PhD position at Research[x]Design – Making room for autism at work

Finding and keeping a job is challenging when you are on the autism spectrum: daily work routines and interpersonal communication result in misalignment between yourself and the workplace. How the built work environment affects this misalignment is rarely considered.

For the project ‘Making room for autism at work’ we are looking for a full-time PhD researcher to help us understand what role the built environment plays in how employees on the spectrum experience and manage work conditions:

What are differences and similarities in how autistic and comparison employees experience the built work environment? How do different spatial aspects (e.g., indoor environment and its sensory qualities, spatial layout, location) support or hinder autistic employees’ work activities and social interactions? And how do they deal with environmental (dis)comfort and (un)supportive spatial aspects?

Insights gained will be particularly valuable for organizations and architects/designers, while contributing methodologically to future research on autism and workplace design.

The PhD research will be part of the ‘Space for Healthy Organizations’ research program, with Ann Heylighen and Andrea Jelić as supervisors.

Apply by August 10 and join us in the Porter’s Lodge of the Arenbergcastle, built work environment of Research[x]Design. We explicitly encourage neurodivergent candidates to apply and we are open to discussing any barriers or needs.