[applied-ethics] PhD position in Nanotechnology and philosophy
- From: Marcel Verweij <m.f.verweij@xxxxx>
- To: applied-ethics@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, studethics@xxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2011 10:18:53 +0200
Dear students and alumi,
Fyi,
regards,
Marcel
Begin doorgestuurd bericht:
Van: <waelbers@xxxxxxxxx>
Datum: 6 juni 2011 09:21:49 GMT+02:00
Kopie: <Ethiek-mailinglist-VvEN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Onderwerp: [Ethiek-mailinglist-VvEN] PhD position in Nanotechnology
and philosophy
Antwoord aan: <waelbers@xxxxxxxxx>
Two PhDs at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, 1.0 fte
Project 1: Conceptualizing techno-ethical change, in relation to
nanotechnology; Reference number: AT2011.82
Project 2: Imagining techno-ethical change, in relation to
nanotechnology; Reference number: AT2011.81
Maastricht University
Maastricht University is renowned for its unique, innovative,
problem-based learning system, which is characterized by a small-
scale and student-oriented approach. Research at UM is characterized
by a multidisciplinary and thematic approach, and is concentrated in
research institutes and schools. Maastricht University has around
14,500 students and 3,800 employees. Reflecting the university’s
strong international profile, a fair amount of both students and
staff are from abroad. The university hosts 6 faculties: Faculty of
Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Faculty of Law, School of
Business and Economics, Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, Faculty
of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience.
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASoS) has 200 employees
and 1600 students. All programmes are (also) offered in English. Its
students come from all over the world. FASoS offers two 3-year
bachelors programmes: Arts and Culture, and European Studies, seven
different 1-year masters courses and two 2-year research masters
programmes. It has a Graduate School with an intake of about 10 PhD
students each year. Research is organized across three programmes:
Politics and Culture in Europe; Science, Technology and Society
Studies; and Cultural Memory and Diversity. Additionally, the
faculty has a Globalization and Development Initiative, which
clusters various multi-year, inter-disciplinary collaborative
research programs conducted on themes of Globalization and
Development. The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is located in
several recently renovated, 18th century buildings in the historic
city-centre of Maastricht.
Research theme
The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of
Maastricht is looking for two PhD candidates to work on a research
project Exploring ethics of newly emerging science and technology
with the help of techno-ethical scenarios. The research project is
part of a larger project ‘Governance, regulation and ethics’, which
in its turn is part of the NanoNextNL program ‘Anticipation on
Embedding of Nanotechnology in Society’. The PhD will collaborate
with other researchers partaking in this program.
The objective of this project is to develop and apply the techno-
ethical scenario approach to nanotechnologies in food and medicine.
Nanotechnology raises many ethical concerns. Some of these are
relatively clear-cut, as in the case of toxicity risks. In these
cases, the implied values are relatively non-controversial, the
chance and the possible harm can be expressed in quantitative terms,
and the causal link between technology and consequence is relatively
direct and unequivocal. However, nanotechnology is also bound to
have other consequences that are more ambiguous, qualitative and
mediated, affecting established practices, identities, morals,
conceptions of the good life and worldviews, thus giving rise to
societal controversies about issues of a less tangible kind:
nanotechnology’s ‘soft impacts’. These controversies are the sites
where techno-moral learning can occur. The outcomes of these
deliberations should inform research and design decisions, and/or
the way we prepare society (e.g. by formulating legal conditions or
by developing practical skills) to ensure a successful societal
embedding of the new technologies. Because nanotechnology is to a
large extent an emerging or future technology, public deliberation
on nano-enabled technologies requires stimulating the imagination of
citizens through scenarios that explore possible futures with regard
to the mutual shaping of nanotechnology and morality. These
scenarios should be plausible with respect to the assumptions about
technological possibilities, user choices, and evolving norms and
values.
Tasks
PhD project 1: Conceptualizing techno-ethical change in relation to
nanotechnology
One important innovative element of these techno-ethical scenarios
is that they foreground the co-evolution of technology and morality:
moral values and norms can be demonstrated to influence decisions
with regard to development, design, and application of technologies,
but the reverse is also true: morals are challenged, destabilized,
and sometimes changed under the influence of new technologies. The
aim of this project is to clarify the concept of techno-moral
change, e.g. how fundamental is this change? Are there moral
continuities as well as discontinuities and how do these relate to
another? Are some moral elements more robust than others? Can we
conclude from the fact that opinions about morality change, that
morality itself changes, or is this distinction untenable? Can we
accept moral change without accepting moral relativism? If we can
imagine different moralities, how can we then assess them? The STS-
part of the research is to find and analyze historical and
sociological case studies of techno-moral change, and to investigate
whether recurring patterns in this co- evolution can be identified.
