Are you an aspiring researcher in the field of machine learning and/or statistics? And would you like to contribute to reducing cognitive decline for older adults? As a PhD Candidate, you will be part of  the interdisciplinary NWO-funded project MOCIA that wants to realise maintaining a healthy brain for longer. You will combine machine learning and statistics to design tools to quantify risk of cognitive decline.

The Institute for Computing and Information Sciences (iCIS) at Radboud University is looking for a PhD candidate with a strong background in machine learning and/or statistics, to develop and analyse machine learning and statistical techniques and apply them for identifying non-invasive markers for cognitive decline and multi-domain lifestyle intervention response, within the crossover research project `Maintaining Optimal Cognitive function In Ageing' (MOCIA), funded by NWO, and coordinated by Radboud University. MOCIA focuses on identifying increased risk of cognitive decline and improving prevention by the development of a personalised lifestyle approach. MOCIA will design a predictive, preventive, personalised and participatory multi-domain lifestyle intervention for older adults at risk of cognitive decline. The programme brings together various disciplines such as nutrition, lifestyle, behavioural science, clinical research, epidemiology, mathematics, biology, industrial design and technology to help realise maintaining a healthy brain, a combination of good long and short-term memory, increased concentration and greater flexibility. MOCIA involves a public-private partnership with members from eight knowledge institutes and eight co-financing parties.

In addition to Radboud University, the project participants are the Radboud university medical center, Wageningen University & Research, University of Twente, Maastricht University, Amsterdam UMC, UMC Groningen and HAN University of Applied Sciences. The co-financing parties are Danone Nutricia Research, IMEC (OnePlanet Research Centre), DSM Nutritional Products, Salut (a VGZ spin-out), Hersenstichting, Reckitt Benckiser/Mead Johnson Nutrition, Alzheimer Nederland and Wageningen Food and Biobased Research. The project has a total budget of 9.17 million euro, of which 6.25 million euro is financed by the Dutch Research Council. The data science group at iCIS is involved as leader of the work package `Non-invasive markers for cognitive decline and intervention response'. The main objective of this work package is to identify non-invasive modifiable risk and protective factors and to design scoring tools to quantify risk of cognitive decline.

We are looking for a candidate who is excited to perform collaborative research within such a large, multidisciplinary consortium and who, at the same time, is eager to unravel advantages (and drawbacks) of combining machine learning and statistics techniques. In particular, you will investigate the integration of mixed models and modern machine learning techniques such as deep learning. You will apply these algorithms to unravel individual differences in cognitive decline and intervention response. You will combine non-invasive modifiable risk and protective factors in reliable scoring tools through the resulting predictive models to quantify risk of cognitive decline on a personal level and to analyse the effect on an intervention in relatively short periods. You will use the developed scoring tools to identify multi-modal non-invasive markers.

You will have a teaching load of up to 10%.

• You have a Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Mathematics or another relevant discipline.
• You have good programming skills in Python, R or similar computer languages.
• You have affinity with machine learning and statistics.
• You have a good command of spoken and written English.

Fixed-term contract: 18 months.

• Employment for 1.0 FTE.
• The gross monthly salary amounts to €2,434 based on a 38-hour working week, and will increase to €3,111 in the fourth year (salary scale P).
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• You will be employed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4 year contract).
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment  and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 29 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.

Additional employment conditions Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

You will be appointed at the Data Science section of the Institute for Computing and Information Sciences. During recent evaluations, ICIS has been consistently ranked as the No. 1 Computing Science department in the Netherlands. Evaluation committees praised our flat and open organisational structure, our ability to attract external funding, our strong ties to other disciplines, and our strong contacts with government and industrial partners. The Data Science group is well known for its research in machine learning, and is part of a unit of the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS). 
Strategically located in Europe, Radboud University is one of the leading academic communities in the Netherlands. Radboud University is an equal opportunity employer, committed to building a culturally diverse intellectual community, and as such encourages applications from women and minorities. The university offers customised facilities to better align work and private life. Parents are entitled to partly paid parental leave and Radboud University employees enjoy flexibility in the way they structure their work. The university highly values the career development of its staff, which is facilitated by a variety of programmes. 
Radboud University
We want to get the best out of science, others and ourselves. Why? Because this is what the world around us desperately needs. Leading research and education make an indispensable contribution to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This is what unites the more than 24,000 students and 5,600 employees at Radboud University. And this requires even more talent, collaboration and lifelong learning. You have a part to play!