Join us!
Operating from the standpoint that mobility is essentially a subjective human experience, BEAT (Building Equitable Accessibility Together) aims to investigate urban mobility barriers as they unfold in the daily activities of people. Rather than examining a specific mode of mobility (e.g., public transport, walking) or a single accessibility barrier, the focus of this project is the holistic experience of urban mobility in the daily lives of individuals with physical and cognitive diversities. The point of departure is "people"—their routines and travel behaviours, their daily frustrations with various mobility obstacles, and the impact of these hindrances on their personal, social, and professional lives. BEAT investigates a wide range of barriers that may be labelled as temporary or even mundane. Examples of such temporary-but-everyday barriers include construction sites and road works planned by municipalities, but also a variety of unplanned situations, such as improperly parked delivery vehicles, poorly placed planters and bikes on the sidewalk, unauthorised market stalls, and so forth. While each of these situations may be perceived as a temporary problem, collectively they form a permanent reality of how we experience our cities. These barriers signify an “informal” layer of inaccessibility superimposed on more structural or “formal” accessibility problems in the city.
What you will do:
The main focus of BEAT is on Informal Urban Mobility Barriers (IUMBs), approaching inclusive city-making from the perspective of human lived experience. The project aims to address these barriers through a combination of (1) interaction design research, (2) urban planning, and (3) policy research. This specific PhD position is part of the interaction design research strand and draws on methods from Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).
** Note that a similar PhD position is available within the BEAT project at the Department of Industrial Engineering, TU Delft. You are welcome to apply for both positions.
- The TU Delft PhD focuses on co-designing personalised tools that support individuals in navigating specific mobility barriers, capitalizing on technological advances such as wearables.
- The University of Amsterdam PhD focuses on co-designing interactive technologies embodied by the urban context, including spatial, physical, and social dimensions of cities.
These two PhDs will collaborate closely. In addition, the PhD at the University of Amsterdam will have close collaboration with another PhD in the same project, whose focus is on the “geographies of access” in the department of spatial sciences at the University of Groningen.
BEAT recognizes that each person has unique abilities, needs, emotions, and passions, which may vary depending on the situation. Therefore, any intervention aimed at supporting people with physical and cognitive diversities must be highly tailored and context-sensitive. Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) offers a wide range of methods for studying the subjective and situational aspects of human experience, such as research in the wild and participatory design, and for incorporating these insights into the design of services and products.
As part of the BEAT (Breaking Everyday Barriers to Inclusive City-Making) project, this PhD position will employ HCI methods to contribute to two objectives: (1) co-creating a comprehensive understanding of urban mobility barriers as they unfold in everyday life, and (2) co-designing and co-assessing technological interventions that eliminate these barriers or reduce their impact on people with physical and cognitive diversities. Within these broad objectives, the PhD candidate will have space for exploration and creative tinkering, bringing new ideas and perspectives to BEAT. In addition, the project provides an open and safe environment for collaboration with other components of the project and for defining the focus of the PhD in relation to them.
BEAT has defined three case studies, which the PhD candidate is expected to work on in contribution to the objectives outlined above: (1) Mobility hubs: as the accessibility of mobility hubs (e.g., train stations) determines access to other areas, they play a critical role in ensuring inclusive mobility. (2) Residential areas: these areas are essential for maintaining everyday access to amenities at the neighborhood level and for enabling individuals to sustain their daily routines, especially for short, routine trips. (3) Green and leisure spaces: access to these spaces significantly impacts well-being, making their accessibility a key consideration for improving quality of life.
What we ask of you
The successful PhD candidate will have:
- Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science or Urban Design, with courses on interaction design, human-computer interaction, urban analytics, or designing with data.
- Personal or professional experience of working with people and communities living with disabilities.
- Ability and willingness to work in a multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder team
- Excellent research skills
- Proficiency in written and verbal English.
- Fluency in Dutch is recommended but not mandatory.
- Strong interest in accessibility, assistive technology, and human-computer interaction in urban context.
- Prior publications and experience in human-computer interaction research are assets but not a requirement.
Our offer
We offer a temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months, and after satisfactory evaluation, it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). The preferred starting date is as soon as possible, but it can be discussed. This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance at courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching and tutoring undergraduates and master's students.
