Design4Health

Design4Health is a short, yet intensive programme (executive MBA-style) for young professionals with a background in business, engineering, medicine, design or related fields.

The programme brings together training in innovation and entrepreneurship in a real life clinical setting at UZ Leuven following the Biodesign methodology.

Biodesign was developed by Stanford University and is now a global phenomenon leading to successful healthcare innovations around the world.

Design4Health is recruiting enthusiastic individuals to form two interdisciplinary teams. The teams will receive an extensive introduction to the biodesign methodology before starting a two-week full time clinical immersion to observe needs in the operating theaters or rehabilitation department of UZ Leuven. Each team then selects the most urgent need to develop a solution with market potential by the end of the project. Teams are coached by experts in areas such as innovation, biodesign, healthcare management and engineering and they will experience a full innovation cycle from need to implementation.

Candidates are highly motivated to help shape the future of healthcare and are open to learning about efficient innovation processes. Candidates preferably have professional experience with innovation projects, excellent communication and collaboration skills and a proven track record of teamwork.

In practical terms, candidates must have a good knowledge of English and Dutch and be available for an introduction course from 3 to 6 July 2023, a two-week full time clinical immersion between 4 and 22 September 2023, and subsequent coaching sessions and time to work on an innovative solution ready for presentation by end of Q1 2024.

The programme is offered free of charge to the selected participants, who only need to cover costs for study materials, transport to and from Leuven and meals. The project is designed to allow for a combination with a full time occupation/job but does require great flexibility from the participants’ employers and family. The project partners do expect a commitment to complete the project.

You will be asked to fill in an online form as well as submit your motivation letter and curriculum vitae in English.
Eligible candidates must possess at least 3 of the criteria listed below and motivate all of the criteria in a motivation letter:

Deadline for applications: 19 June 2023 at noon. 

For more information, please contact design4healthleuven@gmail.com

Step 0: Prepare your materials

You are asked to upload your curriculum vitae and motivation letter in English.

Here are the guidelines to help you prepare.

Curriculum vitae:

• CV should not be more than 2 pages. In PDF.

Motivation letter:

• Should not be more than 1 page. In PDF.
• Explain first and foremost how motivated you are to contribute to the future of healthcare and how Design4health suits your entrepreneurial aspiration. 
• Also highlight how you expect Design4health to accelerate or change your career path or career opportunities.
• Explain how you fit the eligibility criteria (min. 3/5) and why we should select you to join one of our teams. If you lack certain eligibility criteria make sure to explain why this will not hinder the team. 
• Take home message: We encourage you to share your passions, values and vision for your future contribution to healthcare innovation with us. Do not simply repeat the information in the CV.

If you are done with the preparation, go to Step 1.

Step 1: Fill in the Application Form

Make sure to add design4healthleuven@gmail.com to your safe senders list in advance.

Fill in the online application form. Follow the instructions carefully. 

You will receive a copy of the data you submitted by e-mail from Google Forms.

Wait for this e-mail to arrive before going to Step 2. Check the spam folder in case you do not find the e-mail immediately.

Step 2: E-mail your attachments

Forward the copy of the data you submitted in Step 1 and attach your maximum two attachments from Step 0. 

Send the complete application file to design4healthleuven@gmail.com with ‘Design4Health 2023: ‘Yourfirstname Yourlastname’ in the title. The deadline is 19 June 2023 at noon.

Step 3: Thank you!

You are officially an applicant, thank you! All you have to do now is to sit back and relax until we contact you with an update about your application.

We hope to receive many applications so we ask you to understand that we will not communicate about the status of your application until it has reached the next selection phase. 

If you wish to resubmit your application because you forgot to mention an important aspect, feel free to do so by starting from scratch (including a new online form). Make sure to do this before the deadline, of course.

This project is organised by partners Health House, KU Leuven Research & Development, University Hospitals Leuven and KU Leuven Faculty of Medicine with the kind support of Provincie Vlaams-Brabant.