Educational Support Officer

Educational Support Officer | Maastricht Science Programme
(1.0 FTE | one-year contract)

• Our goal: To provide high-quality educational support that enables students and staff of the Maastricht Science Programme to focus on learning, teaching and innovation.
• Your colleagues: You will join the Education Support Team of the Maastricht Science Programme (MSP): a small, engaged and international team working closely together across the full student journey, from admissions to alumni.

The Maastricht Science Programme is a lively and international bachelor’s programme within Maastricht University. As an Educational Support Officer, you play a key role in the smooth day-to-day operation of the programme and in supporting students throughout their educational pathway.

You work hands-on with students and are often their first point of contact. You support them with questions related to schedules, transcripts and programme processes, and help ensure that information is clear, timely and accurate.

At the same time, you contribute to the operational backbone of the programme. You support tutor and course scheduling, assist with exam organisation, manage mailboxes, update procedures and help move improvement projects forward. You collaborate closely with colleagues within MSP and across other departments, always with the shared goal of improving the student experience and the quality of our programme.

Are you someone who enjoys variety, collaboration and making things run smoothly in a dynamic educational environment? Then we would love to meet you.

What you bring
It’s not about ticking boxes – it’s about who you are and how you work. Do you recognise yourself in this?

• Student-oriented and service-minded – You enjoy working with students and helping them navigate their education with confidence.
• Organised and detail-oriented – You keep an overview, work accurately and handle administrative processes with care.
• Collaborative by nature – You enjoy working in a team and contribute actively to shared goals, while also working independently when needed.
• Comfortable in an international environment – You feel at ease communicating in a diverse, multicultural academic setting.
• Digitally confident – You work easily with digital systems; experience with SAP, Syllabus, Corsa or Qualtrics is an advantage.
• Adaptable and forward-looking – You are open to change, interested in digital innovation and willing to think along in improvements.
• Strong work ethic – You take ownership of your tasks and follow through.

AI Implementation Officer

AI Implementation Officer

Ons doel: AI verantwoord, veilig en strategisch ingebed inzetten binnen de hele UM – met duidelijke kaders, betrouwbare processen en toepassingen die onderzoek, onderwijs en bedrijfsvoering versterken.
Jouw collega’s: Je werkt binnen het CI-Office en schakelt intensief met de CIO, de Strategisch Adviseur AI, Legal, Privacy & Security, IT, faculteiten en projectteams.

In deze rol ben jij de motor achter de implementatie van AI-beleid en de EU AI Act. Je vertaalt strategie naar uitvoerbare processen, borgt compliance-by-design en zorgt dat teams weten wat moet, wat kan en hoe ze AI op een veilige en effectieve manier kunnen inzetten.

Wat jij doet

• Vertaalt AI-kaders en de EU AI Act naar praktische processen en minimale documentatie-eisen.
• Ondersteunt teams bij inrichting van AI-toepassingen, inclusief rollen, verantwoordelijkheden en toetsmomenten.
• Signaleert knelpunten en risico’s en adviseert CIO en directie over passende maatregelen.
• Richt samen met collega’s het AI-register in en zorgt dat registraties volledig en actueel blijven.
• Begeleidt intake, classificatie en eerste risico-inschatting van AI-initiatieven.
• Organiseert monitoring, lifecycle management en periodieke reviews van AI-toepassingen.
• Verbindt IT, Legal, Privacy & Security en faculteiten en spreekt betrokkenen aan op verantwoordelijkheden.
• Ontwikkelt handreikingen, templates en Q&A-functionaliteit en faciliteert workshops en instructies

Ben jij klaar om de AI- koers te implementeren voor de komende jaren? Dan ontmoeten we je graag.

Wat jij meebrengt
Het gaat ons niet om vinkjes, maar om wie jij bent en wat jij meebrengt. Herken jij jezelf hierin?

