Phd position: Understanding cybersickness

Location:

AMSTERDAM

FTE:

0.8 – 1

Job description

Cybersickness is a form of motion sickness characterized by symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, especially in cases where virtual and real self-movement differ from each other. Although visual cues are at the basis of cybersickness, motion sickness in general originates from the organs of balance in our inner ears. People in whom these organs are inoperative, do not suffer from motion sickness, not even from cybersickness. With the development of virtual reality headsets, the severity of cybersickness has increased significantly. It not only causes discomfort when gaming, but also has a negative impact on professional applications such as training, for example through premature quitting due to nausea. Funded by the Dutch Ministry of Defence, a consortium of the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO, Soesterberg and The Hague), the National Aerospace Center (NLR, Amsterdam), the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN, Wageningen), and the Vrije Universiteit (VU, Amsterdam), is working on solutions to that problem. To develop this solution, a thorough understanding of the problem is required. The PhD student at the VU will perform research that should lead to this understanding.

This project will elaborate on the effects of both real and virtual self-motion. Apart from getting familiar with the scientific literature on the topic, the project will start with defining a measurement suite to assess the effects related to cybersickness. This may not only include measures of sickness, but of presence, perceived self-motion, postural (in)stability and (dynamic) visual acuity as well. These measures will then be applied in a series of cybersickness hypothesis driven experiments. These hypotheses typically follow from considering a framework as elaborated on before. Given the fact that the umbrella programme is realised by the mentioned consortium, the PhD student will also be involved in specific use cases across the aviation, land and maritime simulation domains as realised at the different institutes.

Your duties

• Developing a measurement suite to characterise cybersickness.
• Designing, realising, and analysing experiments to answer basic research questions.
• Reporting of results in scientific publications.
• Presenting results on (inter)national conferences and symposia.
• Contributing to workshops.

Requirements

• A MSc degree in Human Movement Sciences or related field such as Biomedical Technology, Human Computer Interaction.
• Comfortable with programming in Matlab, Python, and/or Unity.
• Experience with analysis of human behavioural data (including statistical analysis).
• Analytical and writing skills.
• Experience with modelling human perception and/or behaviour is desired.
• A good command of the Dutch and English languages.
• Good communication skills and abilities to cooperate in a multidisciplinary tea.

What are we offering?

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. The salary will be in accordance with university regulations for academic personnel and amounts €2,770 (PhD) per month during the first year and increases to €3,539 (PhD) per month during the fourth year, based on a full-time employment. The job profile: is based on the university job ranking system and is vacant for at least 0.8 FTE.

The appointment will initially be for 1 year, with sufficient prospects to be continued for 3 more years (so a total duration of 4 years). 

Roughly half of the work will be done outside the VU at TNO, NLR and MARIN, which, given their relationship with the Dutch Ministry of Defence requires a certificate of good behaviour (VOG) and screening procedure.

Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• space for personal development

About Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. We strive to be a university where personal development and commitment to society play a leading role. A university where people from different disciplines and backgrounds collaborate to achieve innovations and to generate new knowledge. Our teaching and research encompass the entire spectrum of academic endeavor – from the humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 31,000 students. We employ over 5,000 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible and located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity
We are an inclusive university community. Diversity is one of our most important values. We believe that engaging in international activities and welcoming students and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds enhances the quality of our education and research. We are always looking for people who can enrich our world with their own unique perspectives and experiences.

Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences
The Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences focuses on the broad domain of behaviour and health. Our teaching and research programmes are devoted to current developments in society, from healthy aging to e-health, from juvenile crime to dealing with depression, from training for top athletes to social media as a teaching tool. We are unique in that we combine three academic disciplines: psychology, movement sciences and education.

Working at Behavioural and Movement Sciences means working in an ambitious organization that is characterized by an informal atmosphere and short lines of communication. Our faculty offers tremendous scope for personal development. We employ more than 600 staff members, and we are home to around 3,400 students.

