Final Report Summary - DOC-CAREERS II (Promoting collaborative doctoral education for enhanced career opportunities)
Executive summary:
The formatted text is included in the attachment Final report DOC-CAREERS II.pdf
The project 'Promoting Collaborative Doctoral Education for Enhanced Career Opportunities' (DOC-CAREERS II) was a Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) Support Action that looked at how universities work with businesses and other non-university partners in establishing and taking forward research projects in the framework of doctoral education. It was part of a series of initiatives of the 2008 FP7 PEOPLE Work Programme aiming at responding to the EC objective of reinforcing human resources in research in Europe and of stimulating a culture of mobility and career development. As indicated in that Work Programme, a second phase of the DOC-CAREERS project (FP6) was funded through a FP7 Support Action to 'widening the dialogue on good practices initiated towards the broader audience of the European University Association, comprising some 800 higher education institutions, and will result in organising regional workshops discussing how to implement in practise for the local context the recommendations of DOC-CAREERS. '
Project context and objectives:
The formatted text is included in the attachment Final report DOC-CAREERS II.pdf
The DOC-CAREERS II project was particularly relevant to the Specific Actions of the European Commission DG Research '2008 PEOPLE Work Programme' (Activity 5.2) in which the general objective was 'reinforcing human resources in research in Europe and of stimulating a culture of mobility and career development'.
The project 'Promoting Collaborative Doctoral Education for Enhanced Career Opportunities' (DOC-CAREERS II) was a FP7 Support Action that looked at how universities work with businesses and other non-university partners in establishing and taking forward research projects in the framework of doctoral education. It intended to identify good practices and to test the feasibility of organising regional workshops as one way to foster collaboration between universities and businesses/enterprises or between universities and other external partners.
The previous FP6 DOC-CAREERS project (2006-2009) had looked into doctoral training for the employability of doctorates through transferable skills acquisition. Building on this project, FP7 DOC-CAREERS II project aimed at widening the initial dialogue towards the broader audience of the European University Association, comprising some 850 higher education institutions, and intended to organise regional workshops to discuss how to implement in practice the project recommendations. The input provided by a large number of case studies, which was reflected in the DOC-CAREERS study, demonstrated that:
- many views on opportunities, challenges and barriers related to university-industry cooperation are shared by both partners, university and business.
- there are no "one-size-fits-all" formats for cooperation and that they tend to be strongly based in regional environments, where proximity facilitates frequent contact between stakeholders.
- the organisation of high level meetings (e.g. workshops) involving university leaders and leaders from the non-academic sector, pooling expertise from different fields and sectors, was pointed out as one way forward for improving mutual understanding and for identifying challenges which require research and development (R &D) input.
The main objectives of the project were:
- To reflect on: strategies and good practices on university-industry relations; models and degree of structure of university-industry doctoral schemes; employability of doctoral holders and its relation with transferable skills; good practices in tracking of doctoral holders;
- To identify strategies and good practices used by SMEs and other local partners to approach universities and address how their access to university research could be enhanced;
- To explore the perspectives of employability of doctoral holders in the region, mobility opportunities and its relation to regional efforts to reinforce doctoral employability considering the benefits of employing highly trained workers and their professional expectations.
The employability perspectives of doctorate holders and how the collaborative nature of the doctoral programmes enhances their career perspectives remained a central focus of the project.
Project results:
The formatted text is included in the attachment Final report DOC-CAREERS II.pdf
1. Methodology
1.A. Focus of the DOC-CAREERS II Workshops and Case Studies - The collection of "Full Stories" and their Regional Contexts
A major change in focus from the previous DOC-CAREERS project was the selection and foci of the case studies. In DOC-CAREERS, the case studies were identified targeting specific sectors a university, a company, a doctoral candidate or another organisation and their selection processes were independent within a minimum set of common criteria. The selected case studies were studied sector by sector to identify both common trends and cross-cutting issues. Emerging cross-cutting indications were that i) proximity was considered an essential factor in building the necessary trust among partners; ii) the organisation of meetings involving high level academic and non-academic experts were seen as a good way to foster mutual understanding of contexts and needs and identify ideas for potential projects of common interest; iii) employability of doctorate holders were linked to mastery of some transferable skills acquired through doctoral research in cooperation with non-academic partners.
Thus, the case studies in DOC-CAREERS II aimed to deepen emerging cross-cutting issues from a regional perspective and were selected targeting the university sector, in order to study how universities work with external partners. Universities were asked to liaise with their doctoral candidates and their external partners who were involved in specific collaborative doctoral projects or programmes in order to collect 'full stories', from the doctoral thesis conception to employability of the doctorate holder.
