Doctoral fellow

Job description

This fellowship is in the scope of INDEEP. INDEEP (INtervention on the DEterminants of, and Expertise in, Physical activity behaviours) is an EU-funded MSCA Doctoral Network that seeks to generate excellence in research and training, providing future graduates that can advance the state-of-the-art in Physical Activity promotion, through a comprehensive understanding of the determinants associated with Physical Activity Behaviours, innovative methodologies, and data analytics. The main aims of the INDEEP doctoral network are ultimately to provide an intervention development toolbox, supporting the integration of determinants of Physical Activity Behaviours, behaviour change theory and intervention co-creation to aid in the development of evidence-based interventions which integrate top-down and bottom-up interventional approaches. Through utilising determinant knowledge gained through state-of-the-art methodologies, and systematically integrating this knowledge with a co-creative methodology, the INDEEP intervention development toolkit will provide researchers and practitioners across Europe with an evidence-based best practice approach to intervention development, taking into consideration the interactions within a complex behavioural system.

The PhD research will first conduct a scoping review of the existing literature on context- and time-dependent environmental determinants of PABs in youth, to decide which variables to include in the assessment tool. Secondly, the geo-based assessment tool will be developed and pre-tested (cognitive testing) in adolescents, in collaboration with Prof. Basile Chaix (INSERM, Paris). After finalisation of the tool, an observational geo-based EMA study will be conducted in adolescents. This EMA study focuses on sampling of triggers based on location of the participants, combined with time-based sampling. The results will be integrated in the INDEEP dataset for incorporation into the INDEEP intervention Toolbox. The PhD student will do a secondment at SENS (Denmark) and at the Pierre Louis Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health (Team NEMESIS, Prof. Basile Chaix, France).

Job profile

• Must not already hold a doctoral degree
• Must comply with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action mobility rule: not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Belgium for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date
• Your education must correspond to a Master program
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and an average grade of a first- or second-class honours degree (or equivalent compared with the institutional grading scale). If you have a weaker grade background, you may be assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the institutional doctoral program
• Good communication and collaboration skills and fluent in English
• Good communication skills in Dutch
  
  

Preferred selection criteria:

• Preference to work in an interdisciplinary environment
• Previous experience in programming in R, Python or similar.
• Previous experience in advanced statistics, e.g. generalized linear mixed models, and/or big data processing.
  
  

Personal characteristics :

In the doctoral candidate selection process, emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities. Important elements to be considered are:

• Be scientifically curious and open to new research challenges, demonstrate persistence in addressing technical problems
• Excellent communication and dissemination skills.
• Ability to work independently as well as in cross-disciplinary teams
• Be self-motivated, focused, and goal-oriented, be committed and keep deadlines, be flexible, reliable, and solution-orientated, be innovation-driven, enthusiastic, and ambitious
• Ability to interact and collaborate with actors in academia, public sector, and industry
• Be an enthusiastic and dynamic person, who loves working with adolescents
  
  

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
• Your contract will start on 01/08/2024 at the earliest.
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by the Department of Personnel and Organization based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits (in Dutch).
• A mobility allowance to support relocation A family allowance for the relocation of family (terms and conditions apply)

How to apply

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English. Please note that your application will be considered based solely on information submitted by the application deadline. You must therefore ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience fulfil the criteria specified above. The application must include: Research statement (max. 3 pages) including: A short explanation of the applicant’s motivation to undertake a PhD. How the applicant sees his/her background as suitable for this position. The applicant’s view of research challenges for the selected PhD position, as well as their theoretical and methodological approach to the challenges. CV and certificates Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not yet completed the master's degree, you must confirm the submission date. A copy of the master's thesis. If you recently have submitted your master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Name and contact information of two referees. Include copies and evidence of publications or other relevant research work if applicable. Include proof of Dutch language skills If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both bachelor's and master's education, in addition to other higher education. Description of the documentation required can be found here. In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience, and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates. General information If you have any questions about the position, please contact Delfien Van Dyck (email delfien.vandyck@ugent.be). If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please email INDEEPRecruitment@tus.ie. If you think this looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via INDEEPRecruitment@tus.ie with all documentation request above attached to the email. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation.