With approximately 50 staff members the Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society (TILT) is a multidisciplinary center at Tilburg University specializing in research and education in the field of technology regulation. TILT is one of the largest and most innovative European research centers in technology regulation. It is an independent management unit within Tilburg Law School, a research-led, specialized university that is rated among the best in Europe.

TILT invites applications for an assistant professorship (UD) in the field of ‘Ethics, Law, and Policy, of new Data Technologies’.

Innovations in storage capacity and processing power, data aggregation techniques and cross-contextual linkability enable unknown patterns and new knowledge to be discovered in the massive amounts of data being collected about individuals and their behaviour (Data Analytics, Data Science, new Data Technologies). These developments have a significant impact on society.

The relationship of data science to society is usually framed in terms of benefits and harms, but the development of the field of data scientific social inquiry has led to questions about how data science should read society, and the role of critical theory in understanding data’s origin, context and power asymmetries. It also asks what kind of society data science can help to build, motivated by the idea that making the connections between data and society explicit will lead to both better data science and a better ability to use data science’s findings. Relevant questions in this area are for instance, what constitutes responsibility in this field? Value? Impact? How do new data technologies inform understandings of democracy and political representation? What should be the boundaries for data scientific inquiry and who should set them? What new institutions are necessary to shape the uses and contributions of data science?

The successful candidate is expected to research, teach, and supervise graduate and PhD students in the field of ‘Ethics, Law, and Policy of new Data Technologies’. (S)he is expected to develop new ideas in research and education, and acquire funding (independently or jointly with other colleagues) for future research. These activities should help TILT with the further expansion of its Data Science research and education and contribute to the field of data scientific social inquiry. Research will be conceptual and fundamental, as well as applied in the form of studies commissioned by third parties (government, EU, and private parties).

The successful candidate

• has a PhD in Science and Technology Studies (STS), philosophy, law or relevant other field;
• has demonstrable knowledge of at least two of the following domains in relation to Data Science/new Data Technologies: ethics, law, policy;
• has a broad understanding of Data Science/new Data Technology concepts, methodologies and practices;
• has publications commensurate with the stage at which the candidate finds her- or himself in her or his career but which are indicative of a strong ability to publish in the best academic journals;
• has experience with or is interested in working in an interdisciplinary environment (affinity and experience should be evident from the candidate’s education or past performance in teaching, research or publications);
• a ‘BKO qualification’ for those applicants currently working at a Dutch University is considered as an advantage;
• has perfect command of English. Knowledge of Dutch or willingness to learn within a reasonable period of time may be one of the conditions for tenure in the medium run.

Fixed-term contract: 5 years.

Tilburg University is rated among the top of Dutch employers and has excellent terms of employment. The selected candidate will be assigned a position that is in accordance with his previous education and experience. He/she will initially be appointed for a fixed period of five years.

Depending on the candidate’s experience and development the periods preceding the evaluations, promotion to associate professor may follow during or after this period upon additional positive evaluation.

Selected candidates will be ranked in the Dutch university employment system (UFO). Depending on the candidates’ experience, the starting gross salary will vary between € 3.475,- and € 4.757,- per month (for a full-time Assistant Professorship appointment) based on scale 11 of the Collective Labour Agreement (CAO) Dutch Universities. Foreigners (and long-term Dutch expats) can apply for tax-free allowance of 30% of their taxable salary for a maximum duration of 8 years (this increases net salary by ca. 15%).

Tilburg Law School (TLS) is a modern and specialized university. With a broad variety of international programmes and innovating research, the Tilburg Law School stands for high quality. Research at the Tilburg Law School is conducted in an organisation that fosters diversity. The Tilburg Graduate Law School is responsible for the training and guidance of its Research Master students and of the Faculty’s PhD researchers. With its open and inspiring atmosphere, this school is a congenial working environment.

Tilburg Law School