Postdoctoral researcher in philosophy and ethics of technology

Do you want to follow your passion for philosophy and ethics of technology in a Post-doc project at Wageningen University (the Netherlands)? Are you an openminded  academic who likes to collaborate with other researchers in the emerging field of the data economy? 

The Philosophy Group  seeks a talented post-doc researcher in the field of philosophy and ethics of technology or Science and Technology Studies, doing philosophical and ethical investigations on the ethical, legal and societal aspects involved in the improvement of the data economy for food systems.

Food chains --- everything from the seed or the animal to what ends up on the consumer's plate --- are increasingly computerised, equipped with internet of things (IoT) applications, and datafied in order to improve production, sustainability, and quality. The data generated opens the food chains up for practices in the field of the data economy. As this data is being explored, and potentially exploited, in order to generate revenue from the data, ethical and societal questions arise. For exmaple, who profits from this data? What goals it should be used for? What negative and positive implications does this have on the food chain, the actors involved, the consumers, and the climate, etc.? In this postdoctoral project, the goal is to explore questions like these and provide a roadmap for  a fair, inclusive and innovative Data Economy for food systems.

The Post-doc research is part of the Pathways towards a fair, inclusive and innovative Data Economy for Sustainable Food Systems  (Data4Food2030) project, an interdisciplinary research project funded by the European Commission that will start September, 1 2022. The main objective of the Data4Food2030 project is to improve the data economy for food systems by clarifying what it entails, mapping its development, performance and impact to create new insights and opportunities that provide empirically-grounded and inclusive policy recommendations and a roadmap for its further development. The Philosophy group contributes to this interdisciplinary project by researching the ethical, legal and social aspects of key technologies employed in the data economy for food systems.

As the successful candidate you:

• hold a PhD in Philosophy, applied ethics, or STS, with affinity with technology and/or economics;
• are an enthusiastic, dedicated and engaged academic  who is well capable to work in interdisciplinary contexts;
• like to explore fundamental questions in philosophy and ethics of data economics;
• preferably have experience in conducting empirical research (interviews, focus groups;
• excellent communication skills. This position requires an excellent English language proficiency (a mininum of CEFR C1 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page

Our postdoc researchers are encouraged to supervise MSc thesis students when such opportunities arise, and you will be involved in teaching activities.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment . A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between €2.846 and €4.490 for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU)  (scale 10). This position is for the period of 2.5 - 3 years. Initially you will receive a contract for the period of 1 year, which can be extended for the duration of the project. You will be based at the Philosophy Group in Wageningen.

Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University ” in the Netherlands for the 17th  consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief , known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community  page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.

For more information about this function you can contact Dr. Vincent Blok ([email protected] ).

For more information about the procedure you can contact Jeanine van 't Veer-Drost, Recruiter, ([email protected] ) or Recruitment support via [email protected] .

Do you want to apply?
This can be done directly via the application button at the vacancy on our website so that we can process your personal data with your permission.

This vacancy is open up to and including the 24th  of June 2022. The first job interviews will take place at 5th  of July 2022 in the afternoon. The position is to start on 1 October 2022 at the latest. 

Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. For more information please go to our inclusivity page . A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment .

Wageningen University & Research
The mission of Wageningen University and Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With its roughly 30 branches, 7.200 employees and 13.200 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen’s unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.

Read the 5 reasons  why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video  to get an idea of our green campus!

W e will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.