The input of the case studies was gathered either in the form of
- presentations in the workshops, and/or
- through specific questionnaires addressed to each of the three stakeholders contributing to a case study: university, doctoral candidate, business/external partner.
1.D. DOC-CAREERS II Workshops - Programme Structure and Key Characteristics
A unique characteristic of the DOC-CAREERS II workshops was that universities presenting their case studies reflected the "full story" approach (indicated above) by being accompanied by their business/external partners and/or the doctoral candidates enrolled in collaborative programmes. Thus, presentations of case studies had the format of 'double acts' (university-doctoral candidate or university-business/external partner) or 'triple acts' (university-doctoral candidate-business/external partner).
The DOC-CAREES II Final Conference was structured in four Plenary Sessions:
Two Plenary sessions showed the typical 'double act' and 'triple act' presentations as in the workshops. They highlighted key elements of success in collaborative doctoral education.
1.F. DOC-CAREERS II Questionnaires: universities, doctoral candidates, businesses/external partners
As indicated above, the questionnaires were prepared to collect structured input from participants and they were used as a framework to prepare the key questions for discussion in the workshops and final conference. They were, therefore, an important and integral part of the project. The questionnaires included specific questions on setting up and taking forward research collaborations with a particular focus on doctoral education. Three questionnaires were prepared including specific questions to each of the three stakeholders: university professors acting as doctoral supervisors, doctoral candidates and companies or other external partners. They were developed based on the questionnaires from DOC-CAREERS, which were updated according to the outcomes of the project. Their main characteristics were as follows:
Measuring the success of the DOC-CAREERS II workshops
- Major engagement of industry and external partners: One of the key measures of success of the structure implemented in the DOC-CAREERS II workshops was the high attendance by company representatives involved in collaborative doctoral education (11%-18% company representatives per workshop). The business participation rate in all the workshops was very high in relation to many existing university-business workshops which mainly involve university representatives. The key for this successful rate of company representatives attendance was the condition pursued by EUA that participant universities had to commit to involve their external partners in providing their input. This was hard work for both the universities and EUA. Teamwork was essential in achieving a successful approach to companies and external partners, as described earlier in Section 1.C on 'DOC-CAREERS II Workshops Preparation and Role of the Host University and EUA'.
- High-quality and depth of dialogue: The double-acts and triple-acts and the extended time for discussion allowed to enormously enrich the quality and depth of dialogue, in contrast with events in which the presence of the business sector is minimal or non- existent. Extensive dialogue took place in the parallel sessions, where the case studies were presented and discussed in detail, and in the Final Discussion Session gathering all experts in a final discussion plenary. Discussions paid particular attention to the specifics of the doctoral candidate education and follow-up, his/her mobility opportunities and the benefits and challenges for the university and the company.
- Long permanence and presence of stakeholders in the workshop: Thanks to the short duration of the workshop (6-7 hours), most participants could afford to stay for the whole event. This was particularly important for the business representatives who normally not only stayed and listened to all presentations, but were also very vocal during the discussions.
- High-level participants from university and business sectors: Workshops involved the representation and addressees of universities at its highest level (Rector) and CEOs of partner companies and other actors in the field which included ministries of education or science and/or local authorities interested in building a strong base of highly educated people to work in the region, as a way to foster innovation through R &I.
- Dialogue local/regional - European: The introduction of non-local case studies (such as the Umeå case study in the EPFL workshop or that of University College London in Camerino), together with the presence of an international audience, allowed interesting discussions on the different contexts in which the doctoral collaborations take place. While there is a backbone common to these collaborations (identified in DOC-CAREERS) that can be translated from one context to another, negotiating conditions (including working conditions, IP, etc.) and details must be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, and these may not be transferable, as they normally depend on the national context and on laws applying to universities or companies. Moreover, the language of the negotiations is normally the local language: this was particularly apparent in the workshops of Camerino (Italian in Italy), Trondheim (Norwegian in Norway) and Kaunas (Lithuanian in Lithuania).
- Showcase of a broad range of successful models of cooperation in doctoral education: "top-down" (such as that from the KESS initiative from Bangor, using Structural Funds or the doctorates funded by the Research Council of Norway) and "bottom-up" (such as the case of Kaunas University of Technology with local companies, one of them a small and medium-sized entreprises (SME) which involved a former student that was already working in the company when she engaged in the doctorate).
