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

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.

2 - Position description

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, our Brussels 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 and adults with severe intellectual and/or motor disabilities, their caregivers and parents, and care professionals;
• You are interested in both qualitative and quantitative research methods;
• You can communicate professionally and write scientifically in English;
• You work independently and also function well in a multidisciplinary, international team;
• You do not yet hold a doctorate (PhD) at the start of the appointment.
  
  Desirable qualifications:
  Experience in one or more of the following areas, methods or languages is an advantage:
  •    Interviews and co-creation workshops (participatory research methods);
  •    Selecting, administering and analysing (existing) questionnaires;
  •    Qualitative and quantitative data analysis;
  •    Usability testing or user experience research;
  •    Research on technology in healthcare;
  •    Technology acceptance / trust in technology;
  •    Healthcare or disability studies;
  •    Knowledge of Dutch / French is an advantage.
  We do not expect you to have expertise in all these areas already. Strong motivation for research, methodological curiosity and a willingness to learn new methods or explore new topics are at least as important.

• You have not performed any works in the execution of a mandate as an assistant, paid from operating resources, over a total (cumulated) period of more than 12 months.

• As a (non-)EEA national, meet the conditions for obtaining a valid permit for VUB and comply with the VUB residence requirements. More info here.

The VUB wants to be a reflection of the society where everyone's talent is valued, regardless of gender, age, religion, skin color, migration background, disability and neurodiversity.

4 - Offer

Are you going to be our new colleague?

You’ll be offered a full-time PhD-scholarship, for 12 months (extendable up to max. 48 months, on condition of the positive evaluation of the PhD activities), with planned starting date 01/01/2027. 

You’ll receive a grant linked to one of the scales set by the government.

IMPORTANT: The effective result of the doctorate scholarship is subject to the condition precedent of your enrolment as a doctorate student at the university.

At the VUB, you’re guaranteed an open, involved and diverse workplace where you are offered opportunities to (further) build on your career.

As well as this, you will also enjoy various other benefits:

• Extensive homeworking options, a telework allowance of 50 euros per month OR an internet fee of 20 euros per month;
• An open and informal working environment where attention is paid to work-life balance, and exceptional holiday arrangements with 35 days of leave (based on a fulltime contract), closure between Christmas and New Year and 3 extra leave days;
• Cost-free hospitalisation insurance;
• Full reimbursement of your home-to-work commute with public transport according to VUB-policy, and/or compensation if you come by bike; 
• A wide selection of meals in our campus restaurants at attractive prices;
• Excellent and affordable facilities for sport and exercise, a range of discounts via Benefits@Work (in  all kinds of shops, on flights, in petrol stations, amusement parks...) and Ecocheques; 
• Nursery near campus, discount on holiday camps; 
• The space to form your job content and to continuously learn through our VUB learning platforms and training courses;
• And finally: great colleagues with a healthy drive.

5 - Interested?

Is this the job you’ve been dreaming of?

Then apply, at the latest on 30/11/2026, via jobs.vub.be, and upload the following documents:

• your CV;
• your motivation letter;
• your diploma (not applicable for VUB alumni).

Our application process is as follows (subject to change):

• step 1: an initial selection based on your application file; 
• step 2: a job interview.

Do you have questions about the job content? Contact SMIT HR at smit.jobs@vub.be or on 02 614 85 40.

Would you like to know what it’s like to work at the VUB? Go to jobs.vub.be, and find all there is to know about our campuses, benefits, strategic goals and your future colleagues.

Would you like more information about EUTOPIA? Go to eutopia-university.eu, and read more about the role of the VUB in the development of the EUTOPIA alliance.