PhD Stipend in Human-Computer Interaction Principles for Messaging Interoperability

The Department of Computer Science at Aalborg University has a fully funded PhD position available within the Computer Science study programme. The PhD position is for a period of three years and is located on our Copenhagen campus. The candidate will be working with human-computer interaction principles for promoting effective management of privacy in interoperable text messaging platforms. The expected starting date is 1 September 2025, but a later or earlier date can be negotiated.

The Department of Computer Science features a broad range of synergistic activities within research and education in the general area of computer science, including curiosity-driven research and targeted research in collaboration with industrial partners, as well as traditional university education, with a unique problem- and project-based focus, and continued education and knowledge dissemination.

The PhD position is supported by the project  mInt:  Human-centered design principles for effective management of social boundaries in interoperable text messaging platforms,  funded by a DFF Inge Lehmann grant.

What is messaging interoperability? Messaging interoperability enables conversations between contacts that use different messaging platforms. Recent developments in policy are expected to soon enable interoperability on mainstream platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger for users in the European Union. At the same time, there are open source platforms that already support messaging interoperability for millions of users globally, such as  Matrix.org.

Why is messaging interoperability important? Allowing users to communicate across different messaging platforms is crucial for enhancing user freedom of choice and fostering innovation. Today, users of mainstream messaging platforms can only contact other users of the same platform. If someone wants to try a new, innovative messaging app, they need to convince their contacts to move as well, which takes significant effort and often fails. Thanks to the  Digital Markets Act (DMA), an EU regulation that promotes fair competition in digital markets,  mainstream messaging apps are building interoperability protocols to let their users chat with users of other apps. While this development brings users more freedom to choose apps based on functionality rather than reachable contacts, it may also bring new challenges for controlling where to communicate with whom and manage different privacy preferences for different social circles. Moreover, if the set of functionality available in cross-platform chats differs from the functionality available in same-platform chats, users may struggle (even more) to understand what privacy policies and guarantees apply in each case.

This PhD project aims to support users in managing privacy and social boundaries across interoperable platforms by:

• Conducting user studies to identify new privacy concerns and practices
• Designing and programming interoperable messaging clients with innovative user interfaces
• Evaluating functional prototypes in real-world contexts
• Defining human-centered design principles for interoperable messaging that inform future innovations and policy

Applicants must have a Master’s degree in computer science, human-computer interaction, or a closely related field. Due to the project's focus, applicants must have a strong background in at least one of the following areas:

• Software development
• Human-computer interaction / interaction design
• Online privacy

Additional knowledge, experience, or demonstrated interest within the following areas are appreciated: qualitative/quantitative user research methods, messaging protocols. Excellent spoken and written communication skills in English are expected.

Research Environment and Team
The candidate will be part of the  Human-Centered Computing (HCC) research group at AAU's Department of Computer Science in Copenhagen. The mInt project is led by  Assistant Professor Carla F. Griggio, an expert on messaging platforms, who will supervise the PhD student together with  Professor Niels van Berkel. The team also includes external collaborators with expertise on privacy, design, and tech policy.

The HCC research group is distributed across the Aalborg and Copenhagen campuses and provides a highly supportive research environment with skilled and friendly colleagues who conduct research within Human-Computer Interaction and Information Systems. On the Copenhagen campus, the research environment offers close, daily interactions with faculty and students spanning diverse areas of Computer Science, promoting interdisciplinary collaborations.

Application
The application must contain:

1. A cover letter of max. 1 page, including (i)  motivation for applying, (ii)  preferred starting date  (specifically if other than the project’s starting date of 1 September 2025), and (iii)  a brief explanation of the applicant’s background and suitability for the project.
2. A research statement (project description) broadly within the frame of  “Human-Centered Messaging Interoperability” or  “Usable Privacy for Messaging Interoperability” of max. 2 pages  (excl. references). This statement should outline the applicant’s thoughts and ideas on possible research directions within the context of the topic outlined above.
3. CV
4. Diploma and transcripts of records
5. Other relevant information

Interested applicants are welcome to contact Assistant Professor Carla F. Griggio  (cfg@cs.aau.dk) regarding the scientific aspects of the position.

All applications will be run through LLM/AI detectors. Applications that are judged to contain a significant amount of LLM-generated content will not be considered.

Assessment
The assessment of candidates for the position will be carried out by qualified experts.

Shortlisting will be applied. This means that after the application deadline, the head of the department, with the assistance of the hiring committee, will select the applicants to be assessed. All applicants will be informed whether they have been shortlisted for assessment or not.

When the hiring process is completed, a final rejection will be sent to the applicants who are not considered for the position.

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace.

Further information
For further information about stipends and salary as well as practical issues concerning the application procedure, please contact Ms. Annemarie Davidsen, the Doctoral School at the Technical Faculty of IT and Design, email:  ada@adm.aau.dk.

For more information of the Technical Doctoral School of IT and Design:  www.phd.tech.aau.dk.

AAU wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background or belief.

Salary and terms of employment
The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (in Danish). 

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (in Danish).