Eating disorders have a profound impact on both individuals with the illness and their caregivers, who play a vital role in recovery but often experience substantial burden and psychological distress.
The New Maudsley Collaborative Care Approach (NMCCA), and its Dutch adaptation Samen de eetstoornis aanpakken, have demonstrated encouraging benefits for caregiving skills and caregiver well-being. Building on the promising effects, various studies are planned.
Your jobBuilding on these promising findings, this PhD project will evaluate the effectiveness of the training, examine carers' emotion regulation as a mechanism of change, identify unmet support needs to inform tailored interventions, and investigate the contribution of lived experience expertise using both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Your qualities
We are looking for an enthusiastic independently working, proactive candidate who has a genuine interest in eating disorders and their loved ones and a strong motivation to conduct research. Clinical experience in the field of eating disorders and experience conducting both quantitative and qualitative research are considered strong assets. A strong interest in the role of lived experience expertise in eating disorder care is desirable. Excellent communication skills and proficiency of the Dutch language, both spoken and written, are essential, as the project involves conducting qualitative interviews with Dutch-speaking participants.
Furthermore your suitability is ideally exemplified by:
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The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences is one of the leading faculties in Europe providing research and academic teaching in cultural anthropology, educational sciences, interdisciplinary social science, pedagogical sciences, psychology, and sociology. Almost 7,000 students are enrolled in a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programmes. The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences has some 1,100 faculty and staff members, all providing their individual contribution to the training and education of young talent and to the research into and finding solutions for scientific and societal issues.
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The faculty attaches great importance to the fact that its employees can be widely deployed in the university organization, now and in the future, to further professionalize the support of education and research. To encourage this, every employee is given the time and facilities – for example in the form of training – at some point in their career to participate in projects or work in other departments. Characteristics that the faculty considers important are involvement, the ability to collaborate and flexibility.
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More informationFor more information about this position, please contact dr. Jojanneke Bijsterbosch by j.m.bijsterbosch@uu.nl.
Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.
Apply nowAs Utrecht University, we want to be a home for everyone. We value staff with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and identities, including cultural, religious or ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment in which everyone can flourish and contribute.
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To apply, please send your curriculum vitae, including a letter of motivation, via the ‘apply now’ button.
Please note that international candidates that need a visa/work permit for the Netherlands require at least four months processing time after selection and acceptance. Our International Service Desk (ISD) can answer your questions about living in the Netherlands as international staff. Finding appropriate housing in or near Utrecht is your own responsibility, but the ISD may be able to advise you therewith. In case of general questions about working and living in The Netherlands, please consult the Dutch Mobility Portal.
The first round of interviews are scheduled for Monday 24th of August.
An assessment is part of the procedure.
The application deadline is 16 August 2026.
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