Assistant Professor in bioethics with a focus on new medical technologies (EXPIRED)

The department of philosophy at the University of Twente is looking for an

Assistant professor in bioethics

with a focus on new medical technologies

(full-time, tenure-track)

The Challenge

You will be developing a research line with a focus on ethical aspects of new medical technologies. You will publish in international refereed journals, present at conferences, apply for external funding and engage in international and interdisciplinary collaboration and in outreach activities. You will participate in the TechMed research centre of the University of Twente (https://www.utwente.nl/en/techmed/). The TechMed Centre is a leading Innovation Hub impacting healthcare through excellent research, innovation and educational programmes. It is equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure, ranging from research labs, preclinical testbeds and simulated hospital environments. TechMed is particularly active in the area of imaging and diagnostics, biorobotics, medical physiology, innovative bioengineering technologies (such as 3D bioprinting techniques and bioartifical pancreas devices), and the assessment of the effectiveness of personalized health technologies. Next to participating in TechMed, you are also invited to participate in the four-university 4TU.Center for Ethics and Technology.

You teach courses within your specialization area in the master programme in Philosophy of Science, Technology and Society (PSTS).  You also teach courses in bioethics, medical ethics and philosophy of medicine for students in the programmes in technical medicine, biomedical engineering, and/or health sciences, and possibly also introductory courses for bachelor and master programs in science & engineering and social science. You are involved in the supervision of master’s theses in the PSTS programme and will at some point supervise PhD students.

The initial division of tasks is 40% research – 50% teaching – 10% management and administration. After two years, the research allocation is likely to decrease but may be increased again through grant acquisition and/or superior performance in research.

We would like to explore the option of you participating in Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies (https://www.esdt.nl/), a new, prestigious ten-year long international research programme of seven academic institutions in the Netherlands that will run from January 2020 to December 2029 and has a combined budget of € 27 million.

Our offer

We offer an appointment as assistant professor (full-time) for four years with prospects for a permanent position after two years upon good performance (i.e., the equivalent of tenure track). The university offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues in which internationalization is an important part of the strategic agenda.

• Starting salary between € 3,637 to € 5,656 gross per month based on your experience
• An additional holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary and a year-end bonus of 8.3% (adding up to an annual gross salary of € 50,758 - € 78,935)
• A solid pension scheme
• Possibilities to save up holidays for sabbatical leave
• Minimum of 29 holidays in case of full-time employment
• Professional and personal development programs
• A high degree of responsibility and independence, while collaborating with close colleagues, researchers and other university staff is strongly encouraged.
• International applicants are likely to qualify for a low 30% tax regime for the first five years of their appointment.

Starting date is flexible; we are looking for the best candidates. We prefer a candidate who can start between April 1st and September 1st, 2021.

Your profile

• A PhD in philosophy, preferably with a specialization in bioethics, philosophy of medicine, applied ethics, or ethics of technology
• A track record of research on medical technologies or a demonstrable interest in focusing on medical technologies in future research
• Experience teaching bioethics, medical ethics, and/or applied / professional ethics courses
• An excellent list of publications in peer-refereed journals
• Relevant international experience
• Experience in teaching at the university level, preferably including students in science & engineering, social science, or other nonphilosophical fields
• Demonstrable didactic skills in teaching, good teaching evaluations, and a passion for teaching
• An ability and willingness to teach in areas of philosophy outside your philosophical specialization
• Willingness and ability to engage in multidisciplinary collaborations with researchers and teachers from nonphilosophical fields
• An excellent command of the English language. All master programs and most bachelor programs are taught in English, and English is the official language of the university.

We expect that you will to move to the Netherlands, to the region where the university is located or to a region from which a daily commute is feasible.

About the department and university

The department (https://www.utwente.nl/en/bms/wijsb/) is internationally leading in the philosophy and ethics of technology. It currently includes twelve tenured and tenure-track staff members, four postdocs, twenty PhD students, and five temporary and part-time faculty members. The department also participates in the interuniversity 4TU.Center for Ethics and Technology (www.ethicsandtechnology.eu). Both the department and the Center have a strong international orientation and include members from many different nationalities.

The University of Twente (UT) is a research university with a strong international orientation and a focus on science & engineering and social and behavioral sciences. It includes more than 3,300 faculty and staff and 10,000 students. Its motto “high tech, human touch” expresses the aim of combining research in engineering with social and behavioral sciences. The UT is a campus university, located in the city of Enschede (pop. 160,000).