PhD student in research on Health Inequalities

Department The Department of Epidemiology
Work location Groningen/Copenhagen
Apply no later than 25 August 2021
Working environment

The project broadly deals with health inequalities within and across socio-economic groups. While inequalities between groups are increasingly well understood, differences within groups remain elusive. The project takes a rigorous empirical approach focusing on the application of state-of-the-art econometric methods to understand said inequalities. Data are drawn from administrative sources (e.g., Statistics Denmark) as well as from cohort datasets (e.g., Lifelines) and range from socioeconomic indicators to genetic markers. Within this general theme of the project, students have freedom to develop their own research lines.

The project is supervised by Professors Gerard van den Berg (Department of Epidemiology of the UMCG and Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB)) and Jochen Mierau (FEB), who are both also affiliated to the Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health (AJSPH). Students can participate in the PhD-student activities of the UMCG, FEB as well as AJSPH. As such they are embedded in a strongly multi-disciplinary network of PhD-students.

Job description

The Department of Epidemiology of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), together with the Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health, is seeking a PhD student (bursary) for a three-year position. This position is embedded in the strategic collaboration with the University of Copenhagen; the latter having created a similar PhD position. While the currently advertised position is located in Groningen, students are encouraged and expected to spend part of their time in Copenhagen (for which financial support is available to compensate for the difference in the cost of living). Ultimately, a so-called double degree may be obtained based on a single thesis, that is, a PhD from the University of Groningen as well as the University of Copenhagen.

What do we need

We are looking for talented, enthusiastic candidates. The PhD training trajectory will focus on methodological challenges such as the analysis of trajectories across the life course and the linkage of cohort data with registries. A solid background is expected in quantitative analysis of (health-related) data and the ambition to conduct high-quality research.

What do we offer

Your research will be accommodated by the UMCG and you will be located primarily at the Department of Epidemiology. We will strongly stimulate you to develop a rigorous PhD proposal. All research and training facilities of the Graduate School of Medical Sciences GSMS and its counterpart at FEB are at your disposition.

You will receive a bursary of € 2.249,- gross per month, this leads to a payout of € 1.954,- a month.

More information
For more information about this vacancy please contact:

• Professor Gerard van den Berg, e-mail address: [email protected]

How to apply
If you want to apply for this bursary PhD position in Health Inequalities then please submit a motivation and resume plus a plan of what you would like to study. That plan should indicate novelty and feasibility of the proposed study. It should contain at most 1000 words. Candidates preparing a plan can contact us in advance for further information.

Please use the the digital application form at the bottom of this page - only these will be processed. You can apply until 25 August 2021.
Within half an hour after sending the digital application form you will receive an email- confirmation with further information.