Key Skills

Job Description

Be part of a major European initiative to make safe, trustworthy health apps accessible to everyone. As part of Label2Scale, the University of Amsterdam is seeking a junior researcher or postdoctoral researcher to help address one of digital health’s central challenges: ensuring that health-app quality information supports informed choices rather than widening existing inequalities. Working at the UvA Join us! Health apps and other person-centered digital health technologies have the potential to improve healthcare and public health. Yet, their benefits are not distributed equally. People who use health apps tend to be younger, more highly educated, more affluent, and more digitally literate. At the same time, healthcare professionals may be more likely to recommend apps to people with a higher socioeconomic position. This is a concern because people with lower health literacy often depend strongly on professional guidance when making decisions about digital health technologies. Many healthcare professionals, however, report that they lack the knowledge, confidence, or practical tools to determine whether a health app is appropriate for a particular individual. This may reinforce existing inequalities in access to safe, effective, and suitable digital health support. A good salary Your salary will be determined on the basis of your experience and seniority, in accordance with the Labour agreement. Your grading and therefore the amounts mentioned are based on full employment of 38 hours per week. 232 vacation hours We also offer parental leave, partner leave and social engagement leave. Through the Employment Conditions Menu Card, there are opportunities for even more vacation hours. Financial arrangements On top of your salary, you receive holiday allowance (8%) and a year-end bonus (8.3%). You build up a good pension with ABP. And in addition, we offer many other allowances and schemes. Career development and room for growth The UvA encourages you to continue to professionalise through training courses and open UvA lectures. Family matters Relocating to the Netherlands with your family? Find out about daycare, schooling, health insurance or employment options and support for your partner or spouse. Including the IDCN-network which provides support for your spouse through various training sessions, social activities, and networking events. All About This Vacancy Your tasks You will contribute to the development and evaluation of a digital decision-support tool that enables healthcare professionals to assess, within the time constraints of a consultation, whether a labelled health app is suitable for an individual patient or user. The tool will be developed in close collaboration with European partners who contribute complementary expertise in health equity and public health, healthcare-professional competences, and patient perspectives. Tasks: Co-develop and conduct empirical research to evaluate the decision-support tool (in terms of feasibility, usability, acceptability, and potential value in clinical practice) as described in the vacancy text in collaboration with the project supervisers and members of the broader consortium. Analyse and translate research findings into recommendations for implementation, healthcare-professional training, and the further development of the tool Collaborating and communicating with interdisciplinary consortium partners and disseminating findings through scientific publications, project deliverables, and practice-oriented outputs, in line with open-science principles. present your work at (inter)national conferences; What You Have To Offer The ideal candidate has strong quantitative and qualitative research skills and an interest in digital health, (digital) health literacy, and equity. Experience with user-centred design 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. What Do We Offer You 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. Your place at the UvA You will work in this team 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. About The Faculty Of Social And Behavioural Sciences The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG) is the largest educational and research institution in the field of social and behavioural sciences in Europe. Here, we explore societal and human-centered issues, driven by scientific curiosity but also with an eye for current themes. For example, the impact of media and communication on individuals and society, healthcare challenges, global urbanization, human development, the role of political institutions, understanding the human mind, growing inequality, diversity issues, and changing social relationships. In Europe and beyond, the FMG holds a leading position, thanks in part to its more than 1,300 staff members who contribute to education and research. Will you be one of them? Important to know Your application & contact 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]). Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion As an employer, the UvA maintains an equal opportunities policy. We value diversity and are fully committed to being a place where everyone feels at home. We nurture inquisitive minds and perseverance and allow room for persistent questioning. With us, curiosity and creativity are the prevailing culture. Studies show that women and members of underrepresented groups only apply for jobs if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Do you meet the educational requirements but not yet all of the requested experience? The UvA encourages you to apply anyway.

Core Responsibilities

Co-develop and empirically evaluate a digital decision-support tool that helps healthcare professionals assess whether labelled health apps are suitable for individual patients. Analyze findings and develop recommendations for implementation, professional training, and tool development, while collaborating with consortium partners and sharing results through publications, project outputs, and conferences.

Requirements

Applicants must hold either a research master's degree or a PhD and have strong quantitative and qualitative research skills, with an interest in digital health, health literacy, and equity. The role also calls for independent work, effective collaboration in an international interdisciplinary consortium, excellent English communication, and commitment to open science; user-centred design experience is an advantage.

Benefits

• Holiday Allowance
• Year-End Bonus
• Pension
• Vacation Leave
• Parental Leave
• Partner Leave
• Social Engagement Leave
• Professional Development and Training
• Relocation Support