Postdoc in Human-Centered Cognitive Interaction

Join TU Delft's Human-Centered Design Department as a postdoc and shape the future of cognition-aware design and cognitive augmentation.

The Human-Centered Design department in the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering at TU Delft (Netherlands) is looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to explore cutting-edge research at the intersection of design, human-computer interaction, neuroscience, psychology, and AI.

Why join us?

As technology becomes increasingly embedded in our daily lives, the ability to design intelligent, adaptive, and human-aware systems is more critical than ever. The rapid advancements in physiological sensing technologies have opened up exciting new opportunities to enrich human interaction with products or systems. By adapting the interaction to the user's physical and cognitive capabilities, we can create more intuitive, inclusive, and personalized experiences. However, utilizing such complex and sensitive user data creates challenges that need to be addressed, such as data intelligibility, inclusivity, or data privacy. In particular, we expect you to contribute to research in one or more of the following key areas:

Key Areas:

Cognition-aware and adaptive systems: using information about the user's cognitive processing (e.g., workload or attention) to enrich the interaction with systems or products

Mixed-Reality: adjusting multi-modal information presentation to the cognitive capabilities of the user

Novel cognitive data sampling: designing novel approaches, e.g., using AI / intelligent agents, to unobtrusively sample contextually enriched information about users cognitive states

Neurotechnologies and self-reflection: making cognitive data accessible for end-users to support self-reflection and mental health

You will work in an interdisciplinary research team at TU Delft aiming to contribute to this relevant and rapidly evolving field of research. In addition to collaborating on the abovementioned topics, you have the freedom to pursue your personal research agenda, aligning with the broader research interest of the group.

• PhD in Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Science, AI, Psychology, Neuroscience, or a related field.
• Experience with physiological sensing (e.g., EEG, eye-tracking, fNIRS) and physiological  data processing.
• Programming skills for data analysis, machine learning, and/or AI-based adaptation.
• Expertise in experimental design and user research.
• Interest in at least one of the following topics: adaptive interfaces, mixed reality, human-centered AI.
• Demonstrated research experience with publication record in HCI or related fields.
• Strong collaboration skills.
• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills in English.

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Matching the evolution of people with the speed of the revolution of technology. This is the focus of the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering (IDE). Delft designers act as a bridge between advances in technology and the needs of people, organisations and society to create products, services and systems with purpose.

IDE is a leader in design research across the application areas of mobility, sustainability and health, as well as its development of design tools and methods. A 350-strong research team and over 2,000 students work together in our inspiring hall, labs and studios.

In close cooperation with industry, the public sector and NGOs we rehearse possible futures in research and education to design for a complex future.

to go to the website of the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering.

• Duration of contract is 18 months.
• A job of 32-40 hours per week. 

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. 

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Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 10 April 2025 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• CV
• Motivational letter

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post. 
• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• For the final candidates, a knowledge security check will be part of the application procedure. For more information on this check, please consult Chapter 8 of the National Knowledge Security Guidelines. We carry out this check on the basis of legitimate interest.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.