OOA Training Plan
In 2021 we implemented a new uniform OOA PhD candidate Training Plan at all three research locations. The main goal is that all Amsterdam-based PhD candidates in oncology acquire and develop the right skills and knowledge that will ensure a successful career, either within or outside academia. Our Training Plan is mandatory for all OOA PhD candidates starting their doctoral research as of January 1, 2021, and includes a number of obligatory educational and training elements essential for every PhD candidate, complemented by a number of optional courses that can be tailored to individual needs, interests and background. For detailed information: Amsterdam UMC location AMC, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, NKI-AvL

Professional knowledge
Our professional knowledge courses focus on cutting-edge scientific topics and the core research activities at the associated institutes, covering specific tumor types and topics within oncology, as well as new groundbreaking technologies which will provide the students with the right skills and expertise to apply these methods in their own research. The ‘Basic Oncology’ course provides new PhD candidates with a solid foundation in the field of oncology.

Personal development
A subset of our courses is aimed at improving the ‘general skills’ of PhD candidates, which will not only help them successfully complete their PhD project, but also better prepare them for a future job. In 2020 we  developed an extensive Ethics and Integrity in Science course and made it mandatory for all OOA PhD candidates. This course is designed to give early career PhD candidates a benchmark for values and ethical issues in scientific research, and also provides guidance to available resources and counselors in case issues of this nature arise in the future. 

OOA retreat
Due to our focus on oncology and affiliation with cancer treatment centers, we highly value the translation of basic research findings into clinical applications, and vice versa. We therefore stimulate cooperation and integration of fundamental and clinical researchers by, for example, organizing scientific events that strongly stimulate social interaction, such as the annual OOA retreat. Read more.

Cooperation with other graduate schools
Our OOA PhD candidates are allowed to join courses and educational activities organized by other (research) institutes and graduate schools as well. We closely collaborate with the Amsterdam UMC Doctoral School, AvL Academy, Medical Genetics Centre South-West Netherlands (Medisch Genetisch Centrum Zuid-West Nederland – MGC) and the Utrecht Graduate School of Life Sciences (Clinical & Translational Oncology – CTO). These collaborations complement our educational program, allowing a better match with individual interests and needs of PhD candidates and expanding the opportunities to cooperate and interact.