Postdoc Position: Improving Children’s Comprehension of Multiple Digital Documents

1. Introduction

Join an ongoing NWO Vici research project on ‘Opportunities and challenges in children’s comprehension of multiple digital texts’. You will collaborate with a PhD candidate and the supervising team in setting up and conducting the intervention planned. In addition, there are opportunities to write on existing data of the project.

2. Job description

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher for the NWO Vici research project on ‘Opportunities and challenges in children’s comprehension of multiple digital texts’. We are heading towards the final years of the project, in which an intervention is planned.

Results so far show the complexities of reading and comprehending multiple online documents, as well as of integrating information from these documents into an essay. We have also seen the difficulties children have in navigating online environments.

We now plan an intervention study for the upper primary grades in which we will address these topics, and which may, for instance, consist of eye-movement-modelling examples. As we are still in the process of setting up this intervention, we are very much looking forward to your input.

You will set up and conduct the intervention, together with the PhD candidate and student-assistants. You will analyse complex data, present the results at conferences and publish them in peer-reviewed journals. Furthermore, you will participate in knowledge transfer, such as writing papers for Dutch applied journals and collaborating with the Dutch Centre for Language Education in writing a book on the topic. You will also be an active member of the Behavioural Science Institute (BSI) in Nijmegen.

3. Profile

• You have or are about to obtain a PhD in behavioural or educational science, educational psychology, applied linguistics, or a related field, preferably related to reading comprehension and reading processes.
• You have an interest in digital reading.
• You have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• You have experience in designing and conducting intervention studies at primary schools.
• You have experience with using advanced statistical methods (e.g. R).
• You have excellent oral and written skills in Dutch and English. 
• You preferably have experience with eye-tracking and in project management.

4. We are

You will be based at the Behavioural Science Institute (BSI), where you will work within the framework of the Learning, Education, & Development research programme (Department of Learning and Learning Problems). Within this programme, researchers conduct fundamental and applied research into individual differences in learning and development among children, teenagers and adolescents.

BSI is an interdisciplinary research institute where fundamental, applied and translational research takes place with the aim of understanding important societal issues and contributing to their solutions. BSI is one of the three research institutes of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Radboud University. Our researchers collaborate across the boundaries of psychology, communication science and pedagogical and educational science. Our mission for the upcoming years is to join forces in interdisciplinary research on the theme ’Empowering the Young’. We study the challenges that young people face in our current society and contribute to their empowerment.

BSI performs high-quality research with scientific and societal impact. To foster this, the institute provides excellent research facilities and has strong collaborations with non-academic partners. Moreover, BSI is known for its successful graduate school and strong dedication to open science and team science. We stand for a warm, inclusive and cooperative research environment in which our employees are well-supported in a work culture that promotes collaboration and respect.

5. We offer

• We will give you a temporary employment contract of two years.
• Your salary within salary scale 11 depends on your previous education and number of years of (relevant) work experience. If you have not yet obtained your PhD, you will start as a Junior researcher (salary scale 10). The amounts in the scale are based on a 38-hour working week. 
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus.
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20.

6. Practical information and applying

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Eliane Segers. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application. We look forward to receiving your application.

The first interviews will probably take place on Monday 16 March. Any second interview will take place on Monday 23 March. You will preferably start your employment on 1 May 2026.

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure. It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates.

Do you already work at Radboud University and have questions about making an internal move? Learn more about internal applications.