The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between € 3,059 to € 3,881 (scale P). This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile PhD Candidate is applicable. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.
In addition to the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at Science Park, we offer you multiple fringe benefits:
- 232 holiday hours per year (based on full-time) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January;
- multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre;
- a complete educational program for PhD students;
- multiple courses on topics such as leadership for academic staff, time management, handling stress, and an online learning platform with 100+ different courses;
- 7 weeks of birth leave (partner leave) with 100% salary;
- partly paid parental leave;
- the possibility of setting up a workplace at home;
- a pension at ABP for which UvA pays two-thirds of the contribution;
- the possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch;
- help with housing for a studio or small apartment when you’re moving from abroad.
If you are curious to read more about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits, take a look here.
Where you will work
The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 8,000, as well as 1,800 members of staff working in education, research, or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe, or the functioning of the brain.
The mission of the Informatics Institute (IvI) is to perform curiosity-driven and use-inspired fundamental research in Computer Science. The main research themes are Artificial Intelligence, Computational Science, and Systems and Network Engineering. Our research involves complex information systems at large, with a focus on collaborative, data driven, computational, and intelligent systems, all with a strong interactive component.
The Digital Interactions Lab (DILAB) is a small but vibrant human-computer interaction research group within the Informatics Institute at the University of Amsterdam, established in 2021. Our research bridges the gap between socio-technical and human-centered understandings of what people need technology to be, and how it might enhance our societies. In an inherently multidisciplinary endeavour, the DILAB is committed to connecting the realm of technology with reflections, concepts, and knowledge established in various domains of social science and psychology.
Join an ambitious, multidisciplinary project at the crossroads of interaction and urban design, where your research can bring novel contributions to inclusive city-making! This position is part of the NWO-funded research project BEAT (Building Equitable Accessibility Together).
Join us!
Operating from the standpoint that mobility is essentially a subjective human experience, BEAT (Building Equitable Accessibility Together) aims to investigate urban mobility barriers as they unfold in the daily activities of people. Rather than examining a specific mode of mobility (e.g., public transport, walking) or a single accessibility barrier, the focus of this project is the holistic experience of urban mobility in the daily lives of individuals with physical and cognitive diversities. The point of departure is "people"—their routines and travel behaviours, their daily frustrations with various mobility obstacles, and the impact of these hindrances on their personal, social, and professional lives. BEAT investigates a wide range of barriers that may be labelled as temporary or even mundane. Examples of such temporary-but-everyday barriers include construction sites and road works planned by municipalities, but also a variety of unplanned situations, such as improperly parked delivery vehicles, poorly placed planters and bikes on the sidewalk, unauthorised market stalls, and so forth. While each of these situations may be perceived as a temporary problem, collectively they form a permanent reality of how we experience our cities. These barriers signify an “informal” layer of inaccessibility superimposed on more structural or “formal” accessibility problems in the city.
What you will do:
The main focus of BEAT is on Informal Urban Mobility Barriers (IUMBs), approaching inclusive city-making from the perspective of human lived experience. The project aims to address these barriers through a combination of (1) interaction design research, (2) urban planning, and (3) policy research. This specific PhD position is part of the interaction design research strand and draws on methods from Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).
** Note that a similar PhD position is available within the BEAT project at the Department of Industrial Engineering, TU Delft. You are welcome to apply for both positions.
- The TU Delft PhD focuses on co-designing personalised tools that support individuals in navigating specific mobility barriers, capitalizing on technological advances such as wearables.
- The University of Amsterdam PhD focuses on co-designing interactive technologies embodied by the urban context, including spatial, physical, and social dimensions of cities.
These two PhDs will collaborate closely. In addition, the PhD at the University of Amsterdam will have close collaboration with another PhD in the same project, whose focus is on the “geographies of access” in the department of spatial sciences at the University of Groningen.
BEAT recognizes that each person has unique abilities, needs, emotions, and passions, which may vary depending on the situation. Therefore, any intervention aimed at supporting people with physical and cognitive diversities must be highly tailored and context-sensitive. Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) offers a wide range of methods for studying the subjective and situational aspects of human experience, such as research in the wild and participatory design, and for incorporating these insights into the design of services and products.
