PhD Candidate in Behavioural and Exercise-Based Interventions for Bone Health
Develop digital health interventions to prevent osteoporosis in young adults through behavioural science and eHealth strategies.
Best for:Best for psychologists, health scientists, or medical researchers with expertise in behavioural interventions, qualitative/quantitative methods, and a passion for digital health and osteoporosis prevention.
Overview
This PhD position at Tilburg University focuses on creating a digital lifestyle intervention to reduce osteoporosis risk in adolescents and young adults (ages 12–25). As part of the EU-funded BUILD-BONE consortium, the candidate will collaborate with 27 international partners to design behaviour-change strategies (e.g., gamification, adaptive interventions) tailored to Dutch-speaking participants. The work spans qualitative research (interviews, focus groups) and quantitative analysis (surveys) to co-develop evidence-based eHealth tools. The role emphasizes open science principles, interdisciplinary teamwork, and active participation in consortium meetings. Successful applicants will contribute to both academic outputs (papers, thesis) and practical deliverables for the research group, with optional teaching opportunities to foster an academic career.
What you'll do
- Conduct systematic reviews and ethical protocol development for the osteoporosis prevention study.
- Design and implement qualitative research (interviews, focus groups, co-creation sessions) to understand target group preferences.
- Collect and analyze quantitative data (surveys) to assess intervention effectiveness and user needs.
- Write scientific articles and present findings at international conferences and consortium meetings.
- Develop project deliverables for the BUILD-BONE consortium, adhering to open science principles.
- Draft and submit a PhD thesis based on research findings.
- Participate in international consortium meetings and interdisciplinary research group discussions.
- Optionally, teach within the department to prepare for an academic career.
Requirements
Degree required: Master’s degree in Medical Psychology, Health Sciences, Medicine, or a related research master in Behavioural Sciences, Psychology, or Health Education.
Degree offered: PhD
Language: Dutch and English; CEFR C2 proficiency in both (written and spoken).
Instruction: English (for supervision, classes, and thesis).
- Proven experience in qualitative research methods (interviews, focus groups).
- Familiarity with quantitative research methods and statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R).
- Strong analytical and organizational skills for managing research projects.
- Excellent written and spoken proficiency in Dutch (CEFR C2) for Dutch-speaking participant engagement.
- Excellent written and spoken proficiency in English (CEFR C2) for international collaboration.
- Experience with digital health interventions or eHealth research is advantageous.
- No specific nationality restrictions.
- No prior experience caps mentioned.
- No age restrictions.
Funding & terms
How to apply
Deadline: 2026-10-19
Applicants should submit their CV, a motivation letter, and a research proposal via the university’s application portal. Additional documents may include academic transcripts and reference letters. The application process is handled through an online portal.
- CV
- Motivation letter
- Research proposal
- Academic transcripts (BSc + MSc)
- Reference letters (2-3)
Contact
Not specified· HR/Recruitment Contact
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