• Opleiding: afgeronde Master óf Bachelor met aantoonbare ervaring binnen IT en/of Data en/of AI (vereist).
• Ervaring: 3–5 jaar relevante ervaring in implementatie, governance/compliance, (digitale) transformatie of een vergelijkbaar domein waarin beleid naar uitvoering wordt gebracht.
• Je hebt: aantoonbare kennis van of aantoonbare affiniteit met wet- en regelgeving rond AI, privacy, informatiebeveiliging en risicomanagement (waaronder de EU AI Act).
• Dit ben jij: sterke stakeholdermanagement- en communicatievaardigheden, inclusief het vermogen om met management en directeuren effectief te schakelen.
• Managen van processen: ervaring met procesinrichting, kwaliteitsborging en het werken met registraties, besluitvormingslijnen en documentatie-eisen.
• Nieuwsgierig: affiniteit met onderwijs en onderzoek of de vaardigheid om je hierin snel in te werken.

PhD Candidate 'Nutrition for brain and peripheral cardiovascular health'

PhD Candidate 'Nutrition for brain and peripheral cardiovascular health'

• Our goal: ‘Nutrition for brain and peripheral cardiovascular health’ A balance in energy intake and expenditure is considered the cornerstone of the prevention of obesity and associated metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. The successful PhD Candidate will focus on well-controlled human intervention studies involving prediabetic adults with overweight or obesity to establish relevant relationships along the gut-brain axis for metabolic and cardiovascular health. For this, state-of-the-art brain imaging, blood-based parameters, and psychobehavioral assessments are important. Emphasis will be on effects of longer-term avocado consumption on brain and peripheral health parameters relevant to both, metabolic and cardiovascular health.
• Your colleagues: We offer a challenging research project integrated within an excellent scientific environment that offers facilities to perform state-of-the art multi-disciplinary research, including a unique Metabolic Research Unit (MRUM) and brain imaging facilities (Scannexus Imaging Center). All studies will be performed in a team setting and in collaboration with different experts at the Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM) in the Netherlands.

What you do
The PhD Candidate will be:

• involved in planning and conducting human intervention studies
• analyzing and interpreting the obtained data
• reporting research results and publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Are you ready to set the course for the years ahead? Then we’d love to meet you.

What you bring
We’re not looking for checkboxes; we’re interested in who you are and what you bring. Do you recognize yourself in this?

• Master degree in biomedical sciences, medicine, (medical) biology, health sciences, physiology, neurosciences or nutrition
• Experience with human studies, brain imaging and statistical methodology is an advantage
• Experience with data analysis (e.g., using SPM or R) and programming skills (Matlab, Python) is an advantage but not a requirement.
• A real researcher’s mentality: open-minded, curious, creative, enthusiastic, motivated, persevering, and accurate
• Excellent spoken and written English

PhD in Aortic Biomechanics and Personalised Hypertension Treatment

PhD in Aortic Biomechanics on the ACTIVATE Project

• Our goal: To investigate the functional role of aortic contractility in antihypertensive treatment and develop digital twin models for personalised medicine.
• Your colleagues: You will join the Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), part of the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML). Within the Department of Biomedical Engineering, you'll work in a close-knit, multidisciplinary team of PhD candidates, postdocs, and professors committed to open collaboration and scientific excellence.

Hypertension affects 1.3 billion adults worldwide and is the leading modifiable risk factor for premature death. Current treatment follows a one-size-fits-all approach, leaving 49% of treated patients with suboptimal blood pressure control. The ACTIVATE project aims to achieve a breakthrough by developing a digital twin platform that explicitly considers the physics and physiology of the entire circulatory system, to predict individual responses to different antihypertensive drugs. As a PhD candidate, you will focus on characterising the mechanical contractility of the aorta through cutting-edge experimental biomechanics. You'll use planar biaxial testing to capture how the aorta responds to various vasoactive stimuli, working with both porcine and human tissue samples. Your experimental data will form the foundation of computational models that integrate arterial mechanics with whole-body cardiovascular function, ultimately enabling personalised treatment selection for hypertension patients. You will also be involved in a clinical study used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the digital twinning approach.

Your project bridges experimental biomechanics, computational modelling, and clinical medicine. You'll collaborate closely with colleagues from Cardiothoracic Surgery and Internal Medicine, and international partners in Belgium and the United States, working together to translate fundamental insights into tangible health solutions.

What you do

• Conduct ex vivo and in vivo studies on aortic tissue biomechanics and composition.
• Work with colleagues at Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+) and other hospitals to obtain human aorta samples.
• Plan, organise, and run a clinical study — involving e.g., applying for medical ethics approval, patient recruitment, coordination, and helping with measurements.
• Develop (together with other team members) computational models to integrate your experimental findings.
• Collaborate closely with biomedical engineers, clinicians, and basic scientists.
• Contribute to a multidisciplinary, international research community focused on cardiovascular health and digital twin technology.

