Postdoctoral Researcher in Para Sport Classification

Do you want the skills you learned during your PhD to make a difference to society? Are you passionate about sport and/or helping people with impairment? Then this might be the Postdoctoral Researcher in Para Sport Classification position for you.

• Amsterdam
• MF Gebouw

Your function

Classification is a cornerstone of Para sport. It aims to ensure that sporting success is determined by talent, training, and effort rather than the degree of an athlete's impairment. To achieve this goal, classification systems must be based on scientific evidence and valid measures of impairment.

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher to lead two projects funded by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) that aim to improve classification for athletes with vision impairment. The projects focus on the development and validation of novel tools for assessing vision, including virtual reality-based visual field testing and technology-assisted visual acuity assessment. These projects seek to improve the accuracy, accessibility, and integrity of classification procedures used in international Para sport.

The successful candidate will join the Learning and Performance Section within the Department of Human Movement Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. You will work closely with national and international collaborators and will coordinate an international research network involved in evaluating the efficacy, reliability, and validity of the newly developed classification tools. The position offers a unique opportunity to conduct research with direct scientific and societal impact while contributing to the future development of Para sport worldwide.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• leading the day-to-day execution of two IPC-funded research projects;
• contributing to the development and validation of new classification assessment tools (in conjunction with employed programmers);
• designing and conducting studies involving athletes with vision impairment and other participant groups;
• coordinating data collection across collaborating institutions;
• analysing and interpreting research data;
• preparing manuscripts for publication in international peer-reviewed journals;
• presenting research findings at scientific conferences and stakeholder meetings;
• liaising with and reporting project progress to the International Paralympic Committee and other project stakeholders;
• supervising Master research students;
• contributing to dissemination activities and potentially future research grant applications.

Your profile

You are an enthusiastic and independent researcher with strong organisational skills and an interest in conducting research that has a direct impact on policy and practice.

You have:

• a PhD degree in Human Movement Sciences, Sport Sciences, Rehabilitation Sciences, Psychology, Neuroscience, Vision Science, Biomedical Engineering, Data Science, or a related discipline;
• experience conducting independent scientific research;
• a strong track record, relative to career stage, of publishing in peer-reviewed journals;
• excellent written and spoken English;
• strong communication and collaboration skills;
• the ability to manage multiple project activities simultaneously.
• experience working in international collaborative research projects is an advantage (but not required);
• programming experience in Matlab, Python, R, Unity, or related software environments is an advantage, or a willingness to acquire these skills;
• experience working within sport, disability sport, rehabilitation, vision science, or related research areas is an advantage.

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

What do we offer?

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

• a salary of minimum € 3.706,00 (Scale 10) and maximum € 5.760,00 (Scale 10) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Researcher 4. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
• a position for at least 0.8 FTE. The appointment will initially be for a period of 27 months at 0.8 FTE (or an equivalent full-time appointment of approximately 21.5 months). The intended starting date is flexible.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• contribution to commuting expenses
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• group insured for partial disability with employer contribution of 50% of the premium

About us

The Department of Human Movement Sciences performs internationally recognised research on human movement, performance, health, participation, and rehabilitation across the lifespan.

The successful candidate will join the Learning and Performance Section, an internationally active research group that investigates how perception, cognition, and motor performance interact in sport and other performance settings. The group has extensive expertise in Para sport research and works closely with international sporting organisations, including the International Paralympic Committee.

The department is embedded within two research institutes: (1) Amsterdam Movement Sciences, one of the leading interdisciplinary research institutes in the Netherlands, bringing together researchers from diverse disciplines to address challenges related to movement, health, and performance; and (2) Institute Brain and Behaviour Amsterdam (iBBA), a multidisciplinary research institute that uniquely brings together psychology and movement sciences to examine human dynamics and a personal and interpersonal level.

Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences
Developing knowledge for an active, healthy and meaningful life: that is our mission at the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences at VU Amsterdam. We maintain a broad focus on the fields of behaviour and health. Our teaching and research programmes are devoted to current developments in society. From healthy aging to e-health, and from training top athletes to social media as a teaching tool. We combine three academic disciplines: psychology, movement sciences and education. A multidisciplinary approach allows us to arrive at a better understanding of human behaviour and movement. Our aims are to help people live healthier lives, learn better and function better.

Are you interested in joining Behavioural and Movement Sciences? You are the kind of person who feels at home working in an ambitious faculty, with an informal atmosphere and short lines of communication. We offer you all the space you need for personal development.

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility.