Trainee (Building Retrieval augmented generation system for Clinical trial system users, worldwide)

About the traineeship programme

The Agency is looking for motivated, qualified recent graduates or students on an Erasmus+ or other programme or PhD students or Master's students (who posses a previous degree), who are interested in gaining experience and contribute to the Agency’s work for every patient in Europe. The purpose of a traineeship at the Agency is to perform tasks that are predominantly in the interest of the trainee’s training and principally serve to increase the trainee’s knowledge and to gain relevant experience.

Placement description

We are looking for a trainee in the Data Analytics and Methods Task Force.

Specific objectives and projects

The trainee will be involved in a project consisting on developing an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven solution to enhance the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) response system for external queries from pharmaceutical industries, academia, hospitals, and patients.

The trainee will play a key role in optimizing EMA’s query response process, which currently handles over 1,000 inquiries per month on regulatory aspects of the conduction of clinical trials as well as on functionalities of the Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS).  

To do so, the trainee will be developing a retrieval augmented generation (RAG) tool that would be able to generate those responses, starting from Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) regulatory documents and CTIS support materials, including documents from European Commission and European Member States. The trainee's project would highly increase the team's efficiency and help ensure consistency in answers.

The trainee will be working with experts on Artificial Intelligence as well as with clinical trials professionals, gaining experience in both areas. 

The trainee will also be able to work on daily tasks on the management of both EMA's clinical trial databases (CTIS and EudraCT), to gain more hands-on experience on EMA core activities and processes. 
 

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes will be:
-  Acquire knowledge on technical and regulatory aspects of the key clinical trials database in the European Union, the Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) 
- Develop skills in Artificial Intelligence through building and maintaning a Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)
- Gain an understanding of the Clinical Trial Regulation and being able to read and interpret regulatory documents
-  Learn EMA key core activities and processes in place on the management of the European Union Clinical Trial databases
- Gain experience and knowledge in managing responses from external stakeholders (industries, academia, hospitals, patients) and contribute to a high-impact project. 

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for consideration for this placement, you are required to:

1. enjoy full rights as a citizen of a European Union Member State or Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway;
2. possess a university degree in data science, statistics, biostatistics, applied mathematics, or a related field, preferably with coursework or a focus on clinical trials, regulatory affairs, or healthcare data analytics ort life sciences (minimum of three years or more) that must have been obtained between 6 May 2024 and 6 May 2025 or be a university student on an Erasmus + or a similar programme or a PhD student or a Master's student with a previous fully finished degree in the areas mentioned before.
3. a thorough knowledge of English (at least level C1) and good knowledge of other official EU language (at least B2) of the Common European Framework for Languages

For criteria 1 and 2, you will be required to provide proof in the application form and at the interview stage. Failing to present these documents may result in the disqualification from the procedure.

Additional skills

Experience in using AI techniques in analysing unstructured data is very beneficial

Behavioural Competencies

You will demonstrate the following behavioural competencies:

• Communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Working with others
• Adaptability
• Research and analytical skills

Expected selection timelines

Conditions of traineeship

The traineeship is offered for 10 months (1 October 2025 – 31 July 2026) and takes place at the Agency’s premises in Amsterdam with possibility for teleworking up to 40% of working time from The Netherlands and occasional teleworking from outside The Netherlands. Traineeships are offered for either full-time or part-time (80% or 50%) if combined with university studies.

The Agency pays a monthly stipend of €1,942.19 for a full-time traineeship (reduced accordingly for 80% or 50%) and a travel contribution upon joining the Agency.

Each trainee will have a mentor at the Agency who will guide the trainee through the programme.

The conditions of employment are stated in the Executive Decision on rules governing the traineeship programme at the EMA available here.