- Loyal expert audience: A group of experts from across Europe attended the five workshops and Final Conference, thus following the project from beginning to end.
- Platform for new initiatives: Out of this loyal community of experts, three universities decided to invest further in developing a common industrial graduate school (University of Ghent, Umeå University and Bangor University). They used the DOC-CAREERS II workshops for their continued meetings and this process is now being consolidated.
- Views from workshop organisers all agreed that the organisation of their workshop was a great success in their university. In their feedback to EUA, they indicated a series of benefits that illustrate this success:
- Promoted unique collaborative doctoral education partnerships
- Improved regional, interregional and national cooperation
- Promoted collaborative doctorates and doctoral degrees
- Good platform for participation of SMEs
- Enhanced European networking
- Highlighted main approaches and solutions to problems in university/business cooperation
- Shared knowledge between actors from different sectors
- Assisted in developing network
- Assisted in building consortia for application for funding
- Allowed to increase community awareness of university activities
4. Outcomes of the Case Studies (Workshop and Questionnaires' Results)
Objectives
The DOC-CAREERS II project aimed to achieve three main objectives. First, the project sought to disseminate the outcomes of DOC-CAREERS in a broader range of university partnerships with non-academic organisations. The project also aimed to identify models of interaction of universities with their regional partners in doctoral education. In this respect, the project focused on: strategies and good practices used by SMEs and other local partners to approach universities; how to enhance the access of non-academic organisations to university research; bringing into the dialogue SMEs that appreciate the added value and benefits of university-industry cooperation in order to identify issues which could be addressed at local level. On focusing on the relationship between universities and businesses, the project also considered the skills acquired in collaborative doctoral schemes, the perspectives of employability of doctoral holders at the regional level, and mobility opportunities and their relation to regional efforts to reinforce doctoral employability. The third and final objective of DOC-CAREERS II was to explore how to provide regular assistance in fostering university-industry collaboration at the doctoral level, in particular with the EUA-CDE, with the other three partners of the Responsible Partnering Initiative and with regional bodies, both private and public.
The case studies conducted in DOC-CAREERS II aimed at providing a 'full story' encompassing the views of an academic leader (e.g. thesis supervisor, director of doctoral programme) involved in collaborative doctoral education, of one or more of his/her supervised doctorate candidates/holders and of one or several of the companies/external partners with whom the academic leader works in research collaborations.
In order to collect structured input from these stakeholders, in-depth questionnaires covering a wide range of areas were used. The main topics addressed in the questionnaires related to the motivations and incentives to engage in a collaborative scheme; the main characteristics of the scheme (including funding and IPR arrangements); recommendations and good practice examples; specificities of the collaborative schemes across different fields of knowledge (SET, BML, ESSH); the importance of transferable skills for increased employability of doctoral candidates; and the main benefits and sustainability of collaborative doctoral schemes.
The questionnaires were submitted by 13 universities, representing 18 doctoral programmes, 14 companies and 21 doctoral candidates. The main trends identified in the analysis of the case studies can be summarized as follows:
4.A. Motivations to engage in the collaborative doctoral scheme
The increasing degree of complexity and the fast changing pace of the challenges faced by modern societies and, in particular, by the business and the university sectors, spans across several dimensions technological, economic and social , and creating solutions to tackle them requires knowledge and skills that cross-cut functional areas of knowledge and sectorial activity. This overall context is reflected in the development strategies pursued by universities and by industry. As indicated by both sectors, the main motivation to engage in partnerships and, specifically, in collaborative doctoral degrees, is to further their competitive advantage and foster innovation.
The specific regional and national characteristics, articulated with national-level policies and strategic development priorities, are also important contextual variables that help understand the emergence and deepening of university-industry collaboration. In this respect, the outcomes of both case studies and workshops have shown that, in some cases, university-industry partnerships emerged as a result of national or regional strategies/legislation or due to the regional/ geographical proximity between industry and universities, which acted as a catalyst of inter-sectorial cooperation.
Selected quotes from participants:
Dublin Institute of Technology: 'Close engagement locally and globally with society and the economy, and collaborative links with a range of world-class companies and academic institutions internationally are essential components in everything DIT does'
UNICAM Chemical: 'GoldenPlast ( ) is located in a small town on the Adriatic coast, in the centre of the Marche footwear industrial park ( ) GoldenPLast feels the responsibility to remain competitive and keep growing. It is no longer possible to much count on suppliers and competitors to obtain information, but it is absolutely necessary to acquire proprietary scientific knowledge and professional wisdom. As a consequence, GoldenPlast has felt the need to draw the attention of UNICAM on its activities and decided to start a co-operation based on a doctorate'.
