Fully Funded PhD in AI Foundation Models for Oncology at University of Amsterdam & Netherlands Cancer Institute

Are you passionate about Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Computer Vision, and Healthcare Innovation? The Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Kaiko.ai, is offering an exciting fully funded PhD position focused on developing next-generation Foundation Models for Oncology.

This prestigious PhD opportunity is part of the national NWO Perspectief FIND (Foundation Models for Industry) project and offers candidates the chance to work at the forefront of AI-driven cancer research while earning a PhD degree from the University of Amsterdam.

Position Overview

• Position Title: PhD Student – Foundation Models for Oncology

• Institution: Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI)

• PhD Degree Awarded By: University of Amsterdam (UvA)

• Research Partners: Kaiko.ai, FIND Consortium

• Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

• Duration: 4 Years

• Expected Start Date: September 1, 2026

• Working Hours: 36 Hours per Week

• Application Deadline: June 30, 2026

• Monthly Salary: €3,738 – €4,539 (Gross)

About the Project

Foundation Models are revolutionizing artificial intelligence by enabling knowledge transfer across tasks, datasets, and application domains. While large foundation models have achieved remarkable success in language and natural image processing, significant challenges remain in applying these technologies to healthcare and oncology.

Medical data presents unique challenges, including:

• Three-dimensional imaging data

• Multimodal patient information

• Longitudinal disease progression

• Limited labeled datasets

• Strict privacy requirements

This PhD project aims to develop a new generation of oncology-specific foundation models capable of learning from complex medical data sources such as:

• Radiology imaging

• Histopathology slides

• Clinical records

• Longitudinal patient cohorts

The ultimate goal is to create scalable and transferable AI systems that improve cancer diagnosis, treatment planning, and patient monitoring.

Research Areas

Successful candidates will conduct cutting-edge research in:

• Artificial Intelligence

• Foundation Models

• Deep Learning

• Machine Learning

• Computer Vision

• Medical Imaging

• Oncology Informatics

• Multimodal Learning

• Representation Learning

• Healthcare AI

PhD Research Responsibilities

As a PhD researcher, you will:

Develop Novel Foundation Models

• Design innovative pre-training and post-training methods for oncology data.

• Build AI systems capable of learning from multimodal medical information.

Advance Medical AI Architectures

• Create new deep learning architectures.

• Model spatial, temporal, and multimodal relationships within patient data.

Clinical Applications

Evaluate AI models on clinically relevant tasks such as:

• Cancer detection

• Medical image segmentation

• Structured clinical reporting

• Disease progression prediction

Publish High-Impact Research

You will be encouraged to publish your work in leading AI conferences and journals, including:

• NeurIPS

• ICLR

• CVPR

• MICCAI

• Top-tier medical AI journals

Collaborate Across Disciplines

Work closely with:

• AI researchers

• Computer vision experts

• Clinicians

• Cancer researchers

• Industry partners

• Data scientists

Complete a PhD Thesis

The position culminates in the successful completion and defense of a doctoral dissertation within four years.

Why Study at the Netherlands Cancer Institute?

The Netherlands Cancer Institute is one of Europe’s leading cancer research and treatment centers, combining world-class scientific research with patient care.

Benefits of joining NKI include:

• Access to large-scale oncology datasets

• Collaboration with internationally recognized researchers

• State-of-the-art computational infrastructure

• Direct interaction with clinicians and cancer specialists

• Strong translational research focus

Researchers will also become part of the prestigious FIND Consortium, bringing together leading Dutch universities, research institutes, and industry partners working on next-generation foundation models.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must have:

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Data Science, Machine Learning, or a related discipline.

• Strong background in Machine Learning and Computer Vision.

• Excellent programming skills, preferably in Python.

• Strong mathematical foundation in:

  • Statistics

  • Probability Theory

  • Linear Algebra

  • Calculus

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.

• Strong English communication and academic writing skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Candidates with the following will be highly competitive:

• Research experience in Deep Learning.

• Experience with Medical Imaging.

• Prior publications in AI or Computer Vision conferences.

• GitHub portfolio demonstrating technical projects.

• Experience with large-scale machine learning systems.

Salary and Benefits

The selected PhD candidate will receive an attractive employment package, including:

Financial Benefits

• Gross monthly salary between €3,738 and €4,539.

• Annual holiday allowance of 8.33%.

• End-of-year bonus of 8.33%.

• Travel reimbursement (€0.23 per kilometer).

Work-Life Benefits

• 144 annual holiday hours.

• 57 hours Personal Life Budget.

• Free parking.

• Public transportation discounts.

• Bicycle purchase scheme.

Professional Development

• PhD degree from the University of Amsterdam.

• Training through the AVL Academy.

• Access to oncology-focused education programs.

• Opportunity to attend international conferences.

• Membership in an active PhD community.

Required Application Documents

Applicants must submit a single PDF containing:

1. Motivation Letter

2. Research Statement outlining initial research ideas

3. Curriculum Vitae (CV)

4. List of Publications (if applicable)

5. Link to Master’s Thesis

6. Link to GitHub Profile

7. Academic Transcripts (Bachelor’s and Master’s)

8. Project and Publication List (maximum 2 pages)

9. Contact Details of at least Two Academic Referees

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Research Environment

The successful candidate will work within the Foundation Models for Oncology (fomo.fo) Lab and collaborate with internationally recognized researchers, including:

• Prof. Dr. Lodewyk Wessels

• Dr. Jonas Teuwen

• Dr. Kevin Groot Lipman

• Prof. Dr. Cees Snoek

The position is also connected to:

• University of Amsterdam’s Video & Image Sense (VIS) Lab

• ELLIS Network of Excellence in AI

• Kaiko.ai

• National FIND Consortium

This provides exceptional opportunities for networking, collaboration, and career development in both academia and industry.

Application Deadline

June 30, 2026

Expected Start Date

September 1, 2026

Final Thoughts

This fully funded PhD position offers an exceptional opportunity for students interested in Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning, Computer Vision, and Healthcare Innovation. By joining the Netherlands Cancer Institute and the University of Amsterdam, you will contribute to the development of next-generation AI systems that could transform cancer diagnosis and treatment worldwide.

If your goal is to build a research career at the intersection of AI and medicine, this PhD opportunity should be at the top of your list.