PhD position: XAI to help people make better dietary choices

Join our research team as PhD candidate on the DECIDE project, which tackles one of the most urgent challenges in artificial intelligence: ensuring that AI systems are transparent, interpretable and aligned with human needs and values.

AI systems increasingly provide personalized recommendations in domains such as nutrition and lifestyle. However, many recommender and prediction systems rely heavily on opaque machine learning techniques, limiting user understanding, contestability, and trust.

In this PhD position, you will contribute to the development of a transparent AI system to support behavioural change in nutrition. You will integrate explainable AI (XAI) methods with user-centred interaction design, combine machine learning with alternative AI methodologies (e.g., rule-based reasoning, knowledge graphs, hybrid approaches where relevant), and implement personalized dialogue-based explanation mechanisms. 

You will be part of the DECIDE project: a large-scale, NWO-funded research initiative under the Dutch Research Agenda (NWA). It brings together 10 Dutch universities, over 50 academic researchers, and 30 societal partners to co-develop a new generation of transparent, citizen-empowering AI systems. The project spans domains such as healthcare, mobility, education, law, ethics, and public governance. 

This position is a collaboration between Wageningen University, Utrecht University, and societal partners such as the Dutch Nutrition Center (Voedingscentrum). You will be based in Wageningen, working with the Hungry Robots Lab that strives to innovate nutrition research. Additionally, you will be collaborating with the Social and Affective Computing group in Utrecht University, which focuses on multimodal computer analysis of human behaviour.

As a PhD candidate, you will be part of a vibrant inter- and transdisciplinary research community, collaborating across disciplines and with societal stakeholders to achieve real-world impact. You will also participate in joint training programmes on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research methods, citizen engagement, and ethical AI.

You will focus on developing, testing and reviewing a methodology to make AI systems transparent and explainable. The goal is to empower citizens and professional decision-makers to make better informed decisions using AI.

The position combines:

• AI system design and prototyping;
• explainable and hybrid AI research;
• human-AI interaction research;
• empirical evaluation in real-world contexts.

Your duties and responsibilities include: 

• design and implement AI components for a transparent recommendation or reasoning system for nutrition intake;
• investigate explainability strategies (e.g., feature attribution, counterfactual explanations, dialogue-based explanations, hybrid symbolic–ML approaches);
• develop user-facing explanation interfaces that connect algorithmic reasoning to domain-level concepts;
• study the relationship between explanation, trust calibration, and behavioural outcomes;
• evaluate system performance using both technical metrics (robustness, fairness, reliability) and human-centred evaluation methods.

You will work here

The research is embedded within the Division of Human Nutrition, and member of the Hungry Robots Lab (https://hngr-rbts.containers.wur.nl/website), which is led by Associate Professor Guido Camps (linkedin.com/in/guidocamps?originalSubdomain=nl).

We are looking for someone who holds a Master’s degree in: Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Data Science, Computational Cognitive Science, Human-Computer Interaction or a related technical field. 

Most importantly, you are motivated to design AI systems that are not only technically sound, but structurally transparent and aligned with citizen empowerment.

Experience with one or more of the following is a plus:

• knowledge graphs or symbolic reasoning systems;
• dialogue systems or conversational AI;
• behavioural modelling;
• experimental design and user studies;
• AI evaluation under regulatory constraints (e.g., AI Act considerations).

You also possess: 

• experience with machine learning and model development;
• affinity with explainable AI, recommender systems, or hybrid AI approaches;
• interested in human-centred AI and responsible AI development;
• enjoy interdisciplinary collaboration.

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• Partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.
The gross salary for the first year is € 3.059,- per month rising to € 3.881,-  in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well. 

We encourage development and internal mobility within our organisation. Our recruitment and selection policy sets out the conditions that apply specifically to you as a (former) employee. If you have any questions, we are happy to help.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. 

Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. 

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family. 

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account, dual career programs or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

For more information about the position, please contact Guido Camps, Researcher, via email: guido.camps@wur.nl.
Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Evelien Janssen, Corporate Recruiter, via email: evelien.janssen@wur.nl.

Ready to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

To apply, please send the following documents (max. 3 pages in total for both documents):

• Complete and up-to-date curriculum vitae;
• Motivation letter.

The maximum length of the documents must not exceed 3 pages. If it exceeds, applications will not be considered. Additional files such as grades and transcripts are not required during this stage and will not be considered.

You can apply up to and including 30 April 2026. We aim to hold a first round of interviews on the 13th of May, followed by an assignment and second round later that month.

Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using the link below:

https://forms.office.com/e/YtayRWFPzM

Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.

​The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.

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