Partnership PhD
The Partnership PhD programme provides an opportunity for industry employees to undertake a PhD project co-developed with the University of Glasgow and aligned with the research needs of the company.
Students under this programme will spend the majority of the PhD with their employer receiving support from an industrial and academic supervisor.
Benefits of partnering with us
- PhD projects are developed to provide innovative solutions to the company's challenges
- Opportunity to up-skill/reward staff thus increasing retention and enhacing staff knowledge base
- A relatively low-cost model for companies
- Enhancement of the relationship between the University and industry partners
Partners
Organisations can be UK-based or international. Students based at international partners study remotely and are expected to visit the University of Glasgow once a year for training/supervisory meetings on a vistor visa.
The inclusion of international organisations will be subject to confirmation from University Contracts regarding any tax implications.
Supervision
Students will have both a primary and secondary supervisor at the University, as well as a supervisor at their industrial sponsor.
Each student will go through the regular annual progression process and the examination process will be the same as for other PhD programmes.
External supervisors are required to undertake the University of Glasgow's online Supervisor Essentials course.
Fees
The fee charged to companies will be at the standard home rate for home and international students.
The partner will be expected to pay for the student to travel to the University of Glasgow when required and for students to attend at least one national or international conference per year to present their work.
The partner will also pay a contribution for consumables – the cost will vary depending on the requirements of the project and will be agreed with the University Supervisor.
Training
The Partnership PhD students will visit the University of Glasgow to engage in a three-day programme of intensive training.
Access to postgraduate taught and undergraduate courses will also be provided where this is useful for the project.
Students can also undertake additional researcher development training with the agreement of their supervisors.
Students will attend campus twice a year for meetings with their academic supervisor (once if working remotely at an international partner) and ideally, attend an in-person annual progress review.
FAQs
What is the duration of the PhD and how is this determined?
Projects will be designed to be completed in 42 months full-time or 84 months if part-time. If the students can translate their paid employment directly to research activity and their time is getting ring-fenced by their employer to do so, registration could be full-time. If this is not possible then part-time registration would be appropriate. A mixed model can be accommodated, where time periods of full-time and part-time activity can be accommodated flexibly, including through the fee status.
Why are international students fees charged at the standard home rate?
International students' resource requirement/access to facilities will be lower than students based on campus. Therefore we can offer an international fee waiver.
What is the standard home fee rate?
The standard home fee rate for 2024/25 is £4786. this will increase annually in line with the UK Research Council's standard fee rate.
What is the expected contribution towards consumables and travel that companies should pay?
The cost for consumables will vary depending on the requirements of the project and will be agreed with the academic supervisor but is estimated to be around £4000 per year in most cases. The cost would include consumables, and use of equipment, small percentage for administration support.
How is the Intellectual Property (IP) managed?
The IP is owned by the student, however, as the student is currently under an employment contract with the company, it is expected that the IP will be owned by the company. An NDA will be in place before the student commences any research at the University.
What happens if a student leaves their employer for any reason?
There are two options which are possible if a student leaves their employer:
- No fees for continuation of the doctorate are paid. At this point, the studentship would cease. An MSC by Research or MPhil may be awarded if sufficient work has been performed and a suitable thesis is provided.
- The student continues to pay the fees. In this case, the studentship could continue in the academic supervisor's lab, if this is viable (i.e. if sufficient facilities/equipment are available to complete the research).
Who will pay for the students to attend the in-person training at the University of Glasgow?
The partner should cover travel/accommodation costs.