PhD Position: Health-Related (Mis-)Information on Social Media & Its Impact on Young Adults (HARMONY)

10.03.2025, Wissenschaftliches Personal

The Professorship for Ethics of AI and Neuroscience at TUM is offering a fully funded PhD scholarship (4 years, €2,000/month) for the HARMONY project, studying health-related (mis-)information on social media and its impact on young adults. The position includes international research collaboration, methodological training, and a supportive work environment. Fluency in German and English required.

Professorship for Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience

School of Medicine and Health
Technical University of Munich

PhD Candidate (w/m/d)

About us

The Chair for Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience is situated at the Institute for the History and Ethics of Medicine in the School of Medicine of the Technical University of Munich. In our group, we advance ethical practice and theory in medicine, bio-medical technology, and public health, driven by the belief that embedding ethics is essential for shaping the future of healthcare, science, technology, society, and the environment. Our mission encompasses both theoretical and empirical methods to foster ethical, transparent, and interdisciplinary research, education, and policy. The Institute works on an interdisciplinary basis and is highly networked both nationally and internationally.

About the position

The Chair for Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience at the Technical University of Munich is looking for an ambitious young scholar interested in pursuing a PhD on Health-Related (Mis-)Information on Social Media and Its Impact on Young Adults (HARMONY). The selected candidate is expected to review existing literature, conduct focus groups with young adult social media users, and contribute to an analysis of health-related media content targeted at young adults. In addition, they will be supported in shaping the direction of their own research.

The doctoral scholar will be part of a dynamic international team at the Institute for Ethics and History of Medicine, offering ample opportunity to interact with its other members working on related topics. Since the project is in cooperation with TU Eindhoven, the scholarship holder will be embedded in an international research team and receive generous financial support for a research stay abroad during their doctorate. The project is led by Prof. Dr. Marcello Ienca (TU Munich) and Dr. Lily Frank (TU Eindhoven), and coordinated by Dr. Dr. Georg Starke (TU Munich).

Requirements

• Candidates need to have completed a relevant master’s degree by the start of the scholarship, preferably but not exclusively in psychology, anthropology, communication science, bioethics, philosophy, sociology, STS, or a related social science discipline.
• Applicants should know either qualitative (e.g., focus groups, interviews) or quantitative (e.g., surveys, statistical analysis) methods and demonstrate a willingness to learn about the other approach or mixed-methods research.
• Knowledge of social science approaches (e.g., psychological, sociological...) to measuring beliefs, attitudes, and their relationship with shaping (online) behavior is desirable.
• Familiarity with data analysis in R or Python is required.
• Experience in study handling, such as participant recruitment or data collection, is not required but would be an advantage.
• All applicants must have strong analytical skills and a proven interest in interdisciplinary and teamwork.
• Fluency in German and English is essential. The research study will be conducted in German; applicants will be expected to write and publish in English and collaborate with international project partners in English.

We offer

• Our group provides a safe, inclusive, and collaborative work environment. We are committed to building a culture where everyone feels valued and heard and where the personal growth and well-being of each member of the group are a priority.
• We offer an excellent international, collaborative research environment with state-of-the-art equipment at one of Europe's leading academic institutions.
• The selected candidate will enjoy a fully funded PhD position for 4 years, with a monthly stipend of €2,000 (tax-free under most conditions) and personal funding for research stays abroad.
• Within the project's limits, we can offer flexible agreements for working remotely.

Further notes and information

• TUM is striving to increase the ratio of women and, therefore, expressly welcomes applications from female candidates.
• The position is suitable for persons with disabilities. Applicants with disabilities will be given preference in case of generally equivalent suitability, aptitude, and professional performance.
• Note: The workplace is not entirely barrier-free nor wheelchair accessible (listed old building).

Your application

To apply, please prepare a cover letter expressing your motivation and preparation for the position, a CV, degree certificates, and a writing sample, and name two people as references whom we could contact. Please submit all documents by 20 April 2025 by e-mail with the subject “HARMONY PhD Application” to office.ethics@mh.tum.de.

Interviews will be conducted in early to mid-May.

Contact

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact:
Prof. Dr. Marcello Ienca – marcello.ienca@tum.de
Dr. Dr. Georg Starke – georg.starke@tum.de
Office team (administrative inquiries) – office.ethics@mh.tum.de, 089/4140-4041

Institutional Details

Technical University of Munich
Institute for History and Ethics of Medicine
Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich
office.ethics@mh.tum.de
www.get.med.tum.de / www.tum.de

Note on Data Protection

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Kontakt: office.ethics@mh.tum.de