PhD position on Gold Rush in the Data Mine

We are seeking a candidate for a PhD project 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 project is 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 ((https://romeijn.web.rug.nl/paper/2023_romeijn_-_VICI_project_description.pdf), where you can find a detailed list of planned PhD and postdoc positions. Candidates can freely choose their research topic within the domain described in the project overview. Owing to the current composition of the project team, there will be a mild preference for candidates opting for project 2 on “Models and machine learning”. An explanation and motivation for your choice of project and research topic must be included in the letter.

The project is hosted by the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Groningen. 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 33,000 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 in conjunction to methodological or philosophical reflection.

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.

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

- A gross salary of € 2,901 gross per month in the first year to a maximum of € 3,707 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 2025

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