmic Society (ALGOSOC). The Gravitation programme is an initiative by the Dutch government to support excellent research in the Netherlands. The funding is reserved for scientific consortia that have the potential to rank among the world's best in their field. ALGOSOC is a response to the urgent need for an informed societal perspective on automated decision-making. Funded by the ministry for Education, Culture and Science for a period for 10 years, research in the ALGOSOC programme will develop a deep understanding of the systemic changes that automated decision making entails for core public institutions, for society, and for how public values are realized. The research will focus on three sectors: justice, health and media. The programme brings together researchers in law, communication science, computer science, media studies, philosophy, public governance, STS, economy and social sciences from five Dutch universities (Amsterdam, Utrecht, Tilburg, Delft and Rotterdam). Together, the ALGOSOC community will develop solutions for the design of governance frameworks needed to complement technology-driven initiatives in the algorithmic society.

Tasks:

• Contact academic hospitals to organize access as a qualitative researcher;
• Conduct in depth ethnographic research in academic hospitals;
• Analyze the findings on the basis of an in-depth understanding of the academic literature;
• Report on this work both to academic and practitioner audiences;
• Contribute to the overall program in terms of events, research meetings, activities;
• Engage in a limited amount of teaching (<4 hours per week on average) at BA or MA level).

Furthermore you have:

• A Master’s degree in public administration, organizational science, anthropology or a comparable social science background;
• Experience with qualitative research methods;
• Affinity with the research topics (healthcare, technology);
• Social skills to negotiate and maintain access to the (highly professionalized) organization;
• An excellent written and spoken command of Dutch and English;
• Ability, willingness, and commitment to do autonomous work in a multidisciplinary team.

Are you interested in this project, but do you think you are not the person we are looking for? Please do apply, as we encourage all qualified applicants, including minorities, women, people with disabilities, and members of other groups underrepresented in academia. For more information, please read our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) programme.

We wish to create a consortium that consists of persons who each contribute in their unique way to the team. Complementarity, rather than homogeneity, is what we are looking for. Developing a societal vision on ADS concerns us all. We believe that a diversity of perspectives in our consortium will be important in developing an inclusive societal vision, and strive therefore also in our hiring policy for encouraging applicants from diverse backgrounds. We are committed to creating an environment of mutual respect, inclusiveness, equal opportunities with room for situated experiences, diverse perspectives, and ideas to flourish. This commitment applies to our research, organisation, room for flexibility, training and community activities as well as our hiring strategy.

We offer a PhD-position (max. 1.0 FTE) for the duration of 18 months starting in Q1 of 2023, with the possibility of extension for a further maximum of 30 months after positive evaluation in the first year (total 4 years). The gross salary starts with €2.541 per month in the first year and increases to €3.247 per month in the fourth year of employment (scale P according to the Collective Employment Agreement of the Dutch Universities) for a full-time employment. On top of your salary, you will receive a holiday allowance of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.

Utrecht University also has an attractive package of terms of employment, including the choice for a good work—private life balance and a generous parental leave package, possibilities for professional development and an excellent pension scheme. For more information, please visit working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading  research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

The Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance is a faculty at the heart of society, with a strong focus on social issues. Our subjects of Law, Economics and Governance give us a strong mix of academic disciplines that complement and enhance each other. This is a unique combination and a mark of our faculty's strength.

The Utrecht University School of Governance (USG) is one of the three departments of the Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance of Utrecht University. USG studies public issues and public organisations in their interaction with the developments in politics and society. The key question in this is how public organisations and private organisations with a public task deal with current social issues, how they shape their public responsibilities and deliver public value.

Developing a societal vision on automated decision making concerns us all. We believe that a diversity of perspectives in our consortium will be important in developing an inclusive societal vision and strive therefore also in our hiring policy for encouraging applicants from diverse backgrounds. We are committed to creating an environment of mutual respect, inclusiveness, equal opportunities with room for situated experiences, diverse perspectives, and ideas to flourish. This commitment applies to our research, organisation, room for flexibility, training, and community activities as well as our hiring strategy.