PhD Position on Domain Explanation to Support Citizens’ Decision-Making (DECIDE Project) University of Twente in Netherlands

The DECIDE project is a large-scale, NWO-funded research initiative under the Dutch Research Agenda (NWA), uniting 10 Dutch universities, over 50 academic researchers, and 30 societal partners in a highly interdisciplinary collaboration. The mission is to develop strategies for designing and implementing transparent, citizen-empowering AI systems, with a special focus on AI-supported decision-making that enhances democratic participation and citizen empowerment. Real-world challenges are addressed across healthcare, mobility, public governance, and healthy lifestyles, with solutions co-developed alongside societal stakeholders for tangible societal impact.

This PhD position is embedded in Work Package 4 (WP4), dedicated to AI-based Citizen-Support Systems. The research centers on developing computational approaches for domain explanations—explaining domain concepts, properties, relations, constraints, and rules—to support citizens’ decision-making. The project is particularly interested in scientific domains, both stable and unstable, and includes AI as a domain to be explained, aiming to empower citizens in their use of technology. The work leverages Semantic Technologies (such as ontologies and knowledge graphs) and Artificial Intelligence, with requirements elicited and computational approaches developed in connection to DECIDE’s citizen-empowerment scenarios, especially those related to public governance and healthy living.

Supervision is provided by a multidisciplinary team from the University of Twente, including the Semantics, Cybersecurity and Services, High-Tech Business and Entrepreneurship (HBE), and Technology, Policy and Society (TPS) sections, as well as the AI-aided Knowledge Discovery Lab (Disc AI-lab) at Utrecht University. The department is part of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS), which contributes to the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and collaborates extensively with industrial partners and researchers both nationally and internationally.

As a PhD candidate, you will conduct original research in Semantic Technologies and Artificial Intelligence, resulting in a PhD thesis. You will collaborate with other PhD candidates, postdocs, and societal partners across the DECIDE consortium, participate in training programs, workshops, and summer schools, and gain practical experience in large-scale open-source AI software projects such as ASReview. Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary activities, including citizen science and co-design initiatives, are integral to the role.

Applicants must hold a Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Semantic Technologies), demonstrate motivation and fit for the position, and submit a CV, motivation letter, and master thesis abstract. The application deadline is June 11, 2026, with interviews scheduled 1–2 weeks after the closing date. Screening is part of the selection procedure. For further information, contact Dr. Giancarlo Guizzardi at [email protected].

Apply via the University of Twente careers portal. The DECIDE project offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the development of transparent, citizen-empowering AI systems with real societal impact, in a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary environment.