Junior Research Assistant Social Obstetrics

In the role of junior researcher, you will help us identify vulnerable pregnant women earlier AND ensure that their experiences with care are used to improve that care. In doing so, you will work at the intersection of research and practice.

You will be involved in two projects that share one ambition: ensuring that every pregnant woman—including those in more vulnerable circumstances—receives the care that suits her.

Your duties include, among other things, desk research, interviewing healthcare professionals and parents, collecting and analyzing research data, developing materials, and supporting local teams with quality improvement.

VroegErbij: Optimizing early detection in pregnancy. Psychosocial vulnerability is not systematically identified everywhere, whereas timely detection is crucial for better pregnancy outcomes and developmental opportunities. In collaboration with four Midwifery Partnerships (VSVs) in the Netherlands, we are developing and implementing an Early Detection Toolbox for healthcare providers.

EQUIP: Patient-reported outcomes for quality improvement. Through validated questionnaires (PROMs/PREMs), we systematically measure how pregnant and postpartum women experience their health and care. In three hospitals (Erasmus MC, Amphia, HMC), we analyze which groups of women have poorer outcomes, build quality dashboards, and carry out improvement cycles.

Naturally, you will receive guidance in the execution of the research. You can also co-author publications and attend conferences. With a good match, progression to a PhD track is possible.