Trainee (Relationship between study population,subgroup analyses & indication for cancer medicines)

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 Therapeutic Areas Department.

Specific objectives and projects

Recent developments in cancer diagnosis and treatment have dramatically improved survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients, with cancer medicines representing the therapeutic area with the most number of approvals. 

Since further development and spending on cancer drugs are expected to continue to rise, and as the joint clinical assessments are kicking off with cancer medicines, it is important to take stock of the experience to understand the relationship between the clinical data (focusing on study population and subgroup analyses) and the finally agreed indication to further inform future assessments and potentially better alignment between regulatory and reimbursement decisions. 

The trainee will be expected, with support from relevant colleagues, to identify products in scope and retrieve, from their assessment reports, the discussion and rationale for the agreed indication, as well as the details of the clinical data provided specifically with regard to the studied patient population and subgroup analyses; the trainee will then be expected to evaluate the impact of such elements and draw learnings as part of a report or a potential publication. 

Learning outcomes

Through this work, the trainee will:
- gain insight in the review and approval of cancer medicines, 
- familiarise themselves with the centralised procedure review process and EU regulatory framework, 
- enhance existing skills in data analysis, scientific writing and communication.

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 pharmacy, medicine or 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

• Good analytical and communication skills.
• It is an advantage if you already have existing knowledge in cancer and/or medical statistics.

Behavioural Competencies

You will demonstrate the following behavioural competencies:

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

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.