This theoretical knowledge will then be utilized in the development
op techno-ethical scenarios about nanotechnology’s soft impacts.
PhD project 2: Imagining techno-ethical change in relation to
nanotechnology
The PhD will explore the role of narrative in scenarios of techno-
moral futures. It is evident that our imaginings of future
consequences of emerging technologies is often guided by a limited
set of narrative formats, e.g. the Promethean myth of the frontier-
man, or the much more cautious tale of the Sorcerer’s apprentice.
The PhD will investigate cultural sources like literature and cinema
to find these ‘master narratives’. She will also try to find less
worn-out, alternative narrative patterns. This part of the research
aims to make us more aware of our dependence on existing narrative
scripts, and to give us means to develop new ones that may be more
adequate. This theoretical knowledge will then be utilized in the
development op techno-ethical scenarios about nanotechnology’s soft
impacts. The PhD will closely collaborate with a PhD that provides
an empirically informed, philosophical analysis of the phenomenon of
techno-ethical change
The scenarios will be tested in focus groups and an active
dissemination strategy will be pursued to bring the scenarios to the
attention of a larger audience.
The two PhDs will closely collaborate. The scenarios will be tested
in focus groups and an active dissemination strategy will be pursued
to bring the scenarios to the attention of a larger audience.
The PhD-candidates will be enrolled in one of the Netherlands
Graduate Research Schools, and supervised by Prof. Dr. Tsjalling
Swierstra (Maastricht University). The PhD students will be based at
Maastricht University and participate in the local Graduate School.
Qualifications: We seek candidates with strong academic abilities
and the ambition to become excellent researchers. You have completed
a research master (MSc, MPhil). Outstanding students with a 1-year
regular master can be accepted in exceptional cases. We are looking
for prospective PhDs candidate with:
• A Research Masters degree in Philosophy, preferably Ethics, or
Science and Technology Studies. Preference is given to candidates
who have completed a 2-year Research MA program;
• Strong analytical capacity;
• Originality;
• A willingness to combine philosophy with empirical research methods;
• Fluency in spoken English and excellent writing skills in English.
Knowledge of Dutch is desirable, but not a precondition for the
project;
• Willingness and proven ability to work in a team, and to execute a
research project in concordance with other researchers in the
NanoNextNL ‘Anticipation on Embedding of Nanotechnology in Society’
program.
PhD 1 should have a:
• Background in Philosophy, preferably Ethics, or in Science and
Technology Studies (STS) with a demonstrable interest in ethical
issues;
PhD 2 should have a:
• Background in Philosophy, preferably with a specialization in
cultural studies, or in Science and Technology Studies (STS) with a
demonstrable interest in cutural issues;
Appointment We offer a 4-year full-time PhD contract. (The first
year will be a probation period, after a positive assessment the
position will be extended with another three years.) You will be
employed by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
We offer two options:
1. a four-year contract with moderate teaching obligations;
2. a three-year contract without teaching.
Part-time variants (minimum 0.8) are also possible.
Compensation will be according to standard salary levels for PhD
students starting with a salary of € 2042,- with a yearly growth to
€ 2612,- gross a month (based on a full-time appointment). The gross
yearly salary, according to standard salary levels for PhD students,
is about € 28.498,- during the first year, with a yearly growth to
about € 36.453,- during the fourth year (based on a full-time
appointment). If you do not already live in Maastricht (or its
direct surroundings) you will be eligible for an allowance for
removal costs. You will be provided with shared office space and a
PC.
Starting date: September 1, 2011
Information: Please consult our website:
http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/fasos
Any inquiries about the position or the project may be addressed to
Prof. Tsjalling Swierstra (t.swierstra@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx).
Application: Candidates are invited to submit their application,
Applicants should send:
1. proposal in which you suggest an approach to investigate the
topic 2. CV
3. transcript of grades from MA education
4. the names and addresses of two references 5. (digital) copies of
written work
The deadline for submitting your application is June 20, 2011.
Please send your application electronically to the Secretariat of
the Faculty Office (please give the reference number):pzfdcwvacatures@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Marcel Verweij
joint editor-in-chief Public Health Ethics
http://phe.oxfordjournals.org/
coordinator Master Applied Ethics
Ethics Institute, Department of Philosophy
Utrecht University
Janskerkhof 13a, 3512 BL, Utrecht, The Netherlands
phone: +31 30 2539208
m.f.verweij@xxxxx
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