Postdoc position on Monitoring and Feedback Systems for Stress in Action University of Twente in Netherlands

The University of Twente is offering a Postdoc position on Monitoring and Feedback systems for Stress in Action within a large Dutch consortium focused on stress in daily life. The project brings together more than 80 multidisciplinary scientists from six Dutch universities and is part of the Stress in Action research program, which investigates how stress can be measured in real-world settings and how it contributes to mental and cardiometabolic disease.

The postdoc will work on smart, user-friendly, and morally responsible monitoring and feedback systems for large-scale cohort studies. The research uses wearables such as Garmin watches, smartphones, ecological momentary assessment tools, passive sensing, and small cognitive tasks. Key challenges include real-time integration of subjective and objective data, designing non-intrusive and fair motivational feedback strategies, optimizing the presentation of cognitive tasks and self-reports, and creating personalized end reports that support user autonomy and are appealing to participants. The monitoring infrastructure is already in place, and the project aims to support cohort monitoring over three-month periods.

The work is embedded in the Human Media Interaction (HMI) group at the University of Twente, in collaboration with scientists from the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). The HMI group studies multimodal interaction, including brain-computer interfaces, social robots, sensor technologies, and interactive systems for sports, play, and learning. The broader faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) provides a strong interdisciplinary environment linked to institutes such as TechMed Centre and the Design Lab.

Applicants should have, or shortly obtain, a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction, Interaction Design, Interaction Technology, or a related field. Experience with monitoring and feedback systems or motivational feedback design is preferred. The role also requires strong analytical and communication skills, creativity, team spirit, English proficiency, and the ability to work in an international consortium.

The appointment is for up to 3 years full-time. The salary is in accordance with the Dutch university collective labour agreement (CAO-NU), with a gross monthly salary between €3,546 and €5,538 depending on experience and qualifications. Additional benefits include holiday allowance, year-end bonus, pension, partial work-from-home flexibility, campus sports facilities, leave entitlement, and support for research and professional development.

Applications must be submitted via the university’s application portal before 2026-08-31. The application should include a CV with courses and grades, a cover letter, proof of English proficiency (IELTS or TOEFL), and contact details for two references. Questions about the position may be directed to dr. ir. Randy Klaassen at [email protected].