University of Ferrara: 'The doctoral scheme is pursued within the region Emilia Romagna and in close proximity of other main productive regions such as Lombardia and Veneto. There are close relations between the companies based in these regions and our university ( ) Thus, research programmes are calibrated in relation to the possible need of external recipients of the research and of the doctorates'
Kaunas University of Technology: 'An innovation-oriented university ( ) responsive to the needs of the national economy and the international research market ( ) a university which is a partner of industry, business, NGOs, and the society'
Intel Ireland: 'We would like to develop a Strategy Research Programme partnerships with the Universities are the best for that'
Solvay Belgium: 'Access to leading edge expertise in new fields'
4.B. Advantages of the collaborative scheme
As indicated by all stakeholders across the workshops and case studies, the major benefit of the collaborative doctoral scheme, compared to a traditional doctoral programme, is the need of the doctoral candidate to bridge and integrate both sectors the university and industry. This aspect was perceived simultaneously as the main advantage and the main challenge in pursuing a collaborative doctoral degree. All stakeholders, but especially doctoral candidates, need to balance the different needs and demands of the university and the industry partner arising in the collaboration process. In spite of being perceived, partly, as a challenge, it is exactly this factor that underpins the perception that doctorate holders from a collaborative scheme are more employable in the industry sector than doctorate holders from traditional programmes.
Selected quotes from participants:
NTNU: 'One of the assumptions behind establishing such a scheme is that candidates in these projects will develop unique competence and skills and be 'bilingual' in terms of understanding the 'languages' of both academic and non-academic sectors'.
Ghent University: 'For the PhD candidates it is often a way to develop themselves as researchers without losing touch with the private sector ( ) For the companies it is an opportunity to introduce more fundamental research in their work'
University of Perugia: 'This doctoral scheme allows [doctoral candidates] to work with colleagues and engineers, resulting in more interdisciplinary [knowledge]'
Skretting: '[Doctoral candidates] see real company issues and see how results are implemented. In addition to publication they also work on applied issues'
Fasrund Aluminium Casting: 'It is easier to come to work in industrial field later. They get company experiences, in practice experiences and they get to know industrial solutions'
Doctoral candidate B: 'I have also learned to handle both academic and industrial issues and people'
Doctoral candidate P: 'Wider appreciation of other fields and how these can be incorporated into my own research'
4.C. The collaborative scheme in practice
4.C.1. Setting-up the collaborative scheme
A common point highlighted by both universities and businesses throughout the workshops and the case studies is that building trustful relationships between the partners is essential to develop and to sustain the collaborative scheme. The definition of a common vision of realistic expectations, and a common understanding of each party's objectives and priorities, were aspects identified as a prerequisite to build trustful relations and to ensure a successful collaboration. The stakeholders clearly emphasized the importance of setting-up the collaborative project in advance. They stated that this stage should not be rushed, as it is a determining factor in the quality of the collaboration.
4.C.2. Developing the research project
On developing the research project, stakeholders identified several broad aspects that should characterise the life-cycle of the collaboration in order to ensure its success. These included the importance of sharing resources between the different partners and building and maintaining trustful relationships. Regarding the latter, establishing a clear division of the each party's role, work and milestones was seen as an essential part of building trustful relationships. For example, in the workshops conducted, it was proposed that the academic supervisor should focus on new scientific knowledge, the company should focus on how to use the knowledge to further their business and the doctoral candidate should be the vehicle for the original research. The need to have committed and competent individuals in both partner organisations university and industry was emphasized, since ultimately they are the ones taking the collaboration forward. It was also considered that universities should check frequently with the industry partner to ensure the collaboration was satisfactory and that the company appreciated the depth of scientific knowledge brought by doctoral candidates/holders.
Selected quotes from participants:
Newcastle University: 'Monthly meetings are held between the student and the industrial and academic supervisors these are typically via teleconference. On a three monthly basis, a face-to-face meeting is held involving the same parties as for the monthly meeting but with the project sponsor present to ensure the research is on track from a business and research perspective'
Doctoral candidate T: 'We have an annual review with CoMPLEX where two staff, external to my PhD, check my progress and provide support if I have any difficulties. Work plans and future tasks are logged and updated via the UCL Graduate School research log book roughly every 6 month.'
