PhD Researcher

PhD Researcher - Co-design of Assistive Technology for People with Severe Intellectual Disabilities

Category: Academic Staff & Researchers

1 - Working at the VUB

For more than 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and solidarity, and this is very much alive on our campuses among students and staff alike.

At the VUB, you will find a diverse collection of personalities: innovators pur sang, but above all people who are 100% their authentic selves. With some 4,000 employees, we are the largest Dutch-speaking employer, in the private sector, in Brussels; an international city with which we are only too happy to connect and where (around) our 4 campuses are located.

Add to this our principle of free research - in which self-reflection, a critical attitude and an open, creative mind around scientific and social issues are central - and you have a university that is fundamentally groundbreaking and pioneering in education and research. In short: the VUB all over again.

Moreover, the VUB is a member of EUTOPIA, an alliance of like‑minded European universities, all ready to reinvent themselves.

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Solvay Business School, Department of Communication Sciences, Research Group Studies in Media, Innovation and Technology,is looking for a PhD-student with a doctoral grant.

More concretely your work package, for the preparation of a doctorate, contains:

imec-SMIT is seeking a doctoral researcher to conduct research on the use and co‑creation of assistive technologies for people with intellectual disabilities.

You will work within the Horizon Europe project EU ADAPTEM, which develops new digital technologies to improve health and well‑being, for children and adults with severe intellectual disabilities and their caregivers. These people need intensive support in their daily lives. As they generally do not communicate verbally, they express their emotions and needs through body language, sounds or facial expressions. Caregivers and doctors often find these signals difficult to interpret. As a result, pain or health problems may go unnoticed, significantly affecting their quality of life. This also places considerable stress and caregiving demands on family members and professional caregivers. To improve care and well‑being for this group, the ADAPTEM project is developing two innovative digital tools, including tools using XR.

Within ADAPTEM, imec-SMIT is responsible for research on acceptance and trust, as well as research protocols for co‑creation. We investigate not only whether technology works technically, but, above all, how these tools can be developed with the people and the care givers to understand their experiences, and enable the right level of trust, and how they can integrate it into everyday care practices. Through your research, you will develop user requirements for XR sensory systems and emotion recognition systems.

Your role:

You will contribute to different phases of the project, from participatory design to the evaluation of prototypes and pilots. Your main responsibilities include:

• Conducting literature reviews on technology acceptance, inclusive design / design for all, and participatory research;
• Designing, conducting and analysing qualitative and quantitative research;
• Organising interviews, observations, surveys and co‑creation workshops;
• Designing and conducting participatory design activities with caregivers, family members and other stakeholders;
• Conducting pre‑implementation research and identifying users’ technology‑related needs;
• Translating qualitative insights into user requirements and evaluation criteria;
• Writing scientific articles and project deliverables;
• Presenting results locally and internationally.

You will also address broader questions concerning the responsible development and use of AI, including human control, autonomy, caregivers’ roles and responsibilities, and the potential unintended consequences of technology.

For this function, ourBrussels Humanities, Sciences & Engineering Campus (Elsene)will serve as your home base.

3 - Profile

What do we expect from you?

You hold, by the start of the appointment, a master’s degree in a field such as communication sciences, sociology, psychology, educational sciences, social sciences, Human–Computer Interaction, health sciences or a related discipline;

• You are interested in human‑centred technology development, technology acceptance and trust, HCI, digital healthcare and/or human‑centred trustworthy AI;
• You have an affinity for social science research in healthcare;
• You are interested in conducting research with children