Trainee (Inclusion of elderly patients in pivotal clinical trials supporting cancer indications)

This traineeship opportunity is open with an intake on 1 October 2026.

Traineeship at the European Medicines Agency (EMA)

Trainee (Inclusion of elderly patients in pivotal clinical trials supporting cancer indications)

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is a decentralised agency of the European Union (EU), located in Amsterdam. It is responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines in the EU.

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 possess a previous degree), who are interested in gaining experience and contributing 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 Oncology and radiopharmaceuticals Office.

Specific objectives and projects

1. In the context of an ageing cancer patient population, the trainee will review the available data supporting regulatory approvals, with a specific focus on data in older patients for selected cancer types, and compare these with current epidemiological data.
2. Leverage the existing oncology scientific memory database by integrating information from multiple sources to support future assessments and further enhance the quality of outputs and evidence-based benefit-risk assessments.

Learning outcomes

Through this project, the trainee will:

• develop knowledge of challenges related to clinical development in oncology;
• gain insight into the evaluation of human medicines and benefit-risk assessment, particularly in the area of solid tumours;
• understand the roles of the various stakeholders involved in the evaluation of human medicines;
• further develop reporting and communication skills.

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 2025 and 6 May 2026 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. have 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.

Additional skills

In addition to the eligibility criteria, you will have:

• analytical skills
• communication skills

Behavioural competencies

You will demonstrate the following behavioural competencies:

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

Conditions of traineeship

The traineeship is offered for 10 months (1 October 2026 – 31 July 2027) 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 €2,049.77 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.

recruitment@ema.europa.eu