Department of Human Movement Sciences

The department of Human Movement Sciences performs research on the human musculoskeletal system, on the way people move, and on how human movement can be influenced in the context of sports, health, physical education and rehabilitation. Our research is multi-disciplinary: we combine anatomy, physiology, psychology and biomechanics to understand and improve human movement. We provide educational programs at the BSc and MSc levels in the same domain, with a strong emphasis on scientific training. In addition, we have a research-based PhD program. The department has a strong commitment to theory development, and innovative research, but we also prioritize the societal value of our research and devote ample time and attention to translation of our research findings to promote their application in practice.

The department provides a vibrant climate with high quality teaching and research staff and PhD-students who are supported by excellent facilities (e.g., multiple labs for experimental research, equipment for movement analysis and physiological measurements, as well as high-quality engineering support to develop custom-made equipment and set-ups). We have a world-class reputation for our research and teaching, as indicated by for example a 5th place in the Shanghai ranking for sports science, high quality publications, and frequent international collaboration and exchange. Research and teaching have a strong interdisciplinary nature. The research program of the department is integrated in the research institutes Amsterdam Movement Sciences (https://www.amsterdamumc.org/en/research/institutes/amsterdam-movement-sciences.htm) and Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam (https://vu.nl/en/about-vu/research-institutes/institute-brain-and-behaviour-amsterdam-ibba).

About the consortium partners
TNO

Founded by law in 1932, TNO is a Dutch not-for-profit applied scientific research organisation, distributed over several locations in the Netherlands and having additional offices worldwide. It is TNO’s mission to give the right answers and to ask the right questions. This is how TNO works for welfare and prosperity. For the world of today and tomorrow. By combining disciplines and domains, the most complex questions can be tackled, on the road to a better life and a brighter future. More than 3,400 professionals work on TNO’s mission every day, i.e., connecting people and knowledge to create innovations and strengthening the competitiveness of companies and the welfare of society in a sustainable way.

Every four years, TNO’s strategy defines how to fulfil its mission. This is done in close collaboration with local stakeholders. The strategy is TNO’s promise to society and is based on the trends observed in society and technology. By coordinating with its stakeholders, domains and priorities to focus on are defined. These are in line with the challenges and ambitions of the top sectors and societal issues in the Netherlands and Europe. This strategy currently focusses on a safe and secure society, a healthy society, a sustainable society, and the digital society.

NLR

Royal NLR has been a knowledge organisation for over 100 years with the will and ambition to innovate. Driven by this motivation, we strive to make the world of aerospace safer, more sustainable, efficient, and effective, standing for ground-breaking innovations. NLR employs over 750 dedicated professionals, ranging from aeronautical engineers to psychologists, mathematicians to application specialists. NLR represents an inclusive and diverse organisation where everyone feels welcome, safe, valued, and respected.

MARIN

MARIN is a globally recognised institute in maritime research, based in Wageningen, the Netherlands. Our mission is ‘Better Ships, Blue Oceans’: we stand for clean, smart and safe shipping and sustainable use of the sea. We do this as an independent knowledge partner for the maritime sector, governments and society. We work with around 450 specialists in various fields who are proud of an open and collaborative culture in which you can explore your own ideas and take initiative.

Application

Are you interested in this position? Please apply via the application button and upload your curriculum vitae (which lists two references that we can contact) and a short motivation letter (not longer than 1 page). Materials must be submitted by 

07/01/2024

. 

Submitting a diploma is part of the application process.

Applications received by e-mail will not be processed.

Vacancy questions
If you have any questions regarding this vacancy, you may contact:

Name: Prof. dr. Jeroen B.J. Smeets
Position: Professor department Human Movement Sciences
E-mail: j.b.j.smeets@vu.nl

Or:
Name: Prof. dr. Jelte E. Bos
Position: Senior Scientst at TNO and endowed professor at the VU
E-mail: jelte.bos@tno.nl  

No agencies