PhD Position University of Technology: Organ Allocation at Eurotransplant

We are looking for a strong, motivated PhD-student with an analytical, algorithmic background who is interested in pursuing a PhD-project devoted to the allocation of donor organs to patients. The goal of the project is to apply and develop methods from data science (including machine learning methods) to quantify the benefits of transplantations depending on donor and recipient characteristics. In addition, the goal is to design and evaluate allocation mechanisms.

The project is a cooperation between Eindhoven University of Technology and Eurotransplant. The project has a large applied component; it is expected that results of this project will impact Eurotransplant’s policies.

The position is for a period of 4 years at the Eindhoven University of Technology, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. The PhD-student’s working locations will be both at Eurotransplant headquarters in Leiden, as well as at TU/e.

We are looking for a student with a strong background in at least one of the following subjects: statistics, machine learning, discrete optimization, operations research. A strong interest in the medical and health policy aspects of the project are a plus.

The TU Eindhoven, the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and the group Combinatorial Optimization

The TU Eindhoven (TU/e) was established in 1956 as a polytechnic. It has grown into a university with nine departments. The TU/e now has approximately 3000 employees (incl. PhD students) and 8000 BSc and MSc students. Our Department offers several bachelor and master programs, all of which are taught in English. The TU/e campus is in the center of Eindhoven. The PhD-position is within the group Combinatorial Optimization;

this group is an active, internationally composed research group. There are strong ties with the research program NETWORKS.

Eurotransplant is responsible for the allocation of donor organs in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Slovenia. This international collaborative framework includes all transplant hospitals, tissue-typing laboratories and hospitals where organ donations take place. For more information, seewww.eurotransplant.org

What we offer

We offer a PhD position on an exciting topic at the intersection of data science and combinatorial optimization. The project will take place in a very stimulating environment, and the cooperation with Eurotransplant allows for real-life impact of the results. The position is fully funded, and the student receives a gross salary which ranges from € 2.325 per month in the first year increasing up to € 2.972 in the fourth year.

The TU Eindhoven offers a broad package of fringe benefits (e.g. excellent technical infrastructure, child daycare and excellent sports facilities).

Being a PhD student in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, every PhD student gets paid a salary; no additional grants are needed. Moreover, although PhD students sometimes take courses, there is no minimum requirement. Hence, PhD students are more like employees than like students. Indeed, the Dutch word for PhD student translates to "research trainee". The work of a PhD student may include assisting in courses of BSc or MSc programs of the department.

This amounts to around 10% of the time; the remaining time is spent on research and research-related activities.