PhDs Data-Driven Insights into Healthcare Quality and Affordability (2.0 FTE)

Since its foundation in 1614, the University of Groningen has enjoyed an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative center of higher education offering high-quality teaching and research. Belonging to the best research universities of Europe and joining forces with prestigious partner universities and networks, the University of Groningen is truly an international place of knowledge.

Faculty of Economics and Business
The Faculty of Economics and Business offers an inspiring study and working environment for students and employees. International accreditation enables the Faculty to assess performance against the highest international standards. It also creates an exciting environment of continuous improvement. FEB’s programmes, academic staff and research perform well on various excellence ranking lists.
FEBRI, the graduate school and research institute of the Faculty of Economics and Business, has two PhD positions available in the area of Data-Driven Insights into Healthcare Quality and Affordability.

The two PhD projects are part of a larger project financed by the Stichting Kwaliteitsgelden Medisch Specialisten (SKMS, Foundation for Quality Funds for Medical Specialists) with Zorgverzekeraars Nederland (ZN: Health Insurers Netherlands) and Federation of Medical Specialists (FMS) as commissioning organisations.

Project description
Healthcare systems worldwide face the pressing challenge of keeping care both high in quality and financially sustainable. In the Netherlands, national agreements have initiated major transitions in healthcare delivery, aimed at improving quality while controlling costs.

The two PhD projects will contribute to building a scientific foundation for how healthcare claims data can generate meaningful insights into the quality of care. By linking claims data with existing clinical quality registries, the research will investigate how data can be transformed into valuable information for transparency, monitoring, and continuous quality improvement. In addition, the PhD candidates will collect both quantitative and qualitative data within hospitals, providing deeper understanding of quality differences and identifying opportunities to improve care delivery.

The PhD positions are embedded in the research programme OPERA of FEB’s Research Institute. The project will be supervised by a multidisciplinary team of researchers with a background in medicine, healthcare (operations) management, health policy and data analytics.

The ideal candidates are ambitious, highly motivated, and wish to make a career in academic research. You have strong analytical skills, excellent research training, and a keen interest in healthcare quality, organisation of care and health policy.

- MSc or Research Master in Economics & Business, Medicine, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Health Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Data Science, or a related field.
- Excellent command of English (written and spoken); proficiency in Dutch is highly recommended given the hospital-based research context.
- Ability to combine qualitative data skills and data-analytical skills.
- Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team and engage with healthcare stakeholders.

We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

- A gross monthly salary of € 3,059 which increases yearly to a maximum of € 3,881 based on a full-time appointment.
- An additional 8% holiday allowance each year in May, and an additional 8.3 % end of year bonus in December.
- A temporary full-time appointment for a period of four years, under the condition of a positive assessment at the end of the first year. PhD candidates contribute 20% of their time to teaching in years 2-4.

Starting date: Preferably per 1 January 2026. An assessment may be part of the procedure, consisting of psychological tests and an interview.