Organisation/Company Dublin City University Department Institute of Ethics Research Field Philosophy » Ethics Ethics in social sciences » Other Technology » Computer technology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country Ireland Application Deadline 16 Jul 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Dublin) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 38 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - MSCA Reference Number HARNESS-DC6 Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number 101169409 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer Description
The DCU Institute of Ethics invites you to apply for a PhD position supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network ‘HARNESS - Harnessing AI and Data-Intensive Technologies’, funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe programme.
As a student, you would be enrolled in the Institute of Ethics in the School of Theology, Philosophy, and Music at Dublin City University (Ireland), with a 3 Year Fixed Term Contract with Dublin City University. You will be working on the PhD Topic: Ethics of AI Foundational Models (DC6) under the supervision of Prof. Bert Gordijn and Prof. Elena Montiel (UPM). To apply click here .
HARNESS
HARNESS is an international, interdisciplinary and cross academic-industry training network hosted across Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Italy and Belgium (MSCA Doctoral Network) formed to train a new generation of 13 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) as PhD graduates in the disciplines of law, ethics or computer science with the common goal of researching methods and tools to make Integrated Assessments of risks and impacts for current Data intensive and AI technologies. HARNESS Doctoral Candidates will receive training to enable them to integrate and apply arguments, analyses and tools from across the fields of artificial intelligence, law and ethics, so that they can excel in research and data science careers within digital services industry and public policy sectors.
The HARNESS Training Network
The DCs will receive a strongly multidisciplinary training programme, bringing together world-class researcher in Artificial Intelligence, Law and Ethics to offer an excellent structured research programme operating at the critical boundaries between these three fields. The research supervision and training for DCs is delivered by a network composed of the following world-class research groups and industry practitioners:
* the School of Law and the Knowledge and Data Engineering Group at Trinity College Dublin (Dublin, Ireland)
* the Institute of Ethics at Dublin City University (Dublin, Ireland)
* the Dept of Philosophy and the 4TU Centre for Ethics and Technology in University of Twente (Enschede, Netherlands)
* the Law, Science, Technology & Society at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Brussels, Belgium)
* the Legaltech Center at Mykolo Romerio Universitetas (Vilnius, Lithuania)
* the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) at Gent Universiteit (Ghent, Belgium)
A further set of industry partners will offer DCs a rich range of relevant industry experience through training secondments. For more information click here .
Eligibility criteria
We are looking for highly motivated Doctoral Candidates researchers who are interested in interdisciplinary work at the intersection of philosophy/ethics, law, data science and AI. Candidates must
* have a Bachelor’s degree (BA or BS) and Master’s degree (MA or MS), one of which should be in philosophy
* must not have a doctoral degree at the date of their recruitment
* should be enrolled in a doctoral programme during the project
* must enroll in at the Dublin City University doctoral programme before October 1st 2025;
* should comply with the mobility rules: in general, they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting organisation for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not taken into account.
* [for non-native English speakers] Applicants who have not had secondary or tertiary education (undergraduate or graduate) in English can only be admitted with an IELTS-test showing a total band score of at least 6.5, internet, a TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT) showing a score of at least 90, or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE).
About Dublin City University (DCU)
DCU is a leading innovative European University, proud to be one of the world’s leading Young Universities. DCU is known as Ireland’s University of Impact, with a mission to ‘transform lives and societies’ and focuses on addressing global challenges in collaboration with key national and international partners and stakeholders. DCU has over 20,000 students. Thanks to its innovative approach to teaching and learning, the University offers a ‘transformative student experience’ that helps to develop highly sought-after graduates.
DCU is a research-intensive University. It participates in a range of European and international research partnerships. DCU is also the leading Irish university in the area of technology transfer as reflected by licensing of intellectual property.
About the Institute of Ethics
Established in September 2008, the DCU Institute of Ethics is recognised as an important European centre of ethics, distinguished by its research activities and its focus on translation of ethical theory into societal benefit.
It satisfies an urgent societal need for ethical analysis of emerging issues in science, technology, healthcare, business, media and government. By engaging with professionals from the private and public sector, as well as with researchers from a variety of academic disciplines, it promotes the role of ethics in a broad range of academic fields and societal arenas.
Application
If you are interested to be part of HARNESS, please submit your application by July 16, 2025 and use this link. Please include:
* A cover letter (maximum 2 pages A4), emphasizing your specific interest, qualifications, experience, and motivations to apply for this position
* A Curriculum Vitae, including a list of all courses attended and grades obtained, and, if applicable, a list of publications and references
* A writing sample (for instance, Master’s thesis chapter)
* Contact information for two academic references
* [for non-native English speakers] An IELTS-test, Internet TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT), or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE)
* Please fill out and include the HARNESS eligibility criteria form available here .
Please note, if all items are not uploaded, the application will be deemed incomplete, and will not be processed.
* Bachelor’s degree (BA or BS) and Master’s degree (MA or MS), one of which should be in philosophy
* interest in interdisciplinary work at the intersection of philosophy/ethics, law, data science and AI
* must not have a doctoral degree (PhD) at the date of their recruitment
In addition, HARNESS PhD students must demonstrate:
* ability to collaborate with international research teams in the English language.
* enthusiasm for working on multidisciplinary research problems, including research collaboration and publication across disciplinary boundaries.
Eligibility Criteria
All researchers recruited must be Doctoral Candidates.
* must not have a doctoral degree at the date of their recruitment
* should be enrolled in a doctoral programme during the project
* must enroll in at the Dublin City University doctoral programme before October 1st 2025;
* should comply with the mobility rules: in general, they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting organisation for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not taken into account.
* [for non-native English speakers] Applicants who have not had secondary or tertiary education (undergraduate or graduate) in English can only be admitted with an IELTS-test showing a total band score of at least 6.5, internet, a TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT) showing a score of at least 90, or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE).
Specific Requirements
In addition, HARNESS PhD students must demonstrate:
* ability to collaborate with international research teams in the English language.
* enthusiasm for working on multidisciplinary research problems, including research collaboration and publication across disciplinary boundaries.
All researchers recruited must be Doctoral Candidates. They must
* have a Bachelor’s degree (BA or BS) and Master’s degree (MA or MS), one of which should be in philosophy
* must not have a doctoral degree at the date of their recruitment
* should be enrolled in a doctoral programme during the project
* must enroll in at the Dublin City University doctoral programme before October 1st 2025;
* should comply with the mobility rules: in general, they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting organisation for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not taken into account.
* [for non-native English speakers] Applicants who have not had secondary or tertiary education (undergraduate or graduate) in English can only be admitted with an IELTS-test showing a total band score of at least 6.5, internet, a TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT) showing a score of at least 90, or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE).
Selection process
A team at DCU will check eligibility, assess all applications and shortlist applicants for interview to determine final appointments.
HARNESS pursues a policy of equal opportunities on matters of gender and disability and will seek to recruit an equal proportion of male and female applicants and will provide employment opportunities for candidates with disabilities. Employment procedures and contracts will conform to the European Charter for Researchers / Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.
Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute DCU Institute of Ethics, Dublin City University Country Ireland City Dublin Geofield
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