PhD Position in Human Data Interaction for Health and Wellbeing Utrecht University in Netherlands

This PhD position at Utrecht University’s Faculty of Science, Department of Information and Computing Sciences, offers an exciting opportunity to investigate how people experience and interpret personal data from wearables and health apps. The project focuses on the affective, social, and reflective dimensions of personal informatics, examining how individuals engage with sensitive or emotionally charged health metrics in everyday life. The aim is to improve system design for supporting reflection while accounting for users’ emotional responses to their personal data.

Digital technologies such as wearables and mobile applications allow individuals to continuously track health and wellbeing metrics, including steps taken, stress levels, heart rate, and sleep quality. These metrics are not neutral; they shape self-perception, evoke emotion, and reinforce social norms, often surfacing sensitivities, taboos, and stigma. 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, the research will use 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. The project aims to produce high-quality academic publications and insights that inform the design of technologies that better account for the social, cultural, and experiential dimensions of human-data interaction.

You will join the Human-Centred Computing group within the Interaction division, working closely with other members in this research group, other research groups within and outside the Faculty of Science, and collaborators from outside Utrecht University. The department is nationally and internationally known for its research in computer science and information science, and provides undergraduate and research master's programmes in these fields. The atmosphere is collegial and informal, with over 200 staff working across four divisions: Algorithms, AI & Data Science, Software, and Interaction.

As a PhD candidate, you will contribute to teaching activities within the department (approximately 15% of your time), further developing your teaching skills. Utrecht University offers a range of employment benefits, including a gross monthly salary starting at €3,059 in the first year and increasing annually up to €3,881 in the fourth year (full-time), 8% holiday pay, 8.3% year-end bonus, pension scheme, partially paid parental leave, flexible terms of employment, professional development, and options for sports and cultural activities.

Applicants must have a recently completed or nearly completed Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Industrial Design, Psychology, or a related discipline. Demonstrable interest and preferably experience in personal informatics systems research is required. Experience with qualitative methods (e.g., interviews, thematic analysis, focus groups), quantitative methods (e.g., experiments, surveys), and design methods is expected, ideally through academic research projects or a master's thesis. Strong communication skills in English, both written and spoken, critical thinking skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively within an interdisciplinary research environment are essential.

To apply, submit your letter of motivation addressing specific questions, your CV, names and contact details of at least two references, a copy of your MSc certificate or a letter from your MSc thesis supervisor, and transcripts showing grades from bachelor and master courses. The application deadline is 15 June 2026. For more information, contact Marit Bentvelzen at [email protected].