Postdoctoral researcher Ethics in infrastructure for data-intensive health research

You conduct research in the domain of responsible research & innovation, focusing in particular on how to balance robustness and flexibility with regard to values when developing a responsibility-enhancing infrastructure for data-intensive research projects. While designing values like privacy into research infrastructure may help to foster responsible research in some respects, identifying and addressing values at the level of research projects helps to ensure that all relevant values are responded to in a way fitting the research at hand.

This raises the question which values to ‘design into’ the material infrastructure and where and how to leave room for researchers’ and stakeholders’ judgment. Navigating decisions on how to foster responsibility when designing infrastructure may be even more challenging when this infrastructure is developed in an ‘agile’ manner, as will be the case in the Healthy Data Program.

This project (a longer project description is available on request) offers opportunity to engage in long-standing ethical discussions regarding how to ensure responsible research, as well as to explore and contribute to exciting contemporary practices to facilitate and stimulate responsible data-intensive health research. Methodologically you will combine literature research, conceptual and normative analysis with empirical work (like interviews, observations, stakeholder engagement in the context of Healthy Data Program).

You are expected to share results via writing academic papers and presentations at academic conferences, but also to help shape the Healthy Data infrastructure. As a postdoctoral researcher you will be responsible for coordinating the internal meetings of the ELSA research team, as well as for stimulating and coordinating regular exchanges between the ELSA research team and the other parties engaged in the Healthy Data Program.

We offer a part-time position for 4 years in total, starting with 28.8 hours for 12 months, followed by 21.6 hours for the next 36 months. Preferred starting date is January 1, 2024.

Working at Radboud university medical center means that you are ahead of the curve and working together on the healthcare of the future. And there is more. Our secondary terms of employment are impressive. These are fully tailored to you thanks to our Employment Conditions Selection Model. At Radboud university medical center, you will be given trust, and you will take the responsibility to handle everything together.

• A gross monthly salary between € 4.325 and € 5.919 (scale 11) based on full-time employment.
• From 1 November 2023 the wages will increase by 4%.
• An annual vacation allowance of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.
• If you work irregular hours, you will receive an allowance.
• As a full-time employee (36 hours per week), you are entitled to approximately 168 vacation hours (over 23 days) per year.
• Radboud university medical center pays 70% of the pension premium. You pay the rest of the premium with your gross salary.
• Discount on your supplementary health insurance. You can make use of two collective health insurance policies: UMC Health Insurance and CZ Collective. They offer many extras to stay vital and healthy, such as a prevention budget, workshops, and apps.
• We provide annual courses, both professional and personal.

In addition to our terms of employment, we also offer employees various other attractive facilities, such as childcare and sports facilities. Want to learn more? Take a look at the CAO UMC.

The Radboud Healthy Data Program is a joint, digital transformation program of Radboud University and Radboud University Medical Centre. Radboud Healthy Data aims to connect and further develop our expertise in health (related) data management and AI, with the purpose of enhancing the development of a responsible and sustainable digital infrastructure for the entire Radboud campus. Focus areas in our program are FAIR data stewardship, AI methods, education, ethical/legal/societal considerations, data-related community activities and scientific breakthroughs. We build upon our strong history and ongoing activities with partners in our networks. Through Healthy Data, we will strengthen our data-driven infrastructure and our collaborative AI research at the Radboud campus to improve health and healthcare in society.

The Healthy Data program includes a work package and a multidisciplinary research team on Ethical, Legal and Societal Challenges. You will be part of this team, which also includes three PhD candidates. You collaborate with this team as well as with the larger Healthy Data community.
You will be embedded at the Radboud University Medical Centre, in the Ethics of Healthcare group at the Department of IQ Healthcare, and at iHub, Radboud University’s interfaculty Interdisciplinary Hub for Digitalisation and Society.

Radboudumc
Welcome to Radboud university medical center (Radboudumc), where our research groups strive for innovative solutions that make impact on health and healthcare. We challenge the status quo to overcome current and future health challenges. Our goal is to shape the future of healthcare for generations to come. Our focus is on prevention, sustainability, and meaningful care, which we achieve through our in-depth understanding of disease mechanisms, clinical science, public health research, medical technology and data science. Our approach is centered on breakthroughs that can truly enhance personalized healthcare and public health.

At Radboudumc, a comprehensive range of research programs provide the compass for our research efforts. Each program has a clear goal, where collaboration within and outside our organization is highly valued. We integrate care, education and research in partnership with our patients to ensure that our research programs have significant impact on health and healthcare. We invite you to join us in our mission to create a healthy future for all.

Read more about what working at Radboud university medical center means.