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Call for Applications: Researcher and PhD Candidate (data protection in Belgium) - deadline January 15, 2021

The Research Group on Law, Science, Technology & Society is looking for a motivated researcher.

The multidisciplinary Research Group on Law, Science, Technology & Society (LSTS) is an independent entity within the Faculty of Law & Criminology at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). With more than 50 researchers at all levels of experience, LSTS has become a prominent European research institute in the area of technology regulation. The staff comprises several postdoc researchers, PhD researchers, associated researchers and affiliated professors. Research staff at LSTS have backgrounds in a number of areas, including law, ethics, philosophy, political science, sociology, chemistry, criminology, and others. Great emphasis is placed on incorporating a multidisciplinary perspective in all our work.

As part of his or her duties, the candidate will be working on an action grant under the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme of the European Union in the area of data protection in Belgium. In particular, the candidate is expected to develop multiple and complementary tools to support the work of Belgian data protection officers (DPOs), and to facilitate the communication between DPOs and the Belgian Data Protection Authority (APD/GBA).

The researcher is expected to:

  • Facilitate cooperation and communication between Belgian data protection officers under the auspices of an EU co-funded action grant;
  • Actively join in the academic activities of LSTS, helping the Research Group in competing in national and European funding opportunities, attending and presenting in seminars, assisting in organizing conferences and workshops, etc.;
  • Develop a proposal for a doctoral degree (PhD).

Eligibility criteria

Candidates are expected to possess the following qualifications:

  • a master’s degree in either law, criminology, social science, ethics, STS, preferably with a specialization in technology, awarded by the deadline for applications;
  • advanced knowledge in EU and Belgian data protection law;
  • demonstrate enthusiasm by contributing to ongoing research activities and attracting external funding for research projects;
  • fluency in Dutch, French and English;
  • good organisational and communicative skills;
  • the ability to work independently, under pressure, respect deadlines, and produce quality work.

Conditions of employment

The successful candidate will be integrated in a dynamic team, composed of both experienced and early career researchers. The candidate will collaborate closely with the other members of LSTS and will have access to doctoral training offered by the VUB, as well as to all facilities of the university. Successful candidates are expected to work at the VUB premises in Brussels. Office space and equipment will be provided along with a budget for travelling and other research‐related expenses.

We offer employment as a full-time doctoral researcher. The PhD degree will be awarded in law. For more information about facilities and benefits of employment at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, please visit http://www.vub.be under the heading ‘future employees’.

Contract: full‐time research grant for one year, renewable on an annual basis for a maximum of four years. Extension of the contract is subject to the agreement of the doctoral committee. Remuneration is at the level of a full-time research assistant at a Flemish university (i.e. approximately €1.900 net per month) and includes contributions for social security. Secondary employment is not allowed.

Application

The following application documents are to be consolidated into a single PDF file sent by email to István Böröcz, isborocz@vub.be.

Applications (in English) should include the following:

  • a curriculum vitae;
  • a short cover letter where you explain why you are interested in this position;
  • a research proposal (2-3 pages);
  • (If possible) A recent work, essay or excerpt from that you would like to share with us to support your application, for the research and writing skills requirement;

Deadline for the submission of applications is Friday, 15 January 2021, 12:00 CET. The position is likely to start on 1 March 2021 (the start date could be subject to change).

If you are interested in learning more about VUB-LSTS, please visit the LSTS website https://lsts.research.vub.be/.