Postdoctoral researcher 'Behavioural theory during pandemics: International

at  Radboudumc

1 year Do you want to work on an ambitious, international project for advancing behavioural science? Expand your international network with top-scholars from the Netherlands and accross Europe, including from the World Health Organisation? And work in an ambitious team that strives to advance the quality and use of behavioural and social science evidence in public health policy and practice? This may be the job for you. If you are interested, don’t wait with applying to just before the deadline. We will be interviewing excellent candidates a.s.a.p.
In the past years, many researchers have investigated which factors influenced public adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures, such as physical distancing or testing for COVID-19. Oftentimes these studies were informed by prevention-focused behavioral theories, such as the health belief model or protection motivation theory. These theories were however untested in the context of pandemics. Moreover, their scope is limited primarily to individuals beliefs and affect, largely ignoring the social and physical context and its dynamics influencing prevention behavior. A theory better describing infection prevention behaviors during pandemics could be of great value during a future outbreak.
Now, several years after the pandemic, there is a substantial empirical literature on drivers of infection prevention behaviors during a pandemic. In this postdoctoral project you will be part of a research team that collates this evidence. You will be responsible for conducting an international expert consensus study to examine whether and how our theoretical model(s) need to be improved to better capture the key drivers of infection prevention behaviours during an infectious disease outbreak.

We offer an exciting opportunity to work in a collaborative, social and dedicated team and a national behavioural and social science consortium. You will build a strong national and international network of top-scholars in social and behavioural sciences. The results of your work will be relevant both from a scientific perspective as well as for preparedness activities. For example, the results will be submitted to the RIVM’s pandemic preparedness toolkit. At Radboud university medical center, you build on your future. We are committed to providing the best care, education, and research. And we are true to our word, because we help you develop and seize opportunities and give you the room to grow. As an employer, we believe that employees should feel vital and happy at work in all stages of life. We are also committed to creating a healthy and safe working environment. Our employment conditions contribute to that. What we offer:

• A gross monthly salary between € 3.493 and € 5.504 (scale 10) for full-time employment (36 hours per week). You will also receive an 8% holiday allowance, an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and, depending on the position, an allowance of 47% to 72% for working irregular hours.
• 172 vacation hours per year based on a 36-hour working week. (As of 1 January 2025, you will receive 176 vacation hours).

The research will be conducted under supervision of Marijn de Bruin, professor at the Radboudumc and the national institute of public health (RIVM). You will be based in IQ Health, which is a multi-disciplinary research department aiming to improve health and healthcare in the Netherlands and beyond through excellent and applicable research.
This project is part of a the Be-Prepared (Behavioural Science for Pandemic Preparedness) consortium. Be-Prepared aims to provide in-depth analyses of mixed-method behavioural science data collected throughout the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and inform preparedness strategies for future outbreaks.
You will be working in the department of IQ Health. A department that is very active in teaching, research and consultation/service delivery. IQ Health originated from the former departments of Health Evidence and IQ healthcare.
IQ Health is a state-of-the-art research and teaching centre, where methods of research are themselves the subject of study and development. Through education and consultation (services), we help Radboudumc as well as external organisations in applying the right methods of research.
Preventing illness, improving care! In this way we contribute to the mission of the Radboudumc; To have a significant impact on health and healthcare.
The IQ Health department employs about 200 colleagues. The heart of the IQ Health department consists of six Research & Education (R&E) groups. These groups work together internally and externally (nationally and internationally) on topical themes and are connected to the two core tasks of education and research. In addition, the groups provide external consultation.

RADBOUDUMC

Welcome to Radboud university medical center (Radboudumc), where our research groups strive for innovative solutions that make impact on health and healthcare. We challenge the status quo to overcome current and future health challenges. Our goal is to shape the future of healthcare for generations to come. Our focus is on prevention, sustainability, and meaningful care, which we achieve through our in-depth understanding of disease mechanisms, clinical science, public health research, medical technology and data science. Our approach is centered on breakthroughs that can truly enhance personalized healthcare and public health.
At Radboudumc, a comprehensive range of research programs provide the compass for our research efforts. Each program has a clear goal, where collaboration within and outside our organization is highly valued. We integrate care, education and research in partnership with our patients to ensure that our research programs have significant impact on health and healthcare. We invite you to join us in our mission to create a healthy future for all. We are looking for an enthusiastic postdoc to join our team. You are a team player and you have strong interpersonal skills for building contact with colleagues and stakeholders internationally. Furthermore, you have scientific creativity and productivity, as evident in recent publications in international peer-reviewed journals. Your English is excellent for both speaking and writing at an academic level. Understanding of the Dutch language is welcome, but not necessary.

You also meet the requirements below:

• You either hold (or have finished and nearly obtained) a PhD degree in the field of (health) psychology, communication science, health sciences, or public health or a related field.
• You have worked with behavior change theories in your research.
• Experience with consensus research, such as a Delphi study, is desirable.
• You have experience with synthesizing literature of observational and/or experimental data.

Any questions? Or wondering what it is like to work at Radboudumc? Then email to Marijn de Bruin, full professor. Use the Apply button to submit your application

Please refer the Job description for details