Doctoral candidate G: 'grand meeting with all the supervising parties every six months'
Doctoral candidate U: 'We organize monthly a meeting to evaluate the progress of the research and new applications of our product'
4.D. What makes for a successful collaborative scheme?
In establishing and taking forward a collaborative scheme, both universities and companies highlighted the importance of timely feedback and decision making processes, since this is often perceived as the main challenge to be overcome in the collaborative scheme process. The stakeholders mentioned that there is frequently a mismatch in the decision making timeframe of universities and businesses, due mainly to excessive bureaucracy or lengthy management procedures. This can delay the completion of important steps, particularly in establishing the partnership.
Selected quotes from participants:
NTNU: 'When cooperating closely with industry, there is always a risk of applied research becoming more of consultancy work rather than research. Typical means to overcome these risks are: Scientific quality requirements of PhD projects'
EPFL: 'different objectives, and different needs, which translate in different approaches and different timeframes. In these lies a risk of misunderstanding between the partners. There is therefore a need for an equilibrium that both partners need to find in the preparation of the collaboration: adapting the subject, identifying the key people, keeping the long-term view of the project'
DIT: ' challenges they were avoided from the start by including all partners in the design of the scheme from day one. The ethos of the scheme is that it breaks down boundaries between researchers, practitioners, professionals, policymakers, industry and the community by developing a dynamic research programme enabling collective identification of the research problems and solutions'
GSK Biologicals: 'To companies: good collaborative academic lab and the company you have to meet informally lots of times to build trust and not to leave the student alone'
Doctoral candidate B: 'I believe it's one of the most frustrating task of a Ph.D. student located in industry and working with industrial tasks to combine and balance the interests and needs of industry and academia'
Doctoral candidate I: 'Early feedback about this balance from both sides makes this challenge manageable and improves the usefulness and quality of the research results'
4.E. Impact and sustainability of the doctoral scheme
The results from the workshops revealed that collaborative doctoral programmes are increasing in importance and many governments in Europe are developing their own schemes to foster this type of partnership. In addition, collaborative doctoral education is considered by practitioners as a good way to 'test' university-business collaboration. However, many academics and companies are still reluctant in involving themselves in these partnerships. In this sense, during the workshops it was suggested that 'peer-to-peer' activities from company-to-company and university-to-university could help the 'non-convinced' ones to become more open and to encourage them to participate in the collaborative schemes. Collaborative doctoral programmes have a much higher impact than traditional programmes, as they respond directly to the partners' needs and results have a direct application in the industry which results in increased prospects for knowledge acquisition and therefore more 'value for money'.
Selected quotes from participants:
UCL BIOPROCESS: 'Feedback from our Industrial Training Advisory Board (comprising 30 bioindustry professionals and which meets annually) suggests our EngD graduates have a major impact in industry. We have, via completed EngD collaborations, delivered new generic technologies which help achieve speed to market through novel UCL bioprocessing methods. Some companies have achieved up to a 50% reduction in development time. Other companies have used our methods to support new manufacturing licence applications for new therapies while emerging regenerative medicine companies are using EngD outputs to rapidly explore options for bringing entirely new types of human cell therapy to market'.
Bangor University: 'KESS has commissioned an external ongoing external evaluation. This will look at how all of the participants (academic and industrial partners and doctoral candidates) have benefitted and how the project has met its stated objectives. The evaluation will provide a mid-term report and annual progress reports before providing a comprehensive final report at the end of the project'.
Skretting: 'Relatively new for us. Indirect assessment. No monitoring system. We are happy right now'
Biotalentum: 'We are new starters, we have no analyses yet, but because of the EU projects (Marie Curie programme) we are preparing the first report now. It is a 5 year long sponsored programme'
Solvay: 'IP, co-financing/external recognition of risky projects/recruiting/ good consulting base, less expensive that the Big Consulting Firms, access to high end equipment, not worth an investment for industry employment'
Doctoral candidate R: 'Most valuable are the contacts formed in industries that can be quite inaccessible to external researchers'
Doctoral candidate N: 'obtained results can find immediate application since they are equally driven by academia and business sector'
4.F. Employment opportunities in the business sector
On a general level, collaborative doctoral programmes were considered to contribute to enhancing the personal and professional development of the population through research, building the R &D capacity of a region or country. On a more concrete level, pursuing and achieving a doctorate degree clearly enhances the employability perspectives of the individual, not only by broadening the spectrum of potential employment positions and sectors but also by enhancing the likelihood of reaching higher positions in their employment organisation in the long-term. This is clearer in larger companies than in SMEs, where the career perspectives in the long-term may be more limited. Companies involved in the workshops and case studies agreed that taking part in a collaborative doctoral scheme resulted in a boost of the firm's innovation, the opportunity to train doctoral candidates as future employees and the chance to gain access to new markets. Doctoral candidates working in companies are a source of new ideas and their work contributes to develop new areas of research in the company and to explore their potential applications. The company will hence become more professional as it increases its scientific knowledge.
