25 September: fyi -- PhD funding -- Philosophy of Technology, Delft
Index of September 2000 | Index of year: 2000 | Full index
PhD POSITION IN PHILOSOPHY OF TECHNOLOGY
(second announcement)
The department of Philosophy, Delft University of Technology
The Department of Philosophy is responsible for teaching philosophy to
engineering students at Delft University of Technology and carrying out
research on philosophical questions pertaining to technology. The main
teaching areas are the philosophy of science, ethics and technology, and the
philosophy of technology.
In connection with expanding the research in the area of the philosophy of
technology, a vacancy for a PhD student is available as part of:
The NWO research programme 'The Dual Nature of Technical Artifacts'
The Department of Philosophy is carrying out the NWO research programme 'The
Dual Nature of Technical Artifacts'. This four-year programme (2000-2004)
focuses on technical artifacts (artifacts designed by engineers) and the
design process that results in these artifacts.
The programme's point of departure is that technical artifacts have a dual
nature, in the sense that an exhaustive description of these artifacts
employs both material and physical concepts (the structure of the artifact)
as well as intentional concepts (the function of the artifact, the
intentions of designers and users). The task of the research programme is to
develop a conceptualisation for the description of technical artifacts that
coherently integrates these physical and intentional concepts.
The programme involves two postdoc researchers and two PhD students who, in
cooperation, will work on different research projects. One postdoc is doing
research on the relation between the physical structure and the functions of
technical artifacts; the second is working on the intentionality and the
epistemology of technical artifacts. One PhD student is doing research on
the social constraints of social artifacts. The projects of the second PhD
student for which a vacancy exists, is described below.
The research programme is supervised by Professors Peter Kroes and Anthonie
Meijers. The two PhD projects will be carried out in cooperation with
universities and institutes in the United States (MIT, Virginia Tech,
Buffalo and Georgia Tech). The programme is primarily subsidised by the
Council for Humanities of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific
Research (NWO).
The Ph.D. project 'Designing Technical Artifacts: Bridging the Gap between
Function and Structure':
Research will focus on the design process of technical artifacts. This
process is considered to be one in which engineers by means of design
methods systematically translate a functional description of an artifact
(the desired function) into a physical-structural description of the
artifact (the actual design) and a set of instructions for its use (the
manual). The project has two components. In the first, design methods and a
number of case studies of actual designs will be analysed. The aim of this
is to develop a rational reconstruction of design methods and the way in
which functional descriptions are translated into structural descriptions
via these methods. The second component will focus on the way in which
engineers justify their designs and explain the operation of these designs.
Also this component puts much emphasis on case studies.
Applicant profile:
You will have received a degree that fits the PhD project. You, for
instance, will have received an engineering education of which design and
design methods formed a substantial part, and you have a proven affinity
with philosophy; or, you will have graduated in philosophy of science and
have a proven affinity with technology. Excellent analytic skills are
required. You will have the desire to employ these analytic skills for
conceptually innovative research, the team spirit necessary to work in a
partly international group of researchers, and good communicative skills.
You have also fully mastered the English language, both orally and in
writing.
The Delft University of Technology offers:
The employment is set for a period of four years. The purpose of the
employment is to complete a dissertation. Within a year from the date of
employment your performance will be reviewed, on which review continuation
of your employment will be considered. Your gross salary is set at fl.
3.911,- (1.770,- Euro) in the first year, mounting up to fl. 4.514,-
(2.050,- Euro) in the last year.
Employment and fee are according to the CAO (collective agreement) for Dutch
Universities.
(In the Dutch academic system a Ph.D. student is in addition to completing a
dissertation, also supposed to follow courses and to assist the department
in giving courses to undergraduates. The courses a Ph.D. student has to
follow are determined together with the supervisor, and usually take up 25%
of your time (in the first year of the employment this is more than 25% and
in the years thereafter, it becomes less). Assisting courses given by the
department takes up 20% maximally. A Ph.D. student therefore starts with his
or her research on day one of the employment.)
Applications:
Written application should be sent - preferably on short notice - to Mrs A.
Hoek, Personeel & Organisatie, Faculteit der Techniek, Bestuur en
Management, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, the Netherlands, stating application
number TBM00.09.
For more information about the NWO research programme, visit
http://www.fil.tbm.tudelft.nl/engels/, and choose 'vacancies' or 'dual
nature'. For additional information about the vacancy, contact Prof. Peter
Kroes, tel.: (+31) 015-278 4715; email p.a.kroes@tbm.tudelft.nl.
==================================
Dr P.E. Vermaas
Department of Philosophy
Delft University of Technology
Jaffalaan 5
2628 BX Delft
The Netherlands
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