We are seeking up to three candidates for PhD projects on the philosophical aspects of data science and data science use, with specific attention for the use of data science methods in psychopathology. The positions are located in the Department of Theoretical Philosophy (https://www.rug.nl/filosofie/organization/departments/theoretical/) but there are strong ties with researchers at the University Centre for Psychiatry. The PhD candidate will work on a philosophical project that covers philosophy of science, statistics and data science, and psychopathology.

The PhD projects are part of an NWO-funded Vici-project led by Jan-Willem Romeijn(http://romeijn.web.rug.nl/index.html). For a further description of the project, see the extended project description (http://romeijn.web.rug.nl/paper/2023_romeijn_-_VICI_project_description.pdf), where you can find a detailed list of planned PhD projects and postdoc positions.

Organisation
Since its founding in 1614, the University of Groningen has enjoyed an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative center of higher education, offering high-quality teaching and research. We encourage the 36,000 students and researchers to develop their own individual talents. Among the best research universities in Europe, we join forces with prestigious partner universities and networks around the world, the University of Groningen is truly an international place of knowledge.

The Faculty of Philosophy is a vibrant, international community of excellent researchers and teachers. It consistently receives the highest evaluations for research among philosophy departments in The Netherlands.

We are looking for candidates who have finished, or are close to finishing, a Master’s degree in philosophy, or in another field in which statistical or other scientific methods are studied.

Additionally we require that candidates have:

- excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
- strong affinity with philosophy of science and scientific methodology
- expertise on, or a strong interest in medical science as application domain
- working knowledge of statistical or data science methods, or else the ability and willingness to learn on the job
- a strong motivation for doing a PhD.

The exact requirements depend on the specific subproject you apply for. Please indicate in your motivation letter for which of the three subprojects from the extended project description you consider yourself suitable.

Fixed-term contract: 48 months.

We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

- a gross salary of € 2,541 gross per month in the first year to a maximum of € 3,247 gross per month in the final year (salary scale PhD), based on a full-time position (1.0 FTE), and
- a holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income and a 8.3% year-end bonus
- a position for four years (full time). Each successful candidate will first be offered a temporary position of one year with the option of renewal for another three years. Prolongation of the contract is contingent on sufficient progress in the first year to indicate that a successful completion of the PhD thesis within the contract period is to be expected. A PhD training programme is part of the agreement and the successful candidate will be enrolled in the Graduate School of the Faculty.

The preferred start date is between 1 September and 1 December 2023

The conditions of employment are available at the University of Groningen website under Human Resources: https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/