Selected quotes from participants:
Newcastle University: 'The experience of undertaking research within an industrial environment and working within the constraints imposed by business equips the students to be much more aware of the drivers to take new ideas through a company. Additionally as the students are embedded within the company, they are working closely with industrial colleagues and hence it is more likely that they will be able to implement changes as a consequence of their research ( ) Industry in some cases will only support EngD students as it is seen as an ideal training ground for potential employees. Additionally the students are exposed to the work environment and the challenges it presents';
UNICAM Chemical: 'Based on my experience, most doctoral holders have received at the end of their doctoral programme the possibility of an employment contract in the same company'.
Ingolstadt University: 'For companies this scheme is very tempting as they are working with the candidate for several years, get to know him/her, get first-hand information and will eventually find their next co-worker ( ) In addition, there is no long induction phase of the employee for the company which saves money again and makes immediate results more likely'.
Biotalentum: 'Yes, definitely, because of the experiences, training, secondments'
Intel Ireland: 'Yes, definitely. They are more experienced, knowledge of industry world, built relationships'
Alcatel Lucent: 'PhDs, they make a difference from Masters, they develop soft skills ok managers are coming out of research'
Oryx Simulations AB: '[We are] Pleased for the moment. [Doctoral candidates] would like to see long term challenging perspectives'
Scandinavian Business Seating: 'Generic knowledge is missing with PhD holders they have a very ideal mind-set, not realistic. They would need to have a general knowledge of the economy and real world. Hard to find a candidate that has both and not just the purely academic knowledge'
OCAS: 'Weakness areas: accuracy, project management skills'
Doctoral candidate P: 'I think non-academic sectors value those who have a head for business and can implement the research applicable to their company. Most PhD graduates have to be trained in a new area as their research has been too narrow and focused to be useful to the company entirely'
Doctoral candidate S: 'I do feel more employable because of the training courses run during the EngD and the skills I have learned from this course as opposed to more traditional based programmes'
Doctoral candidate B: 'For my plans of working in industry and for an industrial career later I believe I get a better training at the doctoral scheme compared to a standard one. Every day is training, going to the office, talking to colleagues, meeting customers or production personnel'
Doctoral candidate S: 'Yes I do intend to work outside academia at some point in my future and see the EngD, with its high level of industrial collaboration, a useful step into a bio-industry career'
4.G. Lessons learned and recommendations from stakeholders
Collaborative doctoral schemes are becoming more widespread and there is an increasing interest in this type of partnership. Although many practitioners see collaborative schemes as a good way to 'test' university-business collaboration, several obstacles remain, namely some reluctance on the part of academics and companies to engage in this type of project. To overcome this challenge, participants in the workshops have suggested that 'peer-to-peer' activities from company-to-company and university-to-university could help the 'non-convinced' ones to become more interested and willing to take an active role in collaborative doctoral schemes.
Selected quotes from participants:
Dublin Institute of Technology: 'It is important that all partners including business are included in the design of the scheme from day one and not after the fact'
Umeå University: 'Bottom up process with support from management, funding 50/50 gives engagement, supervision from company'
UCL BIOPROCESS: 'We have found focussing doctoral research training around larger cohorts of students to be extremely beneficial. For the researchers involved this approach provides improved supervisory arrangements and greater opportunities for company involvement, more opportunities to be involved with a multidisciplinary cohort and to generate a wider network of contacts. For the centre/department these larger activities provide opportunities for enhanced provision of research training, a reduction in the unit cost of training provision and enhanced opportunities for income generation either from research funding bodies or industry'.
