The research in your group leads to great publications and new technological developments for the healthcare sector. However, the road to actual implementation is often still long. In the two-years post-master designers program Qualified Medical Engineer (QME), highly talented and intrinsically motivated academic engineers are trained to support the next steps in the development process. In their projects, they bring technology closer to healthcare, including real implementation in daily practice.
From day one, the trainee works on one large project in a healthcare institute, in close collaboration with your researchers (and sometimes also with medical industry). In addition, the trainee follows courses, workshops and training sessions with a focus on practical implementation of technology in healthcare. The program is certified: after graduation the candidate receives the nationally recognized title EngD (Engineering Doctorate). Regarding financing:
- the trainee is appointed for two years at the university (as a TOIO: technological designer in training) or at the healthcare institute/company (depending on the funding).
- most of the costs of the training program (roughly €60,000) are covered by the government (due to the EngD certificate bonus); furthermore, the employer is asked to contribute with €5,000 Euro per year.
For your information, in addition to PhD positions many grand providers - such as TTW and ZonMW - offer the option of including EngD positions in project proposals.
For further information, please see the attached flyers and www.tue.nl/qme. Please also pass this information over to your colleagues. Whenever you(r research group) is interested: please contact us at smpee.qme@tue.nl (or by person).
Best regards,
Prof.dr.ir. Frans van de Vosse
Director SMPE/e - QME
P.S. For your information: because the Dutch language is the professional language of healthcare in the Netherlands in general, trainees in this program can fluently communicate in Dutch (both oral and written, level C1 or C2). Furthermore, they can also communicate very well in English, so that they possibly can also have non-Dutch-speaking supervisors and - whenever expected - can write the project documentation in English.
Attachments: information for research groups, management summary
Extra information (in Dutch): participating healthcare institutes and companies, succesfully finalized design projects