The University of York is piloting a new way of partnering with industry to boost PhDs as an accessible and effective option for continuing professional development (CPD).
With funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the university has been able to offer eight fully funded places on a specialist doctoral training programme (DTP). The training programme leads to a PhD qualification and is aimed primarily at candidates who are currently (or have recently been) employed in R&D or other research-related roles in industry.
Why?
Companies of all sizes within the chemical industries value employees who can operate effectively across both business and academia. Partnering with a university in initiatives like this DTP can produce future leaders in industry with a foot in both worlds.
Typically, someone wanting to pursue a PhD full time would need to take a career break in order to do so. The resulting dip in income and perceived disruption to career progression during their time away from industry can be enough to put them off, and the dream of doing a PhD ends there. This makes it difficult for candidates from industry to engage with academia and also makes it difficult for universities to grow the pool of research talent undertaking advanced-level research.
How?
By trialling ways to identify and address barriers to the flow of talent, knowledge and best practice between universities and companies, this pilot aims to help address skills gaps in industry through industrial and academic collaborative partnerships. Using the unusual degree of flexibility allowed within the pilot these partnerships are opening new routes into PhDs which can strengthen and diversify a company’s CPD offerings in exciting ways. The outcomes of the pilot will include producing graduates primed for leadership and excellence in their area of expertise, building bridges across sectors, and industry-relevant research outputs.
When putting forward an employee as a candidate for the DTP, employers will become a collaborative partner in their employee’s participation in the programme. Working closely together, the employer and the university will jointly provide supervision, support and access to resources.
Additionally, there are a number of other ways for employers to input into the design and delivery of this DTP. For example, industry representatives are sought to sit on the DTP Steering Group. This group is formed of stakeholders from a range on industry partners and professional bodies that have helped to co-create aspects of the pilot and steer the future direction of the programme.
The University of York welcomes approaches from employers who wish to put an employee forward as a candidate for the DTP. Employers are also invited to get in touch with feedback on the DTP as well as expressions of interest in future partnership opportunities. Queries and correspondence should be sent to Jen Gibbard, DTP Admin Manager, at chemgrad@york.ac.uk.
