PhD Position in Human Data Interaction for Health and Wellbeing

PhD Position in Human Data Interaction for Health and Wellbeing

• Faculty:
• Faculty of Science
• Department:
• Department of Information and Computing Sciences
• Hours per week:
• 36 to 40
• Application deadline:

Investigate how people experience and interpret personal data from wearables and health apps. This project examines the affective, social, and reflective dimensions of personal informatics, focusing on how individuals engage with sensitive or emotionally charged health metrics in everyday life. It aims to improve system design for supporting reflection while accounting for users’ emotional responses to their personal data.

Your job

Digital technologies, such as wearables and mobile applications, allow individuals to continuously track personal data related to health and wellbeing. These systems capture a wide range of metrics, including steps taken, stress levels, heart rate, and sleep quality. Metrics are not neutral entities: they shape self-perception, evoke emotion, and can reinforce social norms, often surfacing sensitivities, taboos, and stigma. As a result, people’s experiences with their data are shaped not only by usability, but by how these metrics are interpreted, felt, and situated within everyday life; often involving processes of reflection and, at times, rumination.

In this PhD project, you will investigate the lived and affective experience of personal data in context. The focus is on how individuals interpret and engage with their metrics over time, particularly when these data become emotionally charged or socially sensitive. You will examine how such experiences influence ongoing interaction, including responses such as reflection, discomfort, reassurance, or resistance.

The project takes a human-centred and interpretive perspective, drawing on concepts from human-computer interaction, sociology, and psychology. It focuses on meaning-making and subjective experience, contributing to research in human-data interaction and personal informatics by examining how data is experienced, negotiated, and sometimes avoided in everyday contexts.

Methodologically, you will make use of qualitative and design-oriented approaches, such as interviews, ethnographies, diary studies, and reflective or speculative design. You will also investigate the design of reflection-supportive systems that scaffold how and when people engage with their metrics, with attention to supporting reflection while avoiding rumination.

You will have the opportunity to shape specific research directions within this theme, including data sensitivity, affective responses to metrics, and the role of social and cultural norms in human-data interaction. The project aims to produce high-quality academic publications as well as insights that inform the design of technologies that better account for the social, cultural, and experiential dimensions of human-data interaction.

You will contribute to teaching activities within the department, providing you with the opportunity to further develop your teaching skills (approximately 15% of your time).

Your qualities

We are looking for a candidate that meets the following criteria:

• A recently completed or nearly completed Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Industrial Design, Psychology, or a related discipline that prepared you for conducting the research outlined in this project.
• Demonstrable interest (and preferably experience) in conducting research in the area of personal informatics systems.
• Experience with qualitative methods (e.g., interviews, thematic analysis, focus groups), quantitative methods (e.g., experiments, surveys) and design methods, for example through academic research projects or a master’s thesis.
• Strong communication skills in English, both written and spoken.
• Demonstrated critical thinking skills and the ability to collaborate effectively within an interdisciplinary research environment.

Our offer

• a position for 18 months, with an extension to a total of four years upon a positive assessment in the first 18 months;
• a gross monthly salary starting at € 3,059 in the first year and increasing annually up to €3,881 in the fourth year, based on full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for employees. This includes arrangements for professional development, various types of leave, and options for sports and cultural activities. You can also tailor your employment conditions through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage you to keep investing in your personal and professional development. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

About us

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Working at the Faculty of Science

The Department of Information and Computing Sciences is nationally and internationally known for its research in computer science and information science. The Department provides and contributes to the undergraduate programmes in Computer Science, Information Science, and Artificial Intelligence and a number of research Master's programmes in these fields. It employs over 200 people, working in four divisions: Algorithms, AI & Data Science, Software and Interaction. The atmosphere is collegial and informal.

You will join the Human-Centred Computing group of the Interaction division. The Human-Centred Computing group studies how people use computerised systems in their everyday lives. Our research areas include, amongst others, personalized and adaptive systems, user modelling and recommender systems, personal informatics, and persuasive technology. You will be working closely with other members in this research group, other research groups within and outside of the faculty of Science, and collaborators from outside of Utrecht University.

More information

For more information, please contact Marit Bentvelzen

If you have questions about the application procedure, please contact science.recruitment@uu.nl.

Apply now

As Utrecht University, we want to be a home for everyone. We value staff with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and identities, including cultural, religious or ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment in which everyone can flourish and contribute.

Knowledge security screening can be part of the selection procedures of academic staff. We do this, among other things, to prevent the unwanted transfer of sensitive knowledge and technology.

If you are enthusiastic about this position, just apply via the "Apply now" button! Please enclose:

• Your letter of motivation, in which you address the following questions:
  • What do you hope to learn or achieve during your PhD to further your academic or professional development?
  • What aspects of this PhD project excite you, and how do they relate to your academic interests and future research goals?
  • Which skills and knowledge gained during your Master's studies will be most helpful for this research project?
• Your Curriculum vitae.
• The names, telephone numbers, and email addresses of at least two references.
• A copy of your MSc certificate or a letter from your MSc thesis supervisor indicating when you are likely to graduate.
• Transcripts showing grades obtained on your bachelor and master courses.

If this specific opportunity isn’t for you, but you know someone else who may be interested, please forward this vacancy to them.

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The application deadline is 15 June 2026.