PhD position on the Ethics of Neuroinclusive Research and Interaction Technology

Want to contribute to a neuroinclusive world through a PhD project that combines philosophy, disability studies, and empirical field work? Join our transdisciplinairy consortium!

Job description
Autistic people often experience communication challenges and breakdowns in their daily social lives. These challenges can have a severe impact on educational and societal outcomes later in life. Until recently, these challenges were widely attributed to presumed deficits in autistic people’s communicative and empathic abilities. Increasingly, this ‘autism-as-deficit-frame’ is rejected and replaced by a neurodiversity perspective. Embracing this neurodiversity perspective requires thinking robustly about the nature of neuroinclusive (research)practices and technologies and their effects on creating (or problematizing) neuroinclusive (or neuro-affirmative) environments. To this end, the Ethics and Philosophy of Technology Section at TU Delft is hiring a PhD candidate who will research the following interconnected questions: ‘How can technologies support social interactions between autistic children and their social contacts in respectful non-stigmatizing neuro-inclusive ways? And what does it mean to research, create, and embed such technologies in a way that is itself neuro-inclusive?

To answer these questions, the candidate is expected to combine descriptive and normative theories and concepts (e.g. from neurodiversity studies, ethics, critical disability studies, phenomenology) with bottom-up empirical research. Specifically, the PhD student will be embedded at different field sites, including at least one elementary school, the homes of participating neurodiverse families, and one neuro-inclusive technology company. Moreover, the PhD project is part of a large overarching project on neuro-inclusive interaction technology, called COINTEND (funded by the Dutch Research Council). COINTEND brings together researchers from five different universities and universities of applied sciences, elementary schools, technology companies, and experts-by-experience in a shared effort to support neuro-inclusive interaction. This consortium also functions as an additional field site from which the PhD student is expected to draw meaningful actionable insights. In these real-world settings, the PhD student is expected to identify needs, values, opportunities, hurdles and practices that are used to form normative recommendations and guidelines on how neuro-inclusive interactions can be invited, celebrated, and supported at the micro, meso, and macro levels.

Job requirements
We are looking for a candidate with a proven affinity with the topic of neurodiversity and one or more of the projects’ points of emphasis (ethics, participatory research and design, enactive/embodied cognition & phenomenology, philosophy of technology, ableism, communication). Some familiarity with empirical research methods (e.g. phenomenological interviews or ethnographic research) is a strong plus but not a strict requirement. We encourage candidates with experiental expertise (lived experience with neurodiversity) to apply. Proven training and/or education in the professional appliance of experiental expertise is considered a plus. Because this position also involves doing field work in a Dutch elementary school, the candidate should possess strong Dutch language skills.

Additional requirements are:

• Strong English communication and writing skills.
• An MA in philosophy, STS (science technology and society studies), disability studies, medical humanities or anthropology, media studies, or comparable fields of study.
• Openness to working in teams (as a neuro-inclusive consortium we realize that successfully working together in teams comes in many forms).
• An interest in (and the right demeanor for) doing participatory research with (neurodivergent) children.
• Openness to spend a period abroad (there is an opportunity to do more field work at one or more special needs schools in the UK).
• A willingness to teach some ethics and philosophy of engineering to BSc and MSc students.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact

Faculty Technology, Policy & Management
The Faculty of TPM provides an important contribution to solving complex technical-social issues, such as energy transition, mobility, digitalisation, water management and (cyber) security. TPM does this with its excellent education and research at the intersection of technology, society and policy. We combine insights from both engineering and social sciences as well as the humanities. TPM develops robust models and designs, is internationally oriented and has an extensive network of knowledge institutions, companies, social organisations and governments.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management.

Conditions of employment
Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from €3059 - €3881 gross per month, from the first year to the fourth year based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.

As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service, offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.

Additional information
For more information about this position, please contact Dr. Janna van Grunsven at J.B.vanGrunsven@tudelft.nl.
Candidates who will be selected for a first round of interviews will receive the full research proposal of the COINTEND project. For general information about the project see: https://www.nwo.nl/en/projects/tcoqd71170

Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 5 March 2026 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• A 1 page cover letter stating your motivation to apply for this specific position.
• A 1 page research note setting out your initial ideas for this project.
• A CV.
• Academic grade transcripts.
• An academic writing sample, in English.

You can address your application to Janna van Grunsven and Sabine Roeser.

Our ideal starting date for this position is July 1st of 2026.

Expected (but still tentative) interview dates: 1st round of onlie interviews: 2-4-2026 - 2nd round of interviews at TU Delft Campus: 9-4-2026 (with a small group of candidates from round 1).

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• As part of knowledge security, TU Delft conducts a risk assessment during the recruitment of personnel. We do this, among other things, to prevent the unwanted transfer of sensitive knowledge and technology. The assessment is based on information provided by the candidates themselves, such as their motivation letter and CV, and takes place at the final stages of the selection process. When the outcome of the assessment is negative, the candidate will be informed. The processing of personal data in the context of the risk assessment is carried out on the legal basis of the GDPR: performing a public task in the public interest. You can find more information about this assessment on our website about knowledge security.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services