Phd position in public administration & digital governance

Werkgever:
VU Amsterdam
Regio:
Amsterdam
 
Functieomschrijving

Your function

Are you a public administration or management student interested in AI and/or value-based governance? Are you interested in doing research about the risks of AI use in public administration and how to manage conflicting public values? Please apply at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam VU!

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As a PhD candidate (0.8-1.0 FTE) you are part of the NWO-funded project “AI4ALL: Value-aligned AI for Public Organizations”. You conduct research on the actual and intended use of AI in public organizations, researching the intended reasons and expected impact of AI in the public sector, and empirically measuring public values affected by the use of AI in public governance. More specifically, your research will focus on empirically measuring public values affected by AI use in public governance, examining which values are actually impacted and what citizens consider most important in terms of value trade-offs. The research methods include document analysis, interviews with various stakeholders, including affected citizens, and a citizen survey among the Dutch general public.

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All PhD candidates of the School of Social Sciences are registered at the Graduate School of Social Sciences (VU-GSSS) and admission to the VU-GSSS is part of the selection procedure. More information can be found on their website and is available on request.

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The position is funded for a period of 48 months, preferably starting on 1 January , or by mutual agreement.

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Your duties

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  • Preparation and conducting of PhD research on AI and public values.
  • Data collection through interviews, document analysis, and citizen survey.
  • Analysis of the data with the first years a focus on qualitative research methods.
  • Writing and publishing of scientific articles and a PhD dissertation.
  • Presentation of research results on (inter)national conferences and societal context.
  • Attending and successfully completing PhD courses at the Graduate School
  • Collaborating with partners in the Consortium AI4ALL: Value-aligned AI for Public Organizations.
  • Collaborating with colleagues in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration.
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    Your profile

  • A Master in Social Sciences, like Public Administration, Business Ethics, Political Science, or Management Studies.
  • A demonstrable interest in digital governance through an understanding of core topics pertaining to AI and digital governance, and a level of AI literacy (desirable).
  • Demonstrable experience and affinity with scientific research.
  • Experience with or interest in qualitative research methods (like interviews) and interest in survey research.
  • Strong organizational and communicative skills and a proactive attitude.
  • Excellent English and Dutch language skills. 
  • Willingness to work in a team.
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    As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.

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    We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore, we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

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    What do we offer?

    A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

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  • A salary of € 3.,00 (PhD) and maximum € 3.,00 (PhD) gross per month in the fourth year, for a full-time employment
  • An employment contract of initially 1 year. If there is sufficient perspective, this will be extended to a total of 4 years. Your dissertation at the end of the fourth year forms the end of your employment contract.
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    We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and arrangements. Some examples:

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  • A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
  • 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
  • optional model for designing a personalized benefits package
  • contribution to commuting expenses
  • a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge
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