Life Sciences Education Research

Research area

Life Sciences Education Research encompasses high quality educational research in (bio)medical and health science disciplines. The program is dedicated to prepare and support (care)professionals in (bio)medical sciences and health professions education (HPE) for providing outstanding (bio)medical quality and safety in collaboration with patients and other stakeholders in the complex environment of health. The programme aim is linked to quality and innovations in education at all academic levels as well as continuous education of professionals by translating research to learning. The program encloses several interconnected themes on research of learning in the Life Sciences from a multidisciplinary perspective, e.g.: diversity and inclusion, interprofessional learning and feedback, teachers’ professional development, continuous education, participation of patients in education, digital tools in education, translational science, and more.

Profile of prospective PhD candidates

The PhD candidate is appointed at the Faculty of Science, Medicine or Veterinary Medicine.
The PhD topic, or a part of it, is related to education in science, (bio)medical education, or veterinary education. The Executive Programme Committee relies on the judgment of the (daily) supervisor.
Proficiency in English.

Mission of the training programme

The programme Health Professions & Life Sciences Education Research provides a community for PhD candidates in Life Sciences. Within this programme, PhD candidates are trained in conducting high quality educational research in the disciplines of education in science, (bio)medical education, or veterinary education. The community is of multidisciplinary nature by combining Educational Sciences with the Life Sciences.

The programme is dedicated to provide an open community in supporting PhD candidates in education in science, (bio)medical education, or veterinary education. The programme provides outstanding quality and a safe community in which PhD candidates collaborate with each other, with patients, and with other stakeholders in the complex environment of life sciences. The programme has a collaboration with the UMCU-UCSF doctoral training programme and provides a unique opportunity for PhD candidates to build a multidisciplinary and international network of peers. In 2010, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) joined in collaboration with Utrecht University Medical Center (UMC Utrecht) to offer the Doctoral Programme in Health Professions Education. This collaboration stands for an impactful and rigorous programme for scholarly advancement of health professions education researchers.

More specific, the aim is to provide PhD candidates of the Faculties of Science, Medicine and Veterinary Medicine with an inclusive multidisciplinary community, in which they are supported to become independent researchers and develop as a person and professional. Within this community we will bring PhD candidates of different disciplines together, so that they can become multidisciplinary thinkers that can translate between theory and professional practice. Within this community they are supported to carry out impactful and rigorous educational research that contributes to the development of state-of-the-art professionals. Professionals who:

are thoughtful
are creative problem solvers;
take responsibility for patients, self and society;
are skilled in communication and societal debates;
are leaders
know how to use innovative technological solutions;
collaborate interprofessionally and interdisciplinary
are lifelong learners.

Consequently, the programme’s aim is linked to quality and innovations in education within Utrecht University at Ba, Ma, Postgraduate and PhD level as well as continuous education of professionals by translating research to learning.

Objectives

To provide a research and training community for PhD candidates from different disciplines within the Life Sciences (the Faculties of Science, Medicine and Veterinary Medicine), who are committed to educational research.
To provide high quality training in practical and methodological knowledge and skills needed to conduct high quality educational research within the Life Sciences domains.
To provide opportunities for PhD candidates to develop and practice with more general transferable academic skills, such as scientific writing, presenting, critical thinking, and collaborating with other researchers. Skills that enable PhD candidates to operate as professionals whether they stay in academia or when pursuing a career outside of academia.
To develop and validate new (domain specific) knowledge about Health Professions and Life Sciences education, training and learning.
To create awareness about the responsibilities and integrity of scientific researchers.
To contribute to educational innovations in general and of Utrecht University and University Medical Center Utrecht in particular.