Intel Ireland: 'I think that the conference we are organizing every year between the academic world and our technicians is a very good example that should be followed by other organizations'
Fasrund Aluminium Casting: 'More connected to incentives would be great to get tax reduce would help a lot for smes'
Skretting: 'Be very selective in selection process'
Jansen Pharmaceutica: '[Need for companies to have an] Entrepreneurial/exploratory spirit, bringing students into the business'
Doctoral candidate B: 'For my plans of working in industry and for an industrial career later I believe I get a better training at the doctoral scheme compared to a standard one. Every day is training, going to the office, talking to colleagues, meeting customers or production personnel'
4.H. Main messages
The main outcomes of the DOC-CAREERS II workshops and case studies can be summarised into the following brief main messages:
Validation of DOC-CAREERS outcomes: The input provided by the contributing persons and organisations fully validated the finding and conclusions of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) DOC-CAREERS report. Thus, the new collected evidence reinforces the main messages and increases the evidence of successful collaborative doctoral programmes, both bottom-up and top-down. The seven components of the collaborative doctoral programmes identified in the FP6 DOC-CAREERS project remain essential and, in particularly, the involvement of a supervisor from the industry sector, remains as the distinctive characteristic of these types of collaboration.
Regional Workshops: A useful tool to foster university-industry research collaborations: DOC-CAREERS II project developed a methodology to organise Workshops that bring together all stakeholders for fruitful discussions. With the 'double-acts' and 'triple-acts' presentations the presence of main stakeholders is ensure and this allows deeper dialogue, which is both focused and holistic.
Trustful relations: Building and maintaining trustful relationships among all stakeholders is essential to ensure the success of the collaborative doctoral scheme. Understanding each partner's needs and objectives , establishing clear and realistic expectations and ensuring regular contact between the parties is vital to build trust and to develop long-term university-business partnerships.
Planning the collaborative scheme: Planning the activities of the doctoral theses and ensuring that they all make sense within the framework of the theses well in advance is a determining factor in the quality and functioning of the partnership. Involving all stakeholders in the different life-cycle stages of the scheme is also needed to ensure the success of the scheme.
Agreements and formal arrangements: Comprehensive agreements between all the stakeholders should be established before the start of the collaborative scheme. These should include the rights and obligations of each party, general rules for the collaboration, financial provisions and intellectual property ownership and rights. IPR should be negotiated from the outset, with a view to strike an appropriate balance of interests in relation to publication and potential commercial application of the research results.
Supervision: Although the academic supervisor is ultimately responsible for ensuring the doctoral research project is of appropriate academic quality to earn a doctorate degree, the industrial supervisor is an integral part of the collaborative scheme. Participants in the workshops and case studies agreed that the company supervisor should have a doctorate degree him/herself or, alternatively, should be aware of what doctoral research entails. Academic and industrial supervisors could also benefit from 'peer-to-peer' training for tutoring doctoral candidates involved in collaborative schemes.
The 'right people' profile: Taking part in a collaborative doctoral scheme requires a specific skill set. Doctoral candidates should not only be committed to research, but should also be willing to develop their work in an industrial setting, making compatible two worlds academia and industry. Academic and industrial supervisors should understand each other needs and priorities and be committed to take the partnership forward ensuring the quality and progress towards the achievement of the doctoral degree.
Diversity of collaborative models: There is no 'one-size fits all' model for collaborative doctoral training. Instead, the workshops and case studies have shown a variety of successful models, emerging from both top-down and bottom-up levels. The key factor seems to be the involvement of all hierarchical levels and, particularly, the support of top management levels, both in universities and in companies.
Employment: All stakeholders agreed that doctorate holders from collaborative schemes are more employable in the business sector than doctorate holders from traditional programmes. The ability to be 'bilingual', bridging the academic and industry sectors, and the development of transferable skills, were identified as the main reasons accounting for the enhanced employability perspectives of doctorate holders in the business sector.
Interdisciplinary dialogue: Participants in the workshops identified the need for more dialogue between the SET, BML and ESSH fields. Closer linkages between the different scientific fields are beneficial to foster mutual learning and to share good practice examples.
The specificity of SMEs: SMEs still face some challenges in engaging in collaborative doctoral programmes (e.g. absence of someone to act as industrial supervisor, funding difficulties). To overcome some of these challenges, participants in the workshops have suggested that SMEs could engage in joint supervision in Master level degrees, as these projects are shorter in time. The need to develop collaborative schemes that require a low level of investment from SMEs was also suggested. In this vein, public funding, national or European, for collaborative doctoral schemes is essential to develop the R &D culture in SMEs.
Overcoming barriers to collaborative doctoral education: To overcome some reluctance on the part of academics and companies to engage in a collaborative doctoral schemes, 'peer-to-peer' activities from company-to-company and from university-to-university could be used to change stereotypes and to develop more positive expectations of university-industry collaboration, with a view to bring more partners into university-business collaborations.
