For two European projects, SWAG and REACTION, we are looking for a full-time junior researcher/PhD student, who wants to contribute within Roessingh Research and Development (RRD) to the testing of two new innovative rehabilitation technologies: a soft exoskeleton (SWAG) and a knee-and-ankle exoskeleton integrated into a balance support device (REACTION). Within these multidisciplinary, international projects, you will perform research work aimed at retrieving user requirements, testing prototypes with people with stroke or other neurological disorders in a gait imaging lab and in the clinic. And in addition, eliciting their expectations of and experiences with that technology.

RRD is a research institute based in Enschede that aims to conduct high quality research in the field of personalized health technology in order to contribute to innovations in rehabilitation and health care. RRD works closely with Roessingh Center for Rehabilitation and the University of Twente in Enschede. RRD has about 20 employees with multidisciplinary backgrounds such as biomedical engineers, movement scientists, physiotherapists, computer scientists and psychologists. RRD cooperates intensively with companies, universities and other research institutes, and healthcare institutions at home and abroad.

 
Who are we looking for? 

For this project we are looking for an enthusiastic movement science / biomedical scientist / health scientist graduate (or similar), who wants to contribute to new ways to help people with movement limitations. Good communication skills in Dutch and English (both oral and written) are a requirement, as you have to work with many different disciplines from technical and clinical fields. In doing so, you also treat patients with respect and integrity. You are a go-getter and can work independently, meticulously and in a structured way. Specifically, we are looking for someone with:

  • A good foundation in research methodology and statistics,
  • Knowledge of the qualitative side of user requirements research
  • Interest in the intersection of rehabilitation and technology,
  • experience measuring people.

 

What do we offer?  

This vacancy offers a challenging position for the duration of up to 3 years for 36 hours per week, possibly in the form of a PhD track towards obtaining a PhD. The start date is negotiable, the position is available at short notice. On the appointment is the CAO Hospitals applicable. The position is graded in FWG 55 with a starting salary of € 3434 gross per month based on 36 hours per week. 

 
What do the projects entail? 

The SWAG project is working on soft robotics for various applications. Soft robotics is one of the fastest growing fields within robotics with major developments in modeling, sensing, materials and control algorithms. Within the SWAG project, a fundamentally new approach is being applied to designing soft materials that completely replace the hard materials traditionally used in exoskeletons. Within SWAG, four different user scenarios are being developed. RRD is responsible for coordinating these four user scenarios and is substantively responsible for the rehabilitation user scenario. RRD is also responsible for retrieving user requirements and including a group of end users in the development steps taken in the project.

Within the REACTION research, the integration of an ankle and knee exoskeleton with a balance support system is being investigated. This modular system can thus be adapted to the capabilities of the patient and thus to the phase of rehabilitation in which the rehabilitant is. Within this research, RRD is co-responsible for collecting user requirements and evaluating the prototypes of the technology being developed.

 
How to apply

Have you become enthusiastic? Then we look forward to receiving your response! Apply no later than April 15, 2024 via Care Select. Want more information first or have questions? Please contact Erik Prinsen at e.prinsen@rrd.nl.