PhD Student – Real-World Evidence on AI Adoption in European Healthcare

Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform healthcare. From improving diagnostic accuracy to enabling personalized treatment and streamlining clinical workflows, AI applications are increasingly moving from research labs into hospitals. However, realizing the full potential of AI in healthcare requires more than technological innovation, it requires understanding of how AI systems perform in real-world clinical practice, how they can be safely deployed across diverse settings, and how knowledge on AI deployment can be effectively shared across Europe’s healthcare systems.

Your role as a PhD candidate will be to help build this understanding. This position is part of COMPASS-AI, a flagship initiative of the EU's Apply AI Strategy designed to advance the safe and effective use of AI in clinical practice. COMPASS-AI brings together experts on AI deployment, leading healthcare institutions, and professional societies from across Europe. The project develops evidence-based guidance on AI adoption, building on the FUTURE AI framework, and validates these best practices through pilots in diverse clinical settings, with a focus on cancer care.

Central to this mission is the COMPASS-AI platform, an interactive website that will facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration on AI deployment. As a PhD candidate, you will build and validate Europe's evidence base on AI deployment in healthcare.

Your research will focus on:

• Evaluating the real-world impact of AI in clinical practice by systematically documenting evidence on the clinical use of AI across European hospitals

• Investigating different perspectives on AI deployment by engaging with clinicians, AI developers, patients, and hospital managers to understand information needs that can accelerate adoption

• Shaping the COMPASS-AI platform for knowledge-sharing on AI deployment

• Learning from AI adoption patterns across European healthcare settings, e.g. specialized centers vs. resource-limited settings

• Developing practical guidance on post-deployment monitoring of AI, on how hospitals can continuously monitor AI performance

• Validating approaches through pilot implementations: collaborating with COMPASS-AI hospitals across Europe to test your solutions in practice

As a PhD candidate in the COMPASS-AI project, you will work at the intersection of clinical practice and digital innovation, developing practical solutions to accelerate AI adoption in hospitals. You'll have the unique opportunity to collaborate with healthcare institutions and experts implementing AI across Europe, translating their real-world experiences into actionable knowledge.

You will collaborate within an international consortium coordinated by the Netherlands Cancer Institute and Maastricht University. You will work at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam, embedded in the Radiology AI Lab, a multidisciplinary team focused on developing and translating AI innovations. Your 4-year PhD trajectory will be registered at Maastricht University.

Why the Netherlands Cancer Institute?

The Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) is a comprehensive cancer center accommodating over 55 research groups. At the Netherlands Cancer Institute, we have a shared goal: providing the best care for every patient and every type of cancer. Quite a lot, but not impossible. Here, science and health care join forces towards innovation. We keep finding new ways to help people facing cancer on a global scale.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated PhD candidate who has a genuine interest in improving healthcare with digital innovation. Ideal candidates will have:

• A Master’s degree in Technical Medicine, Medicine, Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Health Informatics, Data Science, or related field

• Strong interest in healthcare innovation and artificial intelligence applications in clinical practice

• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information from diverse sources

• Strong communication skills in English (written and spoken), with the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders including clinicians and AI developers

• Ability to work independently while also being a collaborative team player in an international, multidisciplinary environment

• Proactivity, creativity, and a pragmatic problem-solving attitude

• Willingness to travel occasionally within Europe to collaborate with consortium partners and experts

If you’re excited about making AI work in real-world healthcare settings and want to contribute to shaping Europe's approach to AI deployment, we encourage you to apply.

Your development opportunities and employment conditions

The basis for your employment conditions is in accordance with the CLA Hospitals. You will receive from us:

• A contract for a period of four years, for 36 hours per week (full time);

• A gross monthly salary between € 3.665,- and € 4.450,-, based on a 36-hour working week, in line with the OIO scale and depending on your experience;

• 144 holiday hours and 57 hours of Personal Life Budget, with full-time employment;

• Annual holiday pay of 8.33% and a fixed end-of-year bonus of 8.33%;

• A travel allowance of €0.23 per km;

• Free parking at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. And with our bicycle plan and discount on public transport we also make it attractive for you to leave the car at home;

• An active PhD council;

• Opportunity to exercise during working hours at our Fit Boutiqs.

This position also offers unique opportunities for your professional development:

• Develop expertise working across clinical, technical, regulatory, and policy domains, positioning yourself as a bridge-builder between AI technology and clinical implementation;

• Build a strong professional network through collaboration with hospital leaders and AI experts across Europe;

• Establish a strong foundation for a career at the forefront of healthcare innovation in the rapidly growing field of AI implementation;

• Contribute to high-visibility outputs including guidelines, publications, and policy recommendations that will shape AI adoption in European healthcare.

Interested?

Apply now by using the apply/solliciteer button at the top of the page. Applications sent directly by e-mail will not be processed. Please attach your motivation letter, CV and contact details of two references to the application form. Make sure to include your reference information together with your application documents, as there is no option to submit them separately.

For more information about this position, please reach out to Dr. Laurens Topff (l.topff@nki.nl).

This vacancy is for a 4-year project completed with a PhD, starting as soon as possible, and open for applications until 9 January 2026.