University Graduate
- Degree in relevant disciplines/fields (e.g. science and technology studies; philosophy, ethics, or sociology of technology; media studies; law and technology)
- Good analytical as well as empirical research skills
- Experience with and ability to do interdisciplinary research
- Appropriate communication and writing skills, at least in English, preferably in Dutch as well
- Affinity with and adequate level of understanding of technical developments and issues, willingness to develop meaningful dialogue with technical professionals
- Affinity with and adequate level of understanding of (national and European) legal and policy issues.
- The ability to work independently and as a member of a research team

Additional information about the job:
The position is part of an exciting and prestigious 5-year project, generously funded by the European Research Council as part of the 7th Framework Ideas Programme, called : DigIDeas: Social and Ethical Aspects of Digital Identities. Towards a Value Sensitive Identity Management.
The overall aims of this project are to increase understanding and awareness of the social and ethical aspects of digital identity management (IDM), and to contribute to the quality and social and ethical acceptability of technological developments. The project will achieve these goals by bringing recent insights gained from several disciplines - social studies of science and technology, surveillance studies, philosophy (social philosophy and philosophy of technology) and computer ethics - to bear on actual developments in digital identity management, thus exploring novel ways to identify and articulate the issues concerned.
With a series of interdisciplinary studies focussing on different application areas of IDM, we intend to produce more fine-grained knowledge of the ways IDM is implicated in contemporary transformations of identity. The programme will involve three complementary PhD projects, and one integrative postdoc project, thus achieving a strong concentration of groundbreaking knowledge on a set of fast emerging intellectual and societal problems.
All project members will have clearly defined individual research projects, as well as cooperate as team members and contribute to DigIDeas’ overall project goals. Excursions into other ongoing (international) research projects and activities (Can SSHRCC, EC-FP7) are possible, and generous travel budgets are available.

The Infonomics and New Media Research Centre is a young interdisciplinary research unit at Zuyd University, Maastricht/Heerlen, led by ass.prof. dr. Irma van der Ploeg, and currently employing 10 people. Its research agenda is focussed on four themes: digital identities, ubiquitous computing, user centered and value sensitive design, and new communication concepts. With our current project portfolio we operate in national, European (FP7), and international networks of knowledge institutions and stakeholder organisations.

Zuyd University

Estimated maximum salary per month: eur 2500 - 3000
Salaryscale 10.
Maximum salary amount in Euro's a month 3566
Employment basis: Temporary for specified period
Duration of the contract: a 5-year full-time PhD position (with a 1 year trial period)
Maximum hours per week: 40

Additional conditions of employment:
- a gross salary between min € 2356 and max. € 3566,- depending on experience and education) in accordance with HBO-CAO-s.10
- PhD training courses in recognised graduate school programmes

Additional information about the vacancy can be obtained from:

Dr. Irma van der Ploeg
Telephone number: +31 +45 4000540/522
E-mail address:

 
Or additional information can be obtained through one of the following links.

You can apply for this job before 15-09-2008 by sending your application to:

Closing date 15th September – interviews are planned in week 39.

Applicants are asked to send:
- Letter explaining your interest in and qualifications for the position.
- Curriculum Vitae
- Writing specimen in english (academic publication, chapter Master’s thesis, etc.)
- (After reading the project description, available on request) 2 A4 of preliminary ideas about the project applied for

When applying for this job always mention the vacancy number AT INM-JR-0802.