"Postdoc Position: HCI and Inclusive Urban Mobility - University of Amsterdam"

Job Description

Join an ambitious, multidisciplinary project at the crossroads of interaction and urban design, where your research can shape the vision of open and accessible cities!.

This position is part of the NWO-funded research project BEAT (Building Equitable Accessibility Together), which will start in January 2026.

Background

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. This informal layer is highly diverse, stems from many underlying causes and factors, and highlights a notable knowledge gap.

The specific objectives of the BEAT project are two-fold: (1) to co-create a comprehensive and holistic understanding of informal urban mobility barriers and their impacts while co-identifying key priorities to address, and (2) to co-design and assess innovative solutions using three levers: human-centred artificial intelligence, urban design, and policy. These solutions include interactive technologies (e.g., personalised real-time accessibility maps, lightweight wearable devices, binaural audio), spatial interventions and tactical urbanism, design and evaluation tools (e.g., inclusivity index), as well as guidelines/strategies for policy change.

What you will do

You will be engaged in two main areas of activity:

1. Research and Data Integration (~80%)
   You will contribute to developing a comprehensive and holistic understanding of the informal layers of urban mobility barriers, encompassing all relevant factors. This work will take place in close collaboration with a research team that will be simultaneously creating a platform for connecting with communities and stakeholders through a living lab approach. Your role will involve employing a broad spectrum of data collection and knowledge acquisition methods, integrating qualitative approaches (e.g., interviews, walk-alongs, focus groups) with quantitative techniques (e.g., computer vision, physiological sensing, environmental monitoring, crowd behaviour analysis), as well as researching existing sources of knowledge in the literature and professional domains. The resulting multi-factorial knowledge will both contribute to and benefit from the data and insights generated by the four BEAT PhD projects, each addressing the topic from its own disciplinary perspective. A key aspect of your role will be to integrate these diverse data sources and insights—both internal and external to the project—into a coherent and accessible format. We also expect you to assist mentoring PhD and Master theses.
2. Project Management and Coordination (~20%)
   As an experienced multidisciplinary researcher, you will also join the project management team from the early stages of the project, assisting the project lead (Dr. Hamed Alavi) in the scientific management of BEAT. This includes contributing to the overall vision of the project, co-monitoring progress, and co-coordinating internal scientific events and activities.

What we ask of you

The successful candidate will have:

• PhD degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Urban Sciences, Disability Studies, or related interdisciplinary fields.
• Personal or professional experience of working with people and communities living with disabilities.
• Experience of work in (and preferably coordination of) multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder teams
• Excellent research skills and strong publication record
• Proficiency in written and verbal English.
• Fluency in Dutch is recommended but not mandatory.

This is what we offer

We offer a temporary employment contract for 38 hours per week for a period of 12 months, with a probationary period of two months. If we assess your performance positive, we will extend your contract with 12 months to a total duration of 24 months. The preferred starting date is as soon as possible, but it can be discussed.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between € 3,546 to € 5,538 (scale 10). This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile Researcher 4 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;
• 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.

How to Apply

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 1 December 2025.

Applications should include the following information (all files besides your CV should be submitted in a single pdf file):

• a detailed CV including the months (not just years) when referring to your education and work experience;
• 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 publications
• 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 apply link will be considered. The interviews will be held in December 2025.

Do you have any questions, or do you require additional information? Please contact: Dr. Hamed S. Alavi, h.alavi@uva.nl