PhD Candidate: Endometriosis Self-Management Strategies (EUrometriosis project)

Your job

Are you passionate about health and gender? Do you have a background in qualitative social sciences research? Are you excited about informing policy based on lived experience? Then this PhD position might be the right fit for you.

The PhD position is part of the EU Horizon-funded EUmetriosis project which seeks to advance endometriosis care and involves a consortium of clinical researchers, patient advocacy organizations and social scientists across Europe. The PhD candidate will contribute to the Social Sciences Work package led by Dr Inga Winkler which investigates structural barriers to self-management strategies for endometriosis.

As PhD candidate you will conduct original research on endometriosis self-management and the structural barriers patients face. The project combines a focus on lived experiences with policy analysis. You will conduct empirical research with people living with endometriosis across Europe and policy analysis of relevant national or regional policies. You will be trained in relevant topical, theoretical and methodological expertise and skills. The research will result in peer-reviewed journal articles, which together will form your PhD thesis.

Your duties and responsibilities as part of the research team include:

• develop the research design for the PhD project in line with the goals of the funding award;
• secure relevant ethics approvals;
• collect data through interviews and other empirical methods such as focus groups and patient diaries;
• conduct data analysis and management;
• write and publish in peer-reviewed venues and conduct translational activities such as public and policy engagement.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the Law Chair Group, which is currently led by Acting Chair Dr Nadia Bernaz. From 1 December 2024, Prof Louis Kotzé will take the position of Chairholder. You will be supervised by Dr Inga Winkler. The Law Group is closely embedded within the Department of Social Sciences, has a socio-legal orientation and stresses interdisciplinary research. The current position does not require a background in law but we welcome candidates with an interest in law and policy.
The candidate will work closely with the project consortium, in particular the social science team at the University of Edinburgh comprised of Dr Andrea Ford and a second PhD student.

Your qualities

You possess:

• a successfully completed MSc, MA or equivalent degree in sociology, anthropology, gender studies , socio-legal studies, public health, or other relevant discipline;
• relevant training in qualitative empirical research;
• interest in endometriosis, menstrual health, women’s health, health policy and/or related areas and attention to gendered dynamics in health and their intersection with other markers of identity;
• demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team in an interdisciplinary research environment;
• in addition to English, fluency in an additional European language such as Dutch, Spanish, French, Polish or Croatian will be considered a strong asset.

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

We offer you

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.872,- per month rising to € 3.670,-  in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 19th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Do you want more information?

For more information about this position, please contact Dr Inga Winkler, Associate Professor by email at inga.winkler@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Noorien Abbas corporate recruiter, recruitment.ssg@wur.nl.

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.

Please submit the following documents:

1. an updated CV
2. motivation / cover letter detailing your qualifications and interest
3. an article-length writing sample
4. 2 references (who can be contacted upon shortlisting)

This vacancy will be listed up to and including 28 October 2024. We hope to schedule the first job interviews on 13 and 15 November 2024. The intended starting date of the position in in February 2025.

Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using the link below:

https://forms.office.com/e/0p5L7h4xY1

Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.

Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment.

We are

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!


We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.