Postdoctoral researcher Open innovation in the Healthcare domain

Are you interested in studying how to improve the interaction between research and industry to advance medical innovation? Do you want to next-generation technology transfer? Then this opportunity at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development is for you.

Your job
The postdoctoral research is part of a large NWO-funded project that aims to accelerate the realization of the next generation of image-guided interventions and to make them more compatible with and introduced into everyday hospital practice. In the project the open innovation lab IMAGINE will be launched at UMC Utrecht, where companies, research and educational institutions come together close to the daily clinical practice. The creation of such an open innovation lab comes with many questions: how to enhance knowledge exchange, and how to arrange intellectual property rights, how to govern access to the lab?

Addressing the governance of IMAGINE has become increasingly urgent, given that the open innovation facility represents a new form of collaboration between universities and industry in the healthcare domain. Fortunately, there are many models for such facilities that exist in many places and which can serve as an inspiration for setting up IMAGINE. A postdoc researcher will map and explore these best practices and further assist the IMAGINE management team with creating the boundary conditions and defining ground rules, especially focusing on the way innovation processes could and should be organized in such an open facility. It creates an opportunity for you to interact with world-class researchers and companies. Yet, the project also speaks to a scientific contribution to be made as there is a need for defining what a next generation technology transfer facility would look like, how novel forms of inter-organizational innovation processes work, and which factors would contribute to its effectiveness.

More specifically, the aims are:

• to use theories from innovation and management studies to conceptualize university-industry interactions in the context of an open innovation lab in general and in the healthcare domain in particular;
• to gather data and analyze university-industry interactions and technology transfer in comparable cases;
• to contribute to academic debates on next-generation technology transfer;
• to publish in high-standing international academic outlets, as well as to other (inter)national fora;
• to become active in discussion in the IMAGINE management team and provide on-the-job recommendations for the governance of the open innovation lab.

Research methods will include literature review, interviews and co-creation workshops, as well as an opportunity for ethnographic work in participating centers. As part of the job there is also the opportunity to contribute to our teaching programs.

You are a motivated and goal-oriented researcher who would like to work in an interdisciplinary research environment. Specifically, you bring the following:

• You have a thorough basis (proven by a PhD) in innovation studies, economic geography, Science and Technology Studies, or a related discipline;
• You have an affinity with in-depth social research and innovative methodologies with a mixed-methods or qualitative focus.
• You have an affinity and experience with public engagement and communication of scientific research.
• You enjoy working in an interdisciplinary team, and can showcase a critical attitude, intellectual independence, and good organizational skills.
• You are interested in collaborating with societal partners as part the research project. For this, Dutch language proficiency is a plus.
• You have excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

We offer:

• a temporary position (0.8 - 1.0 FTE) for two years;
• a working week of 32 - 40 hours and a gross monthly salary between € 3.546 and €5.538 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale 10 under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for employees. This includes arrangements for professional development, various types of leave, and options for sports and cultural activities. You can also tailor your employment conditions through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage you to keep investing in your personal and professional development. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.

The IMAGINE open innovation lab is a collaboration between various institutions and companies where clinical expertise and technological innovation come together. It focuses on imaging and image-guided interventions in areas such as oncology and cardiology. This strong collaboration enables a multidisciplinary approach, allowing research to be rapidly translated into clinical practice.

IMAGINE’s mission is to transform cancer care by developing smart, minimally invasive therapies based on advanced imaging. In close cooperation between clinicians, engineers, physicists, and researchers, treatments are being developed that are more personalized, precise, and patient-friendly. At the same time, they help reduce pressure on the healthcare system and control costs. IMAGINE also plays an important role in training future-proof healthcare professionals within an inspiring work environment. Through all these efforts, we contribute to a future in which cancer treatments are safer, more effective, and widely accessible.

The city of Utrecht is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, with a charming old centre and an internationally oriented culture that is strongly influenced by its century-old university. Utrecht has been consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the Netherlands.