PhD Position: Fatigue in Motion

Employment

1.0 FTE

Gross monthly salary

€ 3,204 - € 4,051

Required background

Research University Degree

Organizational unit

Faculty of Social Sciences

Application deadline

30 September 2026

Fatigue profoundly impacts mobility and quality of life in people with neurological disorders, yet its effects on everyday movement remain poorly understood. In this PhD project, you will combine cutting-edge physiological measurements, motion analysis and wearable technology to uncover how fatigue shapes mobility in daily life.

This PhD project investigates how fatigue affects gait, balance and functional mobility in individuals with neurological disorders. A key component of the project is the use of plethysmography to assess physiological responses associated with physical and cognitive fatigue, combined with advanced motion analysis in the laboratory and wearable sensors in daily life. By linking physiological markers of fatigue to movement quality and real-world activity, you will gain new insights into why mobility deteriorates during daily activities and how fatigue limits participation.

This project is embedded within the NWO-TTW funded Care is Coming Home programme. This large multidisciplinary consortium brings together academic medical centres, universities, healthcare organisations and industry partners to develop and implement innovative technologies for home-based healthcare and rehabilitation. The PhD project Fatigue in Motion is conducted in close collaboration with Sint Maartenskliniek, a leading specialist hospital in posture, gait and movement disorders, and Kinetic Analysis, an expert partner in advanced movement measurement and analysis.

As a PhD candidate, you will play a central role in the design and execution of this research project. Your responsibilities will include developing study protocols, conducting laboratory and real-world measurements, analysing quantitative and qualitative data, and disseminating findings through scientific publications and conference presentations. You will collaborate closely with clinicians, researchers and industry partners across the consortium to advance the assessment and understanding of fatigue-related mobility limitations in neurological populations.

Additional responsibilities may include mentoring BSc and MSc students and taking on limited teaching duties.

Would you like to learn more about what it’s like to pursue a PhD at Radboud University? Visit the page about working as a PhD candidate.

At Radboud University, I can fully focus on expanding my expertise while learning from my peers and mentors. Noemí Segura-Solé PhD candidate in Microbial Ecology

Noemí Segura-Solé is a PhD candidate in Microbial Ecology.

“After completing my Master’s degree in Norway, I looked at several European universities for a PhD position, including the university where I studied. Then I saw a job opportunity at Radboud University, which aligned perfectly with my interests. After a great first impression of my supervisors during the job interview and positive feedback about Radboud University from my network, I decided to take the leap and move to Nijmegen. It was a risk to leave my Norwegian comfort zone, but I am extremely satisfied with my choice.

From the start, I immediately felt welcomed by the whole department. I have many social interactions with other PhD candidates, and the senior researchers are very approachable and interested in my research. The working conditions for PhD candidates here are also excellent: a good salary, plenty of days off, and flexible working hours. The latter is an added bonus because I already had two children when I started my PhD. Thanks to these factors, I can fully focus on expanding my expertise while learning from my peers and mentors.”

Does this sound like you?

• You hold an MSc degree in Human Movement Sciences, Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, Technical Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, Medicine, or a related field, and have a strong interest in clinical research.
• You have experience with movement analysis, physiological measurements, and/or qualitative research methods, combined with excellent analytical, organisational and communication skills in both Dutch and English.
• You are proactive and persistent, and enjoy working at the interface of neuroscience, technology, rehabilitation and clinical practice.

What we offer you

• We will give you a temporary employment contract (1.0 FTE) of 1.5 years, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, your contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4-year contract).
• You will receive a starting salary of €3,204 gross per month based on a 38-hour working week, which will increase to €4,051 in the fourth year (salary scale P).
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus.
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20.

Additional employment conditions

Work and science require good employment practices. Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions reflect this. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself. For example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports membership. In addition, you receive a 34% discount on the sports and cultural activities at Radboud University as an employee. And, of course, we offer a good pension plan. We also give you plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

Where you will be working

You will be embedded in the Sensorimotor Neuroscience department of the Donders Centre for Cognition (DCC), part of the Faculty of Social Sciences, and one of the six centres of the interfaculty Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour. The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour houses more than 800 researchers devoted to understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of the human mind. Research at the Donders Institute is focused around four themes:

1. Language and communication.
2. Perception, action and decision making.
3. Development and lifelong plasticity.
4. Neural computation and neurotechnology.

Excellent, state-of-the-art research facilities are available for the broad range of neuroscience research that is being conducted at the Donders Institute. The Donders Institute fosters a collaborative, multidisciplinary and supportive research environment with a diverse international staff. English is the lingua franca at the Institute.

Faculty of Social Sciences
At the Faculty of Social Sciences, humanity and society are our focus; we study how people behave, think and feel. Within this context, we look at themes such as human behaviour and the human psyche, education and upbringing, communication, society and culture. The faculty provides education to 6,000 students and employs 700 staff. Education is organised into six programme clusters: Psychology; Artificial Intelligence; Pedagogical Sciences and Educational Sciences; Communication Science; Sociology; and Cultural Anthropology and Developmental Sociology, and the Radboud Centre Social Sciences as an institute for post-master education have been merged into the Social Sciences Education Institute. Our research is carried out within three research institutes: the Donders Centre for Cognition, the Behavioural Science Institute, and Radboud Social Cultural Research.

Radboud University
At Radboud University, we aim to make an impact through our work. We achieve this by conducting groundbreaking research, providing high-quality education, offering excellent support, and fostering collaborations within and outside the university. In doing so, we contribute indispensably to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. To accomplish this, we need even more colleagues who, based on their expertise, are willing to search for answers. We advocate for an inclusive community and welcome employees with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives.

If you want to learn more about working at Radboud University, follow our Instagram account and read stories from our colleagues.

Is this the job for you?

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Prof. dr. N. Keijsers. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application. We look forward to receiving your application.

The first interviews will take place on Monday 5 October. Any second interview will take place on Monday 12 October. You will preferably start your employment as soon as possible.

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure. It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates.

We would like to recruit our new colleague ourselves. Acquisition in response to this vacancy will not be appreciated.

Want to know more about this position?

Prof. N.L.W. Keijsers (Noël)

noel.keijsers [at] donders.ru.nl

Last modified: 21 August 2026 Share this page