"PhD Candidate 'Population Screening for People with Intellectual Disabilities'"

Job Summary

Within the Department of Primary Care at Radboudumc, the research group Medicine for People with Intellectual Disabilities (GMVB) collaborates with six disability care organizations in the academic workplace Sterker op eigen benen. A subsidy has been obtained for a project aimed at improving support and guidance for people with intellectual disabilities in cancer population screenings. This project builds on a previous PhD project on this topic.

Previous research showed that people with intellectual disabilities participate less in population screenings and have worse outcomes when cancer is detected. Decisions about participation are often made with family or caregivers, who lack the necessary information and support to make informed choices.

The project aims to address this by: Developing and testing a training module on population screening for the network of people with intellectual disabilities; Designing and implementing a decision aid, such as a paper-based 'discussion board' or an interactive online tool; Monitoring participation and outcomes using existing population data.

This project aligns with guidelines on population screening for people with intellectual disabilities being developed by the Dutch Association for Physicians for Intellectually Disabled (NVAVG).

Responsibilities

• As a PhD candidate, you are responsible for executing this practice-oriented research project in close collaboration with people with intellectual disabilities, care professionals, researchers, and national stakeholders such as RIVM, NVAVG, and CBS.
• Work on a PhD trajectory leading to a dissertation.
• Activities include: Designing and executing research such as developing and testing the training module; Developing the decision aid (e.g., inventorying preferences and needs, designing the tool, which may be outsourced); Collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data; Writing and publishing scientific articles; Involving and collaborating with co-researchers with intellectual disabilities; Actively participating in meetings with project partners and the sounding board group; Presenting research results at national and international conferences and meetings; Representing the Academic Workplace in relevant networks.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Strong interest in public health, information provision, and medical decision-making.
• Affinity with people with intellectual disabilities and/or vulnerable populations is a plus.
• Relevant research master's degree, for example, in health sciences, social or behavioral sciences (e.g., communication science or social psychology), or medicine.
• Familiarity with qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Experience with qualitative and/or quantitative research is a plus.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in both Dutch and English.
• Independence, organizational skills, and a proactive attitude.
• Enthusiasm to collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including people with disabilities as co-researchers.

What the Employer Offers

• Fixed-term contract for the duration of the project: 4 years.
• Salary scale depending on education: For a medical doctor, scale 10 starting at €3,598 full-time; For other fields, scale 10A starting at €3,108 full-time. Additionally, 8% vacation pay, 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and if applicable, 47% to 72% irregular hours allowance.
• 176 vacation hours per year based on a 36-hour workweek.
• Opportunities for development, with a focus on the best care, education, and research at Radboudumc.