How to support employees to promote health and employability in changing work-environments? Can self-management tools contribute to effectively managing musculoskeletal complaints and mental health problems of workers? How can these tools be tailored to the needs of employees in different sectors, like healthcare, construction, and telework or ICT-based mobile work? If you get excited about these questions, we are looking for you: an ambitious PhD candidate to join our multidisciplinary team!

Recent years have seen rapid changes in the workplace arising from the digital and green transitions (‘twin transition’), as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. New forms of work and work management have arisen, which can affect the physical and mental health of workers in new ways (both positive and negative) that are not yet well understood. Many workers face physical or mental problems, such as musculoskeletal disorders or depression. The PROSPERH project aims to promote mental and physical health of workers in a changing work environment, by developing and implementing evidence-based self-management interventions for workers with musculoskeletal disorders and/or depression in the health care sector, the construction sector, and telework or ICT-based mobile work.

As a PhD candidate you will perform a systematic review to gather evidence about self-monitoring and self-management tools for workers with musculoskeletal disorders and/or depression at the workplace. In addition, you will conduct stakeholder consultations to better understand the challenges and possibilities for implementing a self-management tool at the workplace. These stakeholder consultations will address the needs of employees and employers in telework or ICT-based mobile work (TICTM), healthcare and construction. You will be involved in the development of an evidence-based self-management tool, which will be made available through the online PROSPERH portal. The effectiveness of the PROSPERH intervention will be assessed in a multi-country clustered randomized controlled trial in 11 countries. Your involvement will predominantly be in the implementation and evaluation of the PROSPERH intervention in the healthcare sector in the Netherlands, in close collaboration with the other countries. This project will allow you to gain experience with a broad range of quantitative and qualitative research methods.

The project is embedded within the European PROSPERH consortium, a large European Union funded Horizon project. This enables you to collaborate with researchers from Ireland, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Albania, Hungary, Kosovo, Turkey, and Australia, with expertise in health sciences, epidemiology, occupational health, psychology and psychiatry.

Key skills that the candidate will be developing and working with are quantitative and qualitative analysis, including systematic reviews, quantitative data-analyses, interviews, and scientific communication (oral and written). The department highly supports candidates who want to further develop their skills in multidisciplinary collaboration, goal-oriented working, independence, and engagement.

Your qualifications:

• You are a (research) MSc graduate in Health Sciences, Psychology, Epidemiology, Public Health, Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, or other related fields.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in Dutch and English. For this position your ommand of the Dutch and English language is expected to be at C1 level.
• A strong drive to conduct scientific research in a multidisciplinary team and enthusiastic about performing research in work settings.
• As a PhD, you are asked to complete the Master of Science program at Netherlands institute for Health Science (NIHES) during your appointment time.

• You will receive a temporary position for 4 years.
• The gross monthly salary is € 2.901,- in the 1st year and gradually increases to € 3.677,- in the 4th year (scale OIO).
• Excellent fringe benefits, such as a 13th month that is already paid out in November and a individual travel expense package.
• An International Office which aids you in preparing for you arrival and stay.
• Pension insurance with ABP. We take care of approximately 2/3 of the monthly contribution.
• Special benefits, such as a incompany physiotherapist and bicycle repairer. And there is also a gym where you can work on your fitness after work.

Erasmus MC

A healthy population and excellence in healthcare through research and education. This is what Erasmus MC stands for. Conducting groundbreaking work. Pushing boundaries and leading the way. In research, education, and healthcare. We are practical people with a high level of expertise, working hard to improve and renew the healthcare of today and the public health of tomorrow.

You will become a part of the research team at the department of Public Health, where we are dedicated to improve population health at local, national and international level through excellent research and education. Our research is characterized as highly multidisciplinary and is focused on the development and use of innovative methods. Collaboration with and direct impact on practice and policy are at the heart of our work.

Your specific research group, Occupational Health, is committed to contribute to an inclusive and sustainable labour market. Employment is an important determinant of health. We strive to improve sustainable employability, among all social groups and promote life-long working in good health.