Refugee research assistant for study on digital technology and civic integration (4x)

Tilburg University; Tilburg; Remote; EUR 3,500 - 3,600; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

0.1 FTE position

ABP pension

Vacation pay 8%

Year-end bonus 8.3%

8 weeks vacation

Commuting reimbursement

Flexible leave options

Green campus

Job summary

Tilburg University in Tilburg is seeking a Refugee research assistant for a study on digital technology and civic integration. This 0.1 FTE position (4 hours per week) focuses on how refugees use translation tools, government apps, and chatbots to navigate civic processes.

You will join a multidisciplinary research team in the Department of Communication and Cognition, contributing to study design, recruitment, data collection, and analysis.

Qualifications

• Must have refugee status in The Netherlands.
• Permission to work (part-time) in The Netherlands.
• Currently in the process of civic integration (inburgering) or completed within the last year.
• Strong English language skills (spoken and written).
• Native or fluent in another language such as Arabic, Turkish, Kurdish, Tigrinya, Dari, or Pashto.

Responsibilities

• Attend orientation and training sessions on basic research skills (no previous research experience required).
• Participate in regular team meetings, weekly or biweekly in Tilburg (remote attendance possible).
• Contribute to development of research questions and study design through feedback.
• Assist in recruiting participants through community organizations and refugee networks.
• Assist in data collection by serving as co-moderator/co-interviewer for focus groups/interviews with translation as needed.
• Assist in analyzing data by reading transcripts and contributing to team discussions.
• Contribute to communicating research findings to the public through stakeholder events or meetings.
• Assist in communication with participants (translation) throughout the process.

Skills

English proficiency

Multilingual

Interpersonal skills

Analytical skills

Job description

Refugee research assistant for study on digital technology and civic integration (4x) (24548)

Tilburg University | School of Humanities and Digital Sciences (TSHD)

is looking for a

Refugee research assistant for study on digital technology and civic integration (4x)

Department: Communication and Cognition

Location: Tilburg

Contract size: 0.1 fte (4 hours per week)

Full-time gross monthly salary: € 3147,00

Intended start date: November 2026

We are looking to hire people who have refugee status in The Netherlands and who are completing (or have recently completed) civic integration (inburgering) to join an academic research team at Tilburg University. In this project, we are interested in the ways that refugees use digital technologies (such as translation tools, government apps, and chatbots) to help manage the civic integration process, including the barriers and opportunities of technology. As a research assistant, you will participate as an active team member, providing input and playing a role in key stages of the research process (design, recruitment, data collection, analysis). You will offer your insights as someone with firsthand experience of civic integration as well as contribute your interpersonal and language skills for recruitment and data collection. No previous research experience is required.

Why should someone apply for this job?In this position, you will gain experience conducting academic research, working on a professional team in The Netherlands, and contributing to solutions for technological challenges that refugees face during civic integration.

Why do we seek the expertise of refugees for this research? We believe we can better understand the challenges that refugees face in The Netherlands by working closely with people who have that firsthand experience. By hiring research assistants who have experience as refugees, we hope to identify more relevant questions, engage in more responsible ways with the community, and develop findings that more impactful for improving the lives of refugees.

Your position

Research assistant

Your profile

• You are a person who has obtained refugee status in The Netherlands.
• You have permission to work (part-time) in The Netherlands.
• You are currently in the process of civic integration (inburgering) or have completed this in the previous 1 year.
• You have strong English language skills (spoken and written).
• You are native or fluent in a language in addition to English, such as Arabic, Turkish, Kurdish, Tigrinya, Dari, and/or Pashto (other languages spoken by refugee communities in The Netherlands will be considered).
• You have strong interpersonal skills, including confidence speaking in group settings and comfortability engaging with people you do not know in multi-cultural contexts.
• You have strong analytical skills, such as an ability to learn new processes and contribute to strategic conversations in a group setting.

Job responsibilities include the following:

• Attend orientation and training sessions on basic research skills (no previous research experience required).
• Participate in regular team meetings, weekly or every two weeks on average, in person in Tilburg (remote attendance possible on occasion).
• Contribute to the development of research questions and study design through feedback on proposed ideas and designs.
• Assist in recruiting participants through, e.g., distributing recruitment materials and helping contact potential participants through community organizations and refugee networks.
• Assist in data collection by serving as a co-moderator/co-interviewer for focus groups/interviews alongside the lead researcher, including providing translation as needed.
• Assist in analyzing data collected from focus groups or interviews through reading transcripts and participating in team meetings to provide input on analysis.
• Contribute to communicating research findings to the public through feedback on the planning of, and/or participation in, community events or stakeholder meetings.
• Assist in communication with participants (i.e., translation) throughout the research process, including during recruitment, scheduling, and data collection.

Our offer

Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment:

• Employment of 0.1 fte (4 hours per week).
• The research assistant position will be ranked in the Dutch university job ranking system (UFO) as a research assistant 1.
• Salary of €314.70 gross per month for this 0,1 fte employment (UFO-profile Research Assistant 1, salary scale 5). Tilburg University uses a neutral remuneration system based on relevant work experience.
• This is a vacancy whose work is temporarily funded on the basis of temporary external funding or co-financing, in accordance with Article 2.3 paragraph 5 sub a CLA DU, namely NWO XS Grant “Participatory Approach to Digital Inclusion for Refugees in The Netherlands”. You will be given a temporary contract for the duration of 9 months.
• Vacation pay of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.
• Over 8 weeks of vacation leave.
• Reimbursement sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, and public transport.
• Options model for additional leave, pension, a bicycle or personal training.
• Pension through ABP.
• Inclusive work culture: everyone welcome, equal opportunities.
• A green, inviting campus that’s easily accessible by public transport.

The selection of positions is made by Will Marler, assistant professor, Department of Communication and Cognition.

You will ideally start working for Tilburg University on Nov 2.