Key Skills

Job Description

We are looking for recently graduated MSc-students with a background in rehabilitation medicine, human movement sciences, psychology, biomedical engineering, or related topics with a passion for science. You must be enthusiastic, ambitious, curious, and intrinsically driven to obtain a PhD. The research in our group is highly interdisciplinary and international. Excellent English writing and presentation skills are a must. Our research involves co-design approaches, qualitative and quantitative methods and analyses, kinematic measures, and in the consortium people with different skills collaborate on projects. Hence, you must be a teamplayer and have good communicative skills. PhD1 – Dept of Rehabilitation Medicine, UMCG, primary supervisor Prof. Dr. C.K. van der Sluis This project aims at identifying patient-defined indicators of high- and low-value care. Using interviews, focus groups, patient journey mapping, and participatory diaries, the goal is to generate cross-country qualitative evidence base capturing what people with limb loss define as valuable, meaningful, high- & low-value care. Contribute to providing quantified evidence of what they prioritise (eg. device characteristics, autonomy, & participation). Co-design high-value rehabilitation priorities and pathway improvements with patients, families, clinicians, prosthetists, & community organisations. Establish practical, user-centred recommendations tailored to diverse welfare & health-system contexts. Preferred skills (but not critical): qualitative research techniques (interviews, focus groups, discrete choice experiments), quantitative research skills (questionnaires), experience with co-design and upper limb prosthetics. This PhD project is planned to start at 1-1-2027 and will be finished at 31-12-2029 (duration 3yrs). PhD2 – Dept of Human Movement Sciences, UMCG, primary supervisor Dr. R.M. Bongers This project has as its main goals to 1) develop monitoring tools to quantify real-world upper-limb prosthesis use and physical activity for both prosthesis wearers and non-wearers, and 2) create a novel clinical functional assessment tool for upper-limb prosthesis use, with emphasis on compensatory movements and quality of performance. Employ user co-design methods and link usage and functional data to clinical outcomes. Generate indicators of high- and low-value care and contribute to integrate these indicators to a dashbord for making decisions on care trajectories for users, clinical professionals and policymakers. Preferred skills (but not critical): 3D movement analysis, working with wearables/IMUs, knowledge on performance measures in ADL activities, complexity measures, experience with co-design and/or upper-limb prosthetics. This PhD project is planned to start at 1-1-2027 and will be finished at 31-12-2030 (duration 4yrs). To apply for these positions submit an application letter and a CV to [email protected] and [email protected]. Indicate clearly in you letter for which of the two positions you apply. Deadline: 6 November 2026. Interviews will be scheduled on Wednesday 11 November from 8.00-11.00hr, so please keep these times free when you apply. In case you apply from abroad, we will organise an online meeting. We also plan a written assignment in the week after the interviews. Additional information: You will get a temporary contract (36 hours a week) for 3 years (PhD1) and 4 years (PhD2). Your salary will be a minimum of € 3.217.- gross per month in the first year and a maximum of € 4.077.- gross per month (scale PRO) in the 4th year, based on a full-time appointment. Additionally, the UMCG offers an 8% holiday allowance, an 8.3% year-end bonus. The conditions of employment comply with the Collective Labour Agreement for Medical Centres (CAO-UMC). The UMCG has a preventive Hepatitis B policy and can provide you with the vaccination, should it be required for your position.

Core Responsibilities

Conduct interdisciplinary research to identify patient-defined indicators of high- and low-value rehabilitation care, and co-design recommendations and care pathway improvements with patients and stakeholders. Develop tools to monitor real-world prosthesis use and physical activity, create a functional assessment tool, and connect findings to clinical outcomes and care decision-making.

Requirements

Applicants should be recent MSc graduates in rehabilitation medicine, human movement sciences, psychology, biomedical engineering, or a related field, with a strong interest in pursuing a PhD. They should be curious, ambitious, self-motivated, collaborative, and have excellent English writing and presentation skills; experience in the listed research methods and prosthetics topics is preferred but not essential.

Benefits

• 8% Holiday Allowance
• 8.3% Year-End Bonus
• Hepatitis B Vaccination If Required