Public support: Public support is always mentioned as an essential component of collaborative research. It includes, obviously, funding, but also proper legislation to encouraging, or at least not hindering, it. Rewards for university scientists involved in collaborative processes are one of the measures. Legal frameworks that support both universities and businesses in preserving their interest while fostering collaboration are also crucial.
The regional dimension: All case studies in DOC-CAREERS II had a strong local base. While all consistently met the characteristics of the seven main components of collaborative doctoral research (identified in DOC-CAREERS) in all regions in which the programmes operated, the collaborative doctoral agreements were possible only because of a deep understanding of the regional industry dynamics and local/regional/national legal issues.
The policy dimension: It was clear that the regions fostering their competitiveness through innovation from university R &D do value collaborative doctoral programmes and the skills that doctoral candidates acquire through the process. These regions establish policies that support research collaborations and commit resources through local/regional public programmes and encourage the participation of local SMEs. These regions encourage also applications for funding from European and worldwide competitive calls and push for mobilising private funding.
Potential impact:
The formatted text is included in the attachment Final report DOC-CAREERS II.pdf
DOC-CAREERS II contributed to build evidence towards the continued development of an EU integrated policy strategy for researchers in Europe through focusing upon the varied and changing research environments in which doctoral programmes are situated, how they are adapting to these realities and the consequent implications for future career development. It made an important contribution, therefore, towards the plans for the continued development and implementation of the Green Paper on 'The European Research Area: New Perspectives', the recent EC Recommendation on 'The Management of Intellectual Property in Knowledge Transfer Activities for Universities and Other Public Research Organizations' and the EC Communication on 'Better Careers and More Mobility: A European Partnership For Researchers'.
1. Use of project outcomes
The outcomes of the DOC-CAREERS II project have been widely used in EUA activities related to research and innovation and particularly in researchers training, employment opportunities and researchers' careers. These can be classified as follows:
1.A. Policy Consultations with the European Commission and the European Parliament
1.B. Input into EUA and EUA-CDE Policy Declarations and Positions
1.C. Participation in dedicated EU R &I Stakeholders Fore policy dialogue
1.D. Linkages with EUA-CDE activities
1.E. Linkages with other EUA projects
1.A. Policy Consultations with the European Commission and the European Parliament
1.A.i. Participation in European Commission consultation meetings and expert groups
Presence of EUA in Expert Groups and Ad-hoc Meetings organised by the European Commission in relation to doctoral programmes, researcher's careers, Modernisation Agenda, EIT, ERC, Horizon 2020, etc., including:
- Expert Subgroup on 'Human Resources and Mobility Steering Group' (Brussels, 11/01/2011);
- EUA participated in the consultation process leading to the 'Principles for Innovative Doctoral Training' (Brussels, 27/06/2011) part of the Report of Mapping Exercise on Doctoral Training in Europe 'Towards a Common Approach', adopted by the ERA Steering Group on Human Resources and Mobility'
- Expert Subgroup on 'Skills' (Brussels, 02/02/2012)
- Brainstorming on the Modernisation Agenda at DG EAC (Brussels, 25/01/2012);
- Consultation on Common Strategic Framework (Stakeholder meeting; Brussels, 01/03/2011);
- Meetings on Marie Curie actions:
- Development of a 'European Industrial PhD' programme (EC People Advisory Group; Brussels, 08/02/2010);
- Marie Curie Industry Stakeholders Meeting (Brussels, 07/07/2010);
- Marie Curie Consultation Meeting on Business-Academia PhD (Brussels, 10/11/2010);
- Expert Subgroup on 'Research and Innovation Staff Exchange' (Marie Curie Actions Stakeholder meeting; Brussels, 08/05/2012);
- Expert Subgroup on 'Individual Fellowship' (Marie Curie Actions Stakeholder meeting; Brussels, 14/05/2012);
- Horizon 2020 Marie Curie Actions Stakeholders meeting (COFUND; Brussels, 15/06/2012);
- ERA Framework Meeting with Stakeholders (Brussels, 21/06/2011);
- Common Strategic Framework (CSF) for Research and Innovation Energy (Stakeholders' workshop; Brussels, 23/06/2011).
1.A.ii. Strategic dialogue with European Institutions and Initiatives
- Meeting with MEP Morten Lokkegaard (Brussels, 09/