Job description
You will develop a mathematical framework for multiple testing, enabling flexibility in study design, analysis, and model choice while retaining strong error guarantees. This means that researchers can adapt their research questions and sampling plans to the data as they come in and in a way that is as model-free as possible. We achieve this by combining three recent exciting novel developments in mathematical statistics. The new theory of hypothesis testing with e-values, co-developed by Dr. Rianne de Heide, allows for flexible sampling plans. Prof. Jelle Goeman co-developed the closed testing framework that gives flexibility for defining research questions in a data-dependent way. Thirdly, we add permutation- and knockoff-based methods that allow for relatively model-free inference. In this project, we aim to combine the strengths of these three frameworks into a novel and coherent whole.
The project is funded by an M2 grant from NWO (the Dutch research council), and is a collaboration between the University of Twente (UT) and the Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC). The grant funds two PhD students and a scientific programmer. You will be supervised by both Rianne de Heide and Jelle Goeman. One PhD student will be appointed at the UT, and one PhD student at the LUMC. We collaborate very closely, e.g. have group meetings, together with the PhD students who are already working on these topics and are co-supervised by Goeman and De Heide. If you apply to this vacancy, you can indicate you preference for getting appointed at the UT or at the LUMC. Therefore, you can also apply here if you have a preference for working at the LUMC.
You will:
- Perform daily PhD-level research
- Publish results in journals and conference proceedings, and present these at (inter)national workshops and conferences.
- Contribute to teaching activities related to your work.
- Be a part of an excellent young research group, and benefit from frequent (virtual) interaction with other internationally renowned research groups working on e-values and multiple testing, such as at CWI (Amsterdam), in Italy, and the US.
We are an inclusive group and diversity is at the heart of our research principles. We care about a good working atmosphere and a good work-life balance. Applications from all groups currently under-represented in academic posts are especially encouraged. We particularly encourage women and people from minority groups to apply.
Your profile
- You have or will shortly acquire a master’s degree in (applied) mathematics or a related degree with a strong theoretical mathematical component.
- Enthusiasm for the topic of the project is more important than your choice of specialization in your master’s.
- Good scientific programming skills, e.g. in R, Python, C++, Julia, etc.
- You are proficient in English.
Our offer
- As a PhD candidate at UT, you will be appointed to a full-time position for four years, with a qualifier in the first year, within a very stimulating and exciting scientific environment;
- The University offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues;
- Your salary and associated conditions are in accordance with the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU);
- You will receive a gross monthly salary ranging from € 2.901,- (first year) to € 3.707,- (fourth year);
- There are excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, and a solid pension scheme;
- The flexibility to work (partially) from home;
- A minimum of 232 leave hours in case of full-time employment based on a formal workweek of 38 hours. A full-time employment in practice means 40 hours a week, therefore resulting in 96 extra leave hours on an annual basis.
- Free access to sports facilities on campus
- A family-friendly institution that offers parental leave (both paid and unpaid);
- You will have a training programme as part of the Twente Graduate School where you and your supervisors will determine a plan for a suitable education and supervision;
- We encourage a high degree of responsibility and independence, while collaborating with close colleagues, researchers and other staff.
The offer at LUMC is comparable to our UT offer.
Information and application
Are you interested in this position? Please send your application via the 'Apply now' button below before September 1, 2025, and include:
- A cover letter (maximum 2 pages A4), emphasizing your specific interest, qualifications, motivations to apply for this position.
- A Curriculum Vitae, including a list of all courses attended and grades obtained.
- Your master’s thesis, or in case it is not available or not in English, another scientific document you wrote completely by yourself in English.
- Contact information of two references who we may contact.
We will review applications on a rolling horizon. As soon as we find a suitable candidate, we will arrange an interview. If it turns out to be a match from both sides, we will hire the candidate either at the UT or the LUMC (you can indicate your preference). We will close the vacancy as soon as these two positions are filled.
For more information regarding this position, you are welcome to contact Dr. Rianne de Heide via the following email address: [email protected]. Do not send your application to this e-mail address. Applications via e-mail cannot be taken into consideration. Make sure to submit all required documents. Incomplete applications will be discarded immediately.
About the department
Statistics Research Group Twente: The research focus of the statistics group is on the development of statistical methodology for new data applications and the theoretical analysis of machine learning methods, in particular neural networks. A list of members of the statistics group can be found here. The statistics group is embedded within a larger data science initiative at the University of Twente’s department of applied mathematics. We stand for life sciences and technology, high tech and human touch, education and research that matter, new technology that leads change and innovation and progress in society. The University of Twente is the only campus university in the Netherlands; divided into five faculties, we provide more than fifty educational programs. We have a strong focus on personal development, and talented researchers are given scope for carrying out groundbreaking research. The EEMCS faculty comprises three subject areas that shape Information and Communication Technology. ICT is more than communication. In almost every product we use, mathematics, electronics and computer technology contribute to all of society's activities. The faculty works together intensively with industrial and medical partners. The Department of Mathematics has as its objective to develop mathematics in the context of important societal problems. We do fundamental research and also encourage and support interdisciplinary collaborations. In applications, we focus on systems that are crucial to everyday life. We contribute to smart grids that make energy networks more efficient, mathematical models that assist medical doctors, schedules that make hospitals more efficient and numerical schemes to study multiscale fluid problems and wave propagation from nano to kilometer scales. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status. Because of our diversity values, we do particularly support women to apply.
LUMC Biomedical Data Science: The research focus of the medical statistics group at LUMC is on the development of statistical methodology and its application in medical research. It is the largest and most methods-focused medical statistics research group in the Netherlands, with a strong mix of theory and applied work, all motivated by data analysis challenges arising from real medical research.
About the organisation
The faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) uses mathematics, electronics and computer technology to contribute to the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). With ICT present in almost every device and product we use nowadays, we embrace our role as contributors to a broad range of societal activities and as pioneers of tomorrow's digital society. As part of a people-first tech university that aims to shape society, individuals and connections, our faculty works together intensively with industrial partners and researchers in the Netherlands and abroad, and conducts extensive research for external commissioning parties and funders. Our research has a high profile both in the Netherlands and internationally. It has been accommodated in three multidisciplinary UT research institutes: Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Centre and Digital Society Institute.