As part of the BEAT (Breaking Everyday Barriers to Inclusive City-Making) project, this PhD position will employ HCI methods to contribute to two objectives: (1) co-creating a comprehensive understanding of urban mobility barriers as they unfold in everyday life, and (2) co-designing and co-assessing technological interventions that eliminate these barriers or reduce their impact on people with physical and cognitive diversities. Within these broad objectives, the PhD candidate will have space for exploration and creative tinkering, bringing new ideas and perspectives to BEAT. In addition, the project provides an open and safe environment for collaboration with other components of the project and for defining the focus of the PhD in relation to them.
BEAT has defined three case studies, which the PhD candidate is expected to work on in contribution to the objectives outlined above: (1) Mobility hubs: as the accessibility of mobility hubs (e.g., train stations) determines access to other areas, they play a critical role in ensuring inclusive mobility. (2) Residential areas: these areas are essential for maintaining everyday access to amenities at the neighborhood level and for enabling individuals to sustain their daily routines, especially for short, routine trips. (3) Green and leisure spaces: access to these spaces significantly impacts well-being, making their accessibility a key consideration for improving quality of life.
What we ask of you
The successful PhD candidate will have:
- Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science or Urban Design, with courses on interaction design, human-computer interaction, urban analytics, or designing with data.
- Personal or professional experience of working with people and communities living with disabilities.
- Ability and willingness to work in a multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder team
- Excellent research skills
- Proficiency in written and verbal English.
- Fluency in Dutch is recommended but not mandatory.
- Strong interest in accessibility, assistive technology, and human-computer interaction in urban context.
- Prior publications and experience in human-computer interaction research are assets but not a requirement.
Our offer
We offer a temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months, and after satisfactory evaluation, it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). The preferred starting date is as soon as possible, but it can be discussed. This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance at courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching and tutoring undergraduates and master's students.
The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between € 3,059 to € 3,881 (scale P). This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile PhD Candidate is applicable. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.
In addition to the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at Science Park, we offer you multiple fringe benefits:
- 232 holiday hours per year (based on full-time) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January;
- multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre;
- a complete educational program for PhD students;
- multiple courses on topics such as leadership for academic staff, time management, handling stress, and an online learning platform with 100+ different courses;
- 7 weeks of birth leave (partner leave) with 100% salary;
- partly paid parental leave;
- the possibility of setting up a workplace at home;
- a pension at ABP for which UvA pays two-thirds of the contribution;
- the possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch;
- help with housing for a studio or small apartment when you’re moving from abroad.
If you are curious to read more about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits, take a look here.
Where you will work
The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 8,000, as well as 1,800 members of staff working in education, research, or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe, or the functioning of the brain.
The mission of the Informatics Institute (IvI) is to perform curiosity-driven and use-inspired fundamental research in Computer Science. The main research themes are Artificial Intelligence, Computational Science, and Systems and Network Engineering. Our research involves complex information systems at large, with a focus on collaborative, data driven, computational, and intelligent systems, all with a strong interactive component.
The Digital Interactions Lab (DILAB) is a small but vibrant human-computer interaction research group within the Informatics Institute at the University of Amsterdam, established in 2021. Our research bridges the gap between socio-technical and human-centered understandings of what people need technology to be, and how it might enhance our societies. In an inherently multidisciplinary endeavour, the DILAB is committed to connecting the realm of technology with reflections, concepts, and knowledge established in various domains of social science and psychology.
If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. You can apply online via the button below. We accept applications until and including 15 March 2026.
Applications should include the following information (all files besides your CV should be submitted in a single pdf file):
- a detailed CV
- a letter of motivation, including a description of your research interests and an explanation for why you are applying for this position (1-2 pages);
- a list of all Master-level modules you have taken, with a transcript of grades,
- a list of publications (if applicable; note that prior publications are not a prerequisite);
- a link to a writing sample available online, such as your Master’s thesis, a term paper, or publication (in case of joint authorship, please clearly indicate your own contribution)
- the names, affiliations, and email addresses of two references who can provide letters of recommendation.
A knowledge security check can be part of the selection procedure. (for details: national knowledge security guidelines)
Only complete applications received within the response period via the link below will be considered.
The interviews will be held in April 2026.
Do you have any questions, or do you require additional information? Please contact:
