Industrial Partnership PhDs

The College set up this programme to assist academics to create rewarding and ongoing collaborations with innovative industries. The programme provides part funding for PhD studentships working alongside industry.

We invite proposals for IPPs from academic staff for studentships throughout the year. Studentships will be part funded by Industry, and by the College Graduate School.

Benefits

For academics this programme will allow them to:

  • Supervise and act as mentors for students working on applied industry based projects
  • Participate in rewarding and ongoing collaborations with innovative industrial partners
  • Apply knowledge and expertise to issues faced by industry
  • Knowledge transfer
  • Realise and maximise impact from the research 
  • Increase industrial collaborations

For students the programme allows them to:

  • Undertake a PhD in an industrial setting as well as an academic background
  • Launch their career from an innovative platform
  • Access to industrial technologies

For businesses the programme will allow them to:

  • Develop innovative solutions to grow their business and increase their competitive advantage
  • Access academic expertise

Support

The programme assumes a stipend of £2,000 above the UKRI current level, tuition fees at the current UKRI level and consumables of £30,000 (£10,000 per annum for 3 years). This amounts to a total studentship cost of circa £125,000 for a 3.5 year PhD studentship. The Graduate School will fund up to 50% of these costs.

For Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (with staffing not exceeding 250 and a turnover lower than €50m – circa £44m) the industrial partner must contribute at least 33.3% of the total costs. The School will be required to fund the remaining 16.7%.

For non SMEs the industrial partner must contribute at least 50% of the total costs.

Application

To apply for this programme academics should complete the IPP Application Form‌ and ensure support is in place from the industrial partner and from their Head of School. Completed application forms should be returned to Lesley Dinning at the MVLS Graduate School.

  • If a higher stipend is required please provide details (note the industrial contribution would rise accordingly).
  • If more or less than £10K consumables per annum are required then the industrial contribution would be adjusted accordingly.
  • A letter of support will be required from the potential industrial partner (including the sum to be provided) plus a letter of support from the Head of School.

For SME supported projects there must be a statement verifying the School's financial commitment which will be circa £20,000. In such cases the letter must provide details of the University project code against which the School's financial commitment can be made. Applications that do not contain this information will be returned.

 IPP Application Form

Informal enquiries can be addressed to Lesley Dinning, MVLS Graduate School Manager.

Please be aware that it is the responsibility of the principal investigator to arrange for a Project Approval Form (PAF) to be completed from the industry funding.