3 Phd positions (4 years) Moral value change in technology (EXPIRED)

Faculty/department Technology, Policy and Management
Level master degree
Maximum employment 38 hours per week (1,0 FTE)
Salary scale: between 2226 and 2897 euros per month gross depending on (work) experience

Delft University of Technology offers three 4-year positions for PhD students as part of the research project Design for changing values: a theory of value change in sociotechnical systems. The entire project consists of 3 PhD positions and 2 postdoc positions and will be supervised by prof.dr.ir. Ibo van de Poel. A complete description of the project can be requested. The project aims at better understanding how moral values may change as a result of technological development and how we can better deal with such changing values in the design of new technology.

Each of the PhD positions focuses on one of the following more specific topics:

• Changing values and the design of energy systems
• Design for value change in robot systems and artificial intelligence
• Design strategies for value change in sociotechnical systems

Each of the projects involves empirical as well philosophical investigations into the phenomenon of value change and its implications for the design of sociotechnical systems. The first two projects focus on value change in a more specific domain (energy systems and artificial intelligence). The third project focuses on developing design strategies that better allow to deal with value change.

The candidate will carry out doctoral research which will lead to a dissertation, and will also produce relevant publications. The candidate will participate in the Graduate School of TU Delft and in PhD program of the 4TU.Centre for Ethics and Technology. When applying please indicate in which position(s) you are interested; you can indicate more than one position. The candidate will also be involved in the teaching activities of the department.

Requirements 

We are looking for applicants with the following qualifications:

• A master degree in philosophy, engineering or a relevant socio-scientific discipline, like STS (science and technology studies)
• A demonstrable interest in applied ethics and in technology
• It is recommended that the candidate has had experience in carrying out empirical research and has knowledge of the relevant technological domain studied in the PhD project
• Good analytical and reasoning skills, as demonstrated by, for example, a master thesis
• Willingness and ability to work in an interdisciplinary team
• Ability to present his or her ideas clearly also to people with another disciplinary background
• Openness to criticism
• Productive and dedicated
• Good command of both written and spoken English

Information and application

To apply, please e-mail a detailed letter of application, a curriculum vitae and the names and contact information of references to [email protected] . When applying for this position, please refer to vacancy number ATTBM 18.022

For more information about these positions, please contact Ibo van de Poel, [email protected]. A more detailed description of the project is available on request.

Technology, Policy and Management 

The Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management contributes to sustainable solutions for technical challenges in society by combining the insights from engineering with the humanities and the social sciences.

The Department of Values, Technology and Innovation (VTI) focuses on the value dimension of comprehensive engineering, the overarching research theme of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management (TPM). It uniquely comprises philosophers, economists and risk scholars. It studies how to develop and diffuse responsible technological innovations that reflect deeply held social and moral values. The department is one of the largest groups in the world studying value aspects, economics and risks for a wide range of sociotechnical systems. The department plays a leading role nationally and internationally in research in responsible innovation and design for values.

The Ethics and Philosophy of Technology section is one of three sections within the VTI Department. The section plays a central role worldwide in research on ethics and philosophy of technology. The section participates in the 4TU.Centre for Ethics and Technology, a world-leading centre in the ethics of technology. The research of the section covers a broad spectrum, ranging from applied research in collaboration with engineering scholars, experimental and empirical ethics in collaboration with social scientists, and foundational research in meta-ethics, risk theory, methodology, ontology and philosophy of science, technology and design. The ethics research programme focuses specifically on design for values, risk ethics, and responsible innovation. The Ethics and Philosophy of Technology section provides for service teaching at all engineering programs of TU Delft, primarily in ethics but also in philosophy of engineering methodology and philosophy of science.