Are you ready to set the course for the years ahead? Then we’d love to meet you.

What you bring
We’re not looking for checkboxes; we’re interested in who you are and what you bring. Do you recognise yourself in this?

• Academic background – You hold a master’s degree (or equivalent) in Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Sciences, Medicine, or a related field.
• Laboratory/clinical experimental expertise – You have experience with (or strong interest in) mechanical testing, tissue biomechanics, or experimental/clinical physiology.
• Curious and critical mindset – You’re eager to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and discover how things work.
• Affinity with biomechanics – You’re motivated by the intersection of biology, physics, and engineering.
• Collaborative spirit – You enjoy working with colleagues from different disciplines and value diverse perspectives.
• Perseverance and enthusiasm – You’re initiative-taking, committed, and motivated to push your research forward.

Dutch language skills are an advantage because of the engagement with patients and clinicians.

PhD position in Circular Value Chains in Limburg (NL)

PhD position in Circular Value Chains in Limburg (NL)
(UNU-MERIT & Department of Data Analytics and Digitalisation, School of Business and Economics)

• Our goal: To provide research-based support to businesses and local governments for the implementation of circular value chains in Limburg, focusing on key product and material groups.
• Your colleagues: You will work in an interdisciplinary team at UNU-MERIT and the Department of Data Analytics and Digitalisation (DAD) at the School of Business and Economics (SBE), collaborating with researchers from different disciplines as well as with businesses, policymakers, and other regional stakeholders.

We invite applications for a four-year PhD position focused on the development and implementation of circular value chains in Limburg (the Netherlands). The research is part of the CEL4LIFE project, funded by the LIFE programme of the European Commission, which runs for six years.

The project takes a multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach and requires close engagement with stakeholders—particularly businesses and local governments. You will study how beliefs, practices, and collective actions shape circular transitions within specific strategic and institutional contexts.

Your research will focus on several product and material groups, including circular packaging, battery recycling, plastics recycling, circular concrete, and bio-based construction materials. By combining qualitative and quantitative methods, you will help develop practical pathways for circular business activities and contribute to the broader transition towards a regional circular economy.

What you do
As a PhD candidate, you will actively contribute to both research and stakeholder engagement. Your responsibilities include:

• Analysing the regional playing field for selected product and material groups using participatory systems analysis, desk research, and interviews.
• Developing regional roadmaps for circular value chains based on stakeholder workshops and context-sensitive text mining of national and regional policy documents.
• Applying and evaluating serious gaming tools to support stakeholder learning around pathways, collective action, and dual-track governance measures.
• Conducting computer simulations and statistical analyses of circular value chains (e.g. plastics packaging and bio-based construction materials), drawing on serious games, causal loop diagrams, and established modelling frameworks such as SCIAR and the CIRCO Track approach.
• Contributing to the CEL4LIFE project by working on supply and demand dynamics, skills development, and the creation of enabling environments for circular business activities.
• Collaborating with students and researchers from Maastricht University who are involved in the project.
• Participating in teaching activities within the Department of Data Analytics and Digitalisation (up to 20% of your time).

Are you ready to contribute to applied research with societal impact? Then we look forward to meeting you.

What you bring
It’s not about ticking boxes—it’s about who you are and what you bring. Do you recognize yourself in this?

• Digitally and analytically skilled – You have strong digital and data-analytical skills relevant to gamification and data-driven research. Experience with programming (e.g. Python, R, JavaScript, or C#), data analysis, and data visualisation is highly appreciated. Familiarity with digital game design tools, user interaction tracking, or data-driven evaluation of user engagement is an advantage.
• Academically well-prepared – You hold a Master’s degree in circular engineering or business engineering. Candidates with a background in sustainability science or business economics, combined with strong digital and data skills, are also encouraged to apply.
• Communicative and internationally oriented – You are proficient in English and feel comfortable working in an international academic and stakeholder-driven environment. Knowledge of Dutch is an advantage.
• Socially skilled and collaborative – You enjoy working with diverse stakeholders and are able to engage respectfully with businesses, policymakers, and researchers as partners in the research process, valuing their knowledge and perspectives.