In this challenge, a team of 3-5 third year bachelor students will work on your health science challenge. Students will use a sound, but effective scientific approach to address and solve your practical challenge, making use of scientific literature, (collecting) research data and getting feedback from supervisors and colleagues.

✅ Key features of the challenge

• Students per team: 3-5 students
• Course: Bachelorstage Gezondheidswetenschappen
• Programme: Bachelor Gezondheidswetenschappen Gezondheidswetenschappen | Studiegids (vu.nl)
• No. of hours spent per team: 1500-2500 hours
• Deliverables: A report (optional: in the form of slides) and a presentation, plus any deliverables on request.
• Company time investment: Your time involvement is 12-16 hours in total (e.g., (bi-)weekly (short) meetings, interviews, final presentation, etc.).
• Matching fee: €750,-

📑 Main Deliverables and Challenge Examples

The main deliverables are a thesis (compulsory for their study programme), a presentation and an advisory report (in the form of slides) containing recommendations for your challenge, or any other mutually agreed product.

Any challenge that deals with a health or healthcare topic can be suitable.

Some examples from previous years:

• Help us improve provisions at work for informal caregivers 
• Help us find out how healthy nutrition can prevent addiction 
• Help us improve quality of life in bladder cancer survivors
• How can we improve the physical condition of children and teenagers with cerebral palsy?
• What new innovations are available to better treat age-related diseases?
• How can professional caregivers better support informal caregivers?
• Which elements influence the food choice of people with a serious addiction?
• What is the relationship between the proximity to cafes and restaurants and being overweight?
• Help us understand Antwerp’s maternal healthcare landscape to improve it 
• Help us strengthen the physical condition and protein consumption of older adults in a multicultural setting 
• Help us raise risk awareness of unprescribed ritalin use in younger adults
• Help us predict training success of airborne brigade recruits based on their physical traits at younger age
• Help us detect atrial fibrillation before it becomes a problem, using a self-diagnostic mobile app

Insights are developed based on interviews with relevant stakeholders, data (e.g. questionnaire data) and information you provide around the topic, desk research, state-of-the-art academic literature, and practically relevant tools. This analysis will allow you to make better decisions for your health science challenge.

🏢 Requirement for participating companies

• Any company/organization from industries related to health and healthcare with at least 10 employees can apply.
  • For example: Hospitals, healthcare institutions, organisations involved with health(technology), healthcare insurance companies, health research organisations.
• Be available during the kick-off and the final presentation (see planning).
• Adequate involvement (6-10 hours) during the course by being available for interim (brief) updates and to answer team questions.

💰 Costs

Master Challenge will charge a matching fee of €750,- (ex tax).

❗️You will only be charged when matched to a team.

📨 How to apply

You can submit the challenge directly through the website. Provide a title that summarises the challenge. Subsequently, briefly elaborate on your challenge. See link for a template you could use: https://link.masterchallenge.me/challenge-template or use the challenge generator: https://masterchallenge.me/challenge-generator

🗓 Planning

• January 17: Deadline for submitting your challenge
• February 13 (or sooner): Receiving message if your challenge is approved by the Course Coordinator
• February 20-21: Matching phase
• March first/second week: Kick-off meeting with your team (your team will contact you to set up the meeting)
• May last week: Final presentations

Questions? Want to discuss your challenge before submitting one? Feel free to schedule a call 👉 here.