What is an Industrial PhD? And how do you apply for one?

BASICS

• An Industrial PhD is a collaboration between a student, a university and a private enterprise
• An Industrial PhD is granted by the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation, which supports the financing of the PhD (salary subsidy for the PhD student and operating funding for the university)
• Requirements to be fulfilled by the PhD student: Weighted grade point average of 8.2 (9 on the 13-point grading scale) for the entire study programme and a minimum grade of 10 for your thesis
• If you want to write an Industrial PhD, you should call, write or schedule a personal meeting with the researcher or enterprise working within your field of interest. Ask them whether they would be interested in collaborating with you on an Industrial PhD
• You can find details on the application procedure on the Danish Science, Technology and Innovation’s website. Application deadlines in 2010: 1 February, 12 April, 16 August and 8 October

 

DETAILED INFORMATION

What is an Industrial PhD?

An Industrial PhD is a collaboration between a student, a university and a private enterprise The PhD student is employed with the enterprise, but is enrolled at the university. The PhD student has a supervisor from both the enterprise and the university.

 

An Industrial PhD takes three years and is granted by the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation, which supports the financing of the PhD. The Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation gives the enterprise a salary subsidy of DKK 14,500 per month, while the rest of the salary is paid by the enterprise. The Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation also grants a subsidy to the university to cover supervision, operations etc.

 

 

How can you get started on an Industrial PhD?

Networking is the key. An Industrial PhD programme is often started because a researcher and an enterprise decide that they want to collaborate on establishing such a programme. You therefore need to use your network at the university or in the business community to enquire about the possibilities of doing an Industrial PhD. Call, write or schedule a personal meeting with the researcher or enterprise working within your field of interest. Ask if they would be interested in being your supervisor or can help you find an enterprise or a university supervisor.

Remember that you can both contact people at the university or in an enterprise.

 

 

Do you fulfil the requirements for being an Industrial PhD student?

In order to be considered for an Industrial PhD, you must have a weighted grade point average of 8.2 (9 on the 13-point grading scale) for the entire study programme and a minimum grade of 10 for your thesis.

If you do not find a supervisor on your own, you can write to . Please enclose your CV and diplomas, and state your research idea and what your thesis was about, if relevant. Please also indicate that you have the required grades for an Industrial PhD. At LIFE, we will then consider whether your interests match an academic area which is interested in collaborating on an Industrial PhD.

 

 

Application

The application for an Industrial PhD is written in a collaboration between the university and the enterprise.

In some cases, a candidate for an Industrial PhD will participate in writing the application. Speak to your supervisors and find out whether and how you can participate in the process.

The application must be sent to the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation. There are four application deadlines a year: In 2010, the deadlines are 1 February, 12 April, 16 August and 8 October.

 

 

Only few Industrial PhDs advertised

Once in a while, a researcher and an enterprise collaborate on writing an application for the Industrial PhD programme without having a candidate beforehand. Once the Industrial PhD has been granted, the university and the enterprise will start looking for a suitable student.

Advertisements for Industrial PhD positions can be found via the University of Copenhagen’s job portal. Industrial PhD candidates are only rarely sought via this type of advertisement, however, so you should keep up-to-date on a regular basis and make sure to explore other options at the same time.

 

 

 

LINKS

If you would like to know all the details on the scheme, you can find more information on the following websites:

 

The Danish Science, Technology and Innovation’s website

 

Business Affairs’ website

 

 

Contact information

You are also welcome to contact us at Business Affairs.

 

Stine Vedel Rasmussen

Business Affairs

Bülowsvej 17

1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark

 

Dir. tel.: +45 353-32050

Email: svra