PhD Data-Driven Insights into Healthcare Quality and Affordability

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 do well on various excellence ranking lists.

FEBRI, the graduate school and research institute of the Faculty of Economics and Business has available two PhD positions within the project Data-Driven Insights into Healthcare Quality and Affordability.

What are you going to do?

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. 

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 projects aim not only to generate practical insights, but also to contribute to academic debates on healthcare quality measurement, organization of care, and affordability.

The ideal candidates are highly motivated and committed to advancing academic research.

You have:

• Strong analytical and methodological skills, and a keen interest in developing theory-driven insights into 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 required given the hospital-based research context (at least B2 level and willingness to advance to level C1 in the first year)
• Experience with, or strong interest in, mixed-methods research, including the integration of advanced quantitative analyses with qualitative insights to inform theory and practice. Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary team and to collaborate with and communicate research findings to a diverse group of healthcare stakeholders, including hospitals, health insurers, and professional associations. 

• 232 vacation hours per year, based on a 38-hour workweek (1.0 FTE). You can also work more or fewer hours in exchange for more or fewer free hours. For example, with a 40-hour workweek, you save 96 extra free hours, and with a 36-hour workweek, you lose 96 hours.
• End-of-year bonus of 8.3% and 8% holiday allowance.
• Extensive opportunities for personal and professional development.

At the University of Groningen (UG), researchers from all fields of academia and technology are working on academic challenges and societal questions. Lecturers prepare their students for meaningful careers within or outside the academic world. Interdisciplinary research and teaching, sharing of knowledge, collaboration with businesses, government institutions, and societal organizations are aspects that are of the utmost importance to this European top university. The UG aims to be an open academic community with an inclusive and safe working climate that invites you to add your value.

Shaping a better future together – your career starts at FEB The Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) at the University of Groningen is a vibrant academic community with a clear mission: to develop knowledge that matters. With students and staff from over 100 countries, we foster an international working and learning environment where societal impact, world-class research, and innovation are at the core. At FEB, you’ll join committed colleagues who inspire and challenge one another. Whether you're a researcher, lecturer, or support professional, your skills and ambition will contribute to educating tomorrow’s leaders and thinkers. We encourage personal development and provide plenty of room for initiative and growth. Ready to take the next step in your career? Explore our vacancies and become part of one of the Netherlands’ leading faculties.

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.

For more information about the project content, please contact Prof. Taco van der Vaart (Professor of Supply Chain Management, Head of the Operations Department) or Prof. Huib Cense (Professor of Health System Innovation, Surgeon at the Red Cross Hospital Beverwijk and NWZ Alkmaar/Den Helder).

Do you have any questions or need more information?

Questions about the content of the job?
Rina Koning (Policy Officer): A.C.Koning@rug.nl

Questions about your application process?
Rina Koning (Policy Officer): A.C.Koning@rug.nl