Health apps and other person-centred digital health technologies are increasingly central to sustainable health systems, improved care, and public health. Yet their benefits are not equally accessible: people who use health apps tend to be younger, more highly educated, more affluent, and more digitally literate. How can we verify the efficacy, quality, and safety of health apps—and ensure that users can make informed choices regardless of their background or level of digital health literacy?
The Horizon Europe project Label2Enable (2022–2024), involving several ASCoR colleagues, developed a standardized quality assessment framework and user-friendly quality label for health apps. The label provides accessible information on key dimensions of app quality, including the veracity of health benefit claims, safety, ease of use, data security, and software quality. Label2Scale builds on this work, with the aim of supporting the equitable uptake and effective use of the label across diverse user groups.
You will contribute to the broader research programme by designing and conducting an eye-tracking experiment investigating how the design, placement, size, timing, and visual presentation of quality labels in an app-store environment shape users’ attention and understanding, with a particular focus on people with low levels of (digital) health literacy. You will also liaise with stakeholders across the international consortium and disseminate findings transparently to both academic and practitioner audiences, in line with the open science principles of the Label2Scale project.
Tasks:
The ideal candidate has strong quantitative and experimental research skills and an interest in digital health, (digital) health literacy, and equity. Experience with eye-tracking, user-centred design, and/or health-app evaluation is an advantage. The candidate should be able to work independently while collaborating effectively in an international, interdisciplinary consortium, and should have excellent English communication skills and a strong commitment to open science. Candidates who hold either a (research) master’s or PhD degree may apply.
The position concerns temporary assignment of 19 hours per week for a maximum term of one year starting January 1st 2027 as part of or in addition to your current employment contract. The assignment may be combined with another postdoctoral project or with teaching duties (current position as Researcher or Teacher). In consultation with the project team, it may also be possible to complete the project in a shorter timeframe by working more hours per week.
The project will be supervised by Dr. Christin Scholz and Dr. Annemiek Linn. You will be part of the program group Persuasive Communication the Amsterdam Center for Health Communication/ACHC, and the greater Label2Scale consortium.
Are you interested in gaining research experience while contributing to safer and more equitable use of digital health technology? We are seeking a junior or postdoctoral researcher to support Label2Scale, a European Commission-funded project focused on enabling safe and equitable access to health apps, including through standardized quality labels displayed in app stores. The position offers the opportunity to conduct research with direct practical relevance, collaborate across countries and disciplines, and contribute to the responsible development and use of digital health technologies.
Health apps and other person-centred digital health technologies are increasingly central to sustainable health systems, improved care, and public health. Yet their benefits are not equally accessible: people who use health apps tend to be younger, more highly educated, more affluent, and more digitally literate. How can we verify the efficacy, quality, and safety of health apps—and ensure that users can make informed choices regardless of their background or level of digital health literacy?
The Horizon Europe project Label2Enable (2022–2024), involving several ASCoR colleagues, developed a standardized quality assessment framework and user-friendly quality label for health apps. The label provides accessible information on key dimensions of app quality, including the veracity of health benefit claims, safety, ease of use, data security, and software quality. Label2Scale builds on this work, with the aim of supporting the equitable uptake and effective use of the label across diverse user groups.
You will contribute to the broader research programme by designing and conducting an eye-tracking experiment investigating how the design, placement, size, timing, and visual presentation of quality labels in an app-store environment shape users’ attention and understanding, with a particular focus on people with low levels of (digital) health literacy. You will also liaise with stakeholders across the international consortium and disseminate findings transparently to both academic and practitioner audiences, in line with the open science principles of the Label2Scale project.
Tasks:
The ideal candidate has strong quantitative and experimental research skills and an interest in digital health, (digital) health literacy, and equity. Experience with eye-tracking, user-centred design, and/or health-app evaluation is an advantage. The candidate should be able to work independently while collaborating effectively in an international, interdisciplinary consortium, and should have excellent English communication skills and a strong commitment to open science. Candidates who hold either a (research) master’s or PhD degree may apply.
The position concerns temporary assignment of 19 hours per week for a maximum term of one year starting January 1st 2027 as part of or in addition to your current employment contract. The assignment may be combined with another postdoctoral project or with teaching duties (current position as Researcher or Teacher). In consultation with the project team, it may also be possible to complete the project in a shorter timeframe by working more hours per week.
The project will be supervised by Dr. Christin Scholz and Dr. Annemiek Linn. You will be part of the program group Persuasive Communication the Amsterdam Center for Health Communication/ACHC, and the greater Label2Scale consortium.
Do you recognize yourself in the job profile? Then we look forward to receiving your application (including motivation letter and CV) by October 15 2026. Questions about the project content can be addressed to dr. Christin Scholz ([email protected]), or dr. Annemiek Linn ([email protected]).
Job details are sourced from the employer's original posting.
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