PhD in Philosophy and Ethics in the NAP4DIVE Project

Job description

Are you our next PhD student working at the intersection of research ethics, AI ethics, and animal ethics? Are you eager to work on the ethics of alternatives to animal models in biomedical research? Are you passionate about empirically informed bioethics, working with stakeholders, and trustworthiness in AI? Are you inspired by novel tools in biomedical research? Are you fascinated by revolutionizing drug development for diseases of the central nervous system such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Schizophrenia and brain cancer?

This ethics PhD is embedded in a science-forward consortium working on alternatives to animal models in drug development. A challenge for drug development for diseases of the central nervous system is the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which prevents many candidate drugs from effectively reaching the brain. Nanoparticles are a promising tool for drug delivery across the BBB. Still, translational research has been limited so far. Contributing to this inefficiency is animal pre-clinical testing, as rodents lack vital human BBB features. Despite this, more than 850.000 animals are used annually in the EU in nervous-system related research – one of the fields with the highest use of animals in Europe.

In response to these challenges, the EU Horizon project NAP4DIVE will establish reliable non-animal alternatives for testing, explaining, and predicting nanoparticle-based drug delivery across the human BBB. NAP4DIVE will develop two complementary platforms: a high-throughput BBB-on-Chip and a Machine-learning-based nanoparticle design simulator. By establishing advanced non-animal alternatives for testing and predicting nanoparticle-based drug delivery across the human BBB, NAP4DIVE efforts aligns with EU and global initiatives to reduce animal testing and advance human-based biomedical research models.

The PhD position investigates the ethical aspects and trustworthiness of non-animal alternatives in CNS disease drug development. In collaboration with the NAP4DIVE project partners from science and industry, you will explore the interplay between human-based biomedical research models and animal welfare, and the role of AI in relevant solutions. Based on this, you will develop an empirically informed account of how existing ethical analyses and legal frameworks could be improved. You will actively contribute to project deliverables and publications within the research consortium.

You will be embedded within the Philosophy and Ethics group in the Faculty of lndustrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences at TU/e. The Philosophy & Ethics group at TU/e is a vibrant international community, consisting of around 30 members (including many PhD students) with research interests ranging from philosophy of science and technology to ethics and the philosophy of Al. We have strong cooperation with other departments and the new Eindhoven Artificial intelligence Systems Institute (EAISI). The PhD will also be affiliated with the new Eindhoven Center for the Philosophy of Al. TU/e is part of the 4TU.Ethics consortium, where we cooperate closely on research and education of students (TU/e, Delft, Twente, Wageningen).

Job requirements

• A master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in Philosophy, Sociology, Law, or a related field.
• Ideally some background in
  • ethical and regulatory issues in biomedical research,
  • analyses of technology adoption in healthcare and research, and/or
  • empirical methods in bioethics.
• A research-oriented attitude.
• Ability to work in a team and collaborate with partners from science and industry.
• Fluency in spoken and written English.

Conditions of employment

A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you:

• Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months. You will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale P (min. €2,901 max. €3,707).
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process.
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates. 

Information and application

More information

Are you interested in this profile and would you like to know more? For questions, please contact Patrik Hummel, Assistant Professor, at p.a.hummel@tue.nl or +31 40 247 9111 or dr. Philip Nickel at p.j.nickel@tue.nl or +31 40 247 3726.

Please visit www.tue.nl/jobs to find out more about working at TU/e!

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the 'apply now'-button on this page. The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of any publications and contact details of at least two references
• Brief description of your master’s thesis
• A short writing sample.

We look forward to your application and will screen it as soon as we have received it. Screening will continue until the position has been filled.