• 3-6 months
  • Start date: it is possible to start at any moment, after you have completed week 1 until 3 of the VALIDATE e-learning course, and in consultation with the hosting organization
  • Examination: HTA report

Goal and objectives

To receive a VALIDATE Advanced Certificate, we offer the possibility to take an internship project in which you apply the knowledge acquired in the e-learning course to a real-life case or healthcare policy issue. During this internship project you will:

  • Apply the knowledge acquired in the e-learning course in a real work environment
  • Discover, confirm, or rule out an interest in pursuing a career in the HTA field
  • Acquire the skills and competences demanded by HTA units/agencies around the world
  • Gain practical and professional experience in performing a comprehensive HTA wherein the study of safety, clinical and cost-effectiveness of healthcare technologies and their wider ethical, legal and social implications, and views of stakeholders, are closely integrated
  • "Test-drive" a particular working environment where you may hope to land a full-time job
  • Build a broader professional network

Eligibility criteria

The following candidates will be eligible to take a VALIDATE internship project:

  • Has completed week 1 until week 3 of the VALIDATE e-learning course
  • Has completed a first degree (BSc) or graduate degree (MSc or PhD) programme within the last 2 to 4 years, OR is an early career HTA professional (defined as professionals working in an HTA organization which are at the beginning of their professional career)

Place and duration of the internship

Recognizing the challenges that some potential candidates may face in carrying out the internship, it is possible to perform the project either intra-mural (i.e. inside and with physical presence at the hosting organization) or extra-mural (i.e. at home or in a place different from the hosting organization by means of digital tools).

The recommended duration of the internship project is 3-6 months (full-time). But the exact duration will be determined in consultation with the hosting organization and may depend on the requirements of your graduate (e.g. MSc or PhD) programme.

Type / topic of internship project

The topic can be decided upon by the candiate, but should be chosen in consultation with the hosting organization, and it could be related to a health technology, health policy issue (e.g. priority setting), or any healthcare organizational issue.

Examination and evaluation of the internship

The examination of the peformance of the internship candidate is based on an HTA report that is produced as an outcome of the internship. The grading will be performed by the supervisor at the hosting organization and one member of the VALIDATE faculty. For this the INAHTA checklist on quality of HTA reports will be used (see checklist). In addition, the minimium criteria used in evaluating the report that is part of the VALIDATE e-learning course final assignment will also be taken into account:

  1. Does the report answer the policy question and related research question(s)?
  2. Does it show a clear understanding of the concepts and methods that have been introduced in the VALIDATE course?
  3. Does the report provide relevant and valid arguments that support the conclusions and recommendations made? Does the argumentation refute the most common objections?
  4. Does the report adequately describe what sources of information have been used, how they are searched, accessed, evaluated, and synthesized?
  5. Does the format of the report satisfy the requirements?
  6. Is the report written in a well-structured and attractive way?
  7. Are the results clearly presented? Do findings follow logically from, and are they justified by, the data analysis? Are findings based on carefully described assumptions and rationale?
  8. Are conclusions linked to the findings? Are conclusions clear, clustred and prioritised?
  9. Are the recommendations linked to the conclusions? Are they fair, unbiased by personal or stakeholders’ views, and sufficiently detailed to be operationally applicable? Are they clustered and prioritised?

At the end of the internship the intern will also be asked to fill out an evaluation form to gather feedback on the VALIDATE programme and the intern’s experiences to identify areas of improvement. The supervisor will also be asked to fill out an evaluation form about his / her experiences with the intern and the VALIDATE programme.