Tenure Track professor (research) "AI in Psychological Assessment and Treatment"

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 Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department Psychology, is looking for a tenure track lecturer. 

More concretely your work package contains: 

Education and Research domain:

Data-Analysis, Research Methods and Technology in Psychology

Education tasks:

• You will be employed during the 5-year Tenure Track period on 1 newly developed course, e.g. “Case studies in Artificial Intelligence in Psychology (3 ECTS), optional course in the Psychology master Program.

• Your teaching assignment will include supervising (as the promoter) a proportional number of master's theses in the psychology program on topics related to the research assignment.

• Your teaching assignment will be expanded, in the long term, after the Tenure Track period, with some 3 courses in psychological research methods or statistics, such as:

  • Statistics I: Measurement Scales and Descriptive Statistics (6 ECTS)

  • Statistics II: Probability Theory and Inferential Statistics (6 ECTS)

  • Statistics III: Univariate Data Analysis (6 ECTS)

Research tasks:

• You conduct research on AI in psychological assessment and/or psychological treatment and counselling. 
• Your research tasks within this mandate focus on the development, validation and ethically sound deployment of AI-driven tools to improve the efficiency, precision, accessibility and effectiveness of psychodiagnostics and psychological care.
• You publish in high-quality journals. 
• You contribute to the acquisition of internal and external (research) funds.

Artificial intelligence (AI)is poised to become a crucial factor in making psychological care more and more accessible to all, especially at a time when healthcare is under significant societal and economic pressure. The integration of AI into psychological diagnosis and treatment represents a new but rapidly evolving area of research, with the potential to revolutionise mental health care. Research within this line of research can focus on the development, validation and ethical use of AI-driven tools to improve the efficiency, precision, accessibility and effectiveness of psychological diagnostics and psychological practice, such as counselling and psychotherapy.

Within the Department of Psychology (PSYC), we work according to the scientist-practitioner model, in which scientific research not only contributes to theory development, but also pursues direct social and clinical impact. Evidence-based approaches are central to optimising psychological diagnostics and treatment practices in the psychology department.

Other tasks:

• You contribute to service-oriented tasks at the level of the department and faculty (e.g. participance in boards and committees ; representation of the faculty).
• You create external visibility for the department, faculty, and/or university (e.g. participance in marketing activities of the faculty: INFO-days and expositions, representation in the media, popularizing activities).
   

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 have a PhD in Psychology with demonstrable expertise in AI, or PhD in Sciences or Engineering with demonstrable expertise in psychology and AI (or equivalent candidates in a relevant field). 

• You have demonstrable expertise and interest in both psychology and the technical aspects of Artificial Intelligence through scientific research or clinical practice.
• You have demonstrable expertise in Data-Analysis, Statistics and Research methods and in the teaching on these subjects.

• You subscribe to the university’s vision of education. The full text in relation to this is available on the university website.

• Every first appointment is dependent upon the successful delivery of a teaching session.  

• Language regulations:

A member of the academic staff who is entrusted with a teaching assignment must also be able to demonstrate that the language of instruction is known at ERK level C1 through a qualification certificate or through an adequate diploma. The VUB also provides courses in, for example, academic English.

The administrative language of the VUB is Dutch. In case of insufficient knowledge of Dutch, the VUB will provide an integration course. After a maximum of five years, a member of the academic staff must demonstrate adequate knowledge of the administrative language (ERK level B2).

For a complete overview, please consult the complete language regulations on https://jobs.vub.be/content/Regulations-concerning-language-proficiency/. 

Certificates demonstrating knowledge of the language can already be added to the application. 

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 tenure track appointment, for an assignment of 1 FTE, for 5 years, with eligibility for tenure in the rank of senior lecturer by the end of this initial period, with planned starting date 01/10/2025. 

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

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 14/03/2025, via jobs.vub.be, and upload the following documents:

• your motivation letter, including your vision on education and research, and an explanation about the development of your future research;
• your curriculum vitae, including you academic dossier; 
• your diploma (not applicable for VUB alumni) and language certificates.

Do you have questions about the job content? Contact Peter Theuns of Joeri Hofmans at peter.theuns@vub.be of joeri.hofmans@vub.be or on +32 474 92 46 88.

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.