The Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA) of Maastricht University’s School of Business and Economics (SBE) is seeking to appoint one PhD candidate on the topic of Positive Health at Work. The concept of Positive Health approaches health as the ability of people to adapt and self-manage when faced with the social, physical, and emotional challenges of life, and is elaborated in six dimensions. The question currently posed by governments, employers, insurance companies, and other stakeholders is whether and how Positive Health could be used in the workplace to increase the ability of employees to adapt and self-manage. To what extent can Positive Health help people to fulfil their potential on the labour market?

In this project, the PhD candidate will contribute to answering these questions by working towards two related aims. First, you will conduct empirical research to examine how Positive Health is linked to work-related outcomes, such as participation on the labour market, job satisfaction, sustainable employability, and lifelong learning. This can be done both by using existing large-scale data on health and work and by collecting and analysing new data in work organizations. Second, you will contribute to the further development of the conceptualization and measurement of Positive Health. For this, you will build on existing theoretical and empirical work on capabilities, resilience, and psychological capital. Within these two main strands of work, there is room to develop specific research questions and methodological approaches that suit your interests and expertise.

To achieve these aims, you will work together with a broad range of stakeholders from practice, policy and science. Within ROA, you will be part of the Health, Skills, and Inequality research line, which conducts innovative interdisciplinary research on the connections between health, education and learning, and the future of work. You will have access and contribute to ROA and SBE’s international network of renowned scholars, and you will also be part of the Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE) that coordinates SBE’s PhD program. As a PhD candidate, you will also be involved in teaching activities (e.g., teaching of tutor group meetings, MSc thesis supervision) at Maastricht University.

Candidates will be selected on the basis of the requirements outlined below. To be considered, candidates should make sure that their application demonstrates how they meet these requirements:

• You have an MSc degree in health sciences, sociology, psychology, organization sciences, economics, epidemiology, or other relevant fields, or you expect to graduate soon.
• You have excellent quantitative data analysis skills, and you have knowledge of statistical software (e.g., Stata, R).
• Preferably, you also have qualitative data collection and analysis skills, and/or willingness to further develop these skills.
• You have affinity with working in an interdisciplinary and international environment.
• You have excellent organizational, verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years (with binding evaluation after 1.5 years).

The intended start date of the appointment is 1 September 2023.

Remuneration will be according to standard salary levels for PhD students starting with a salary of € 2,541 with annual growth to € 3,247 gross a month (based on a full-time appointment). Each year the standard salary is supplemented with a holiday allowance of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3% of the yearly gross income.

You have to be willing to move to (the vicinity of) Maastricht. If you do not already live in Maastricht (or its direct surroundings), you will be eligible for an allowance for moving costs and a relocation reimbursement. You have to be willing to participate in the PhD programme of the Graduate School of Business and Economics.

The terms of employment of Maastricht University are set out in the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO). Furthermore, local UM provisions also apply. For more information look at the website www.maastrichtuniversity.nl > About UM > Working at UM.

Maastricht University

Maastricht University is renowned for its unique, innovative, problem-based learning system, which is characterized by a small-scale and student-oriented approach. Research at UM is characterized by a multidisciplinary and thematic approach, and is concentrated in research institutes and schools. Maastricht University has around 22,000 students and about 5,000 employees. Reflecting the university's strong international profile, a fair amount of both students and staff are from abroad. The university hosts 6 faculties: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Faculty of Law, School of Business and Economics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience.
For more information, visit www.maastrichtuniversity.nl.

Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA)

The Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA) is a research institute of the Maastricht University School of Business and Economics, established in 1986. The overarching research theme of ROA relates to the changing demand for skills, the acquisition of skills over the life course and the utilization of skills. This focus is elaborated upon in ROA’s Research and Policy Plan.

ROA’s mission is to conduct high quality research that has a strong societal impact. Building on a strong position in academia, ROA aims to inform and inspire policymakers and academics, and thereby to contribute to both scientific research and public and organizations’ skills policies. ROA’s research programme is organised in four themes:

1. Education and Transition to Work
2. Health, Skills, and Inequality
3. Labour Market and Training
4. Human Capital in the Region

The first two themes focus on education and skills as point of departure and study the drivers and outcomes at the individual, organizational and societal level. The last two programs study the developments in skill supply and demand on the labor market and the interactions between the two at the national and regional level. ROA is also the home base for Education Lab Netherlands, a research network working to improve education by ensuring that educational policy and practice is informed by scientific evidence (for more information, see https://education-lab.nl).

ROA’s research activities are being carried out and supported by a dedicated scientific and support staff, consisting of about 70 employees. ROA collaborates with other departments at Maastricht University in multiple projects, both within the School of Business and Economics, and within other faculties (e.g., the Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences). For more information, visit www.roa.nl.