PhD Linked Lives and Pathways to Death

How do the health trajectories before death differ across socioeconomic groups? Do the socioeconomic resources of adult children and partners matter for health inequalities at the end of life?

Job description
We are looking for a motivated PhD candidate to join our research team in examining the socioeconomic gradient in health during the final years of life. As global life expectancy continues to rise and non-communicable diseases remain the leading causes of death, understanding the nuances of mortality differentials within societies becomes increasingly important. Despite its significance, the socioeconomic gradient in health during the later stages of life has not received enough attention in health inequalities literature. This is a crucial period of the life course where disparities may exist and demand urgent investigation.

You will use life course theory to explore health trajectories at the end of life and uncover the presence of socioeconomic gradients in health through a family-level perspective. The project will examine health trajectories before death as a process that includes resources from various actors, rather than just individual resources in isolation. Moreover, you will apply high-quality census data and advanced quantitative methods to shed light on this critical life stage.

The PhD position has four main aims. The first aim is to describe health trajectories before death and uncover the presence of a socioeconomic gradient. Second, the causal link between education and health trajectories before death will be examined using a quasi-natural experiment. Third, the role of partnership during the life course will be analyzed. Moreover, this part of the project will examine whether the socioeconomic resources of the partner play a role in the health development preceding death using a couple-level perspective. Finally, the role of adult children’s characteristics (both in terms of SES and family structure) for the parental trajectories of health in the last years of life will be studied. By offering insights into how socioeconomic resources influence health at the family level, this research may help identify health vulnerabilities during the dying process. Join us in this research to uncover and address socioeconomic disparities in health and help to mitigate inequalities at the end of life.

Requirements:

The applicant for this position is expected to have a (research) master’s degree in the social sciences (e.g., epidemiology, sociology, demography, health economics) or related field. A strong statistical background and some experience with quantitative research are essential. Computer skills should include Stata, R or similar statistical software. Applicants must have excellent speaking and writing skills in English and preferably Dutch, should hold a strong motivation for the research topic health inequalities and for applying advanced quantitative methods.

Salary Benefits:

We offer you an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with excellent working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

The start date of this position is 01-NOV-2024 and you will be based at Rotterdam in Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management (ESHPM). This position is for 1 fte. The salary ranges from a minimum of € 2.872 to a maximum of € 3.670 gross per month Scale PhD on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. The contract is entered into for the duration of 18 months and extended to 48 months if performance is good.

Everything else we offer you, you can find below!

• Everything you need for a good work-life balance: the option to work from home in consultation with your manager, 41 days of paid leave with a 40 hour contract, 8% holiday pay and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a significant discount on a subscription for our on-campus sports centre!
• Sustainable, inclusive and diverse work environment with an open culture, where you can be yourself and we pay attention to each other and to the world around us. Make the most of our bicycle budget, or join networks such as Young@EUR, FAME or QuEUR.
• Time and space for your development in the broadest sense: development days and a personal career budget and free access to our university library.
• Good pension with ABP that EUR contributes 2/3rds towards, discounts on various collective insurances with Zilveren Kruis Achmea, Loyalis, and Allianz, and compensation for travel, working from home and home internet use.
• Are you currently combining your job with parenthood, or do you want to do so in the future? EUR offers partially paid parental leave and fully paid additional birth leave for partners, and our campus features a daycare (daycare not paid for by EUR).
• Moving to the Netherlands for your job with EUR? Then you may be eligible for the 30%-ruling if you meet the requirements of the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax agency), and with our Dual Career Programme we will also help your partner find the right job for them.

40 hours per week

Burgemeester Oudlaan 50