PhD Position in Human-Computer Interaction

We are recruiting a PhD student to explore the opportunities that advances in artificial intelligence and new forms of interactivity can create to design the learning environments of the future.

As a PhD candidate, you will have novel contributions to a scientific domain situated at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction and Architecture, for which you will develop and apply data-oriented methods of research. At the end of this 4-year PhD you will be a pioneer in revolutionizing the concepts of “intelligent” classrooms, schools, and campuses with solid scientific evidence, and from a visionary standpoint.

The PhD student will be hosted by the newly-founded Digital Interaction Lab (DIL) at the University of Amsterdam. The exact topic and the work plan of the PhD, related to the broad ideas described above will be defined in discussion with the selected candidate.

What are you going to do

In the first part of the project, the broad objective will be to analyze the experiences of hybrid learning and teaching in relation to the existing models of digital and physical environments. The results should inform the second step, in which you will experiment with new concepts, designs, and prototypes, with the ambition of radically improving learning for everyone, but also particularly fostering inclusion and diversity.
 
The research will involve some or all of the following:

• Conducting studies in real environments and collecting various types of data from the users and their environments (most probably hybrid learning environments).
• Analyzing multivariate data, capturing the dynamics of relations between environmental factors and learning experiences.
• Designing and prototyping novel concepts of physical-digital learning environments.
• Conducting user studies.
• Evaluating and characterizing the user study results.

What do you have to offer

For this position you need:

• a Master’s Degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Data Science, or a related field;
• interest and aptitude in multidisciplinary research;
• familiarity with concepts and reflections in Human-Computer Interaction;
• excellent programming skills;
• sufficient mathematical foundations to understand and implement state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms;
• fluency in English, both written and spoken.

Our offer

A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of four years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of four years). This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week ranges between €2,395 to €3,061 (scale P) gross per month. This is exclusive 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

Besides the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at Science Park we offer you multiple fringe benefits:

• 232 holiday hours per year (based on fulltime) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January.
• Multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre.
• A complete educational program for PhD students.
• Multiple courses on topics such as leadership for academic staff.
• Multiple courses on topics such as time management, handling stress and an online learning platform with 100+ different courses.
• Seven weeks birth leave (partner leave) with 100% salary.
• Partly paid parental leave.
• The possibility to set up a workplace at home.
• A pension at ABP for which UvA pays two third part of the contribution.
• The possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch.
• Help with housing for a studio or small apartment when you’re moving from abroad.

Are you curious to read more about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits, take a look here.

With over 6,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.  

The UvA’s students and employees are independent thinkers, competent rebels who dare to question dogmas and aren’t satisfied with easy answers and standard solutions. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 8,000, as well as 1,800 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

The mission of the Informatics Institute (IvI) is to perform curiosity-driven and use-inspired fundamental research in Computer Science. The main research themes are Artificial Intelligence, Computational Science and Systems and Network Engineering. Our research involves complex information systems at large, with a focus on collaborative, data driven, computational and intelligent systems, all with a strong interactive component.

Lead by Professor Judith Good, the newly set up Digital Interactions Lab focuses on developing impactful technologies which start from a true understanding of users and their needs. It incorporates the latest advances in Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things but aims for them to be deployable in real settings because of their ease of use and low cost. As such, the Digital Interactions Lab will play a bridging role between the four research themes of the Informatics Institute: Artificial Intelligence, Computational Science, Data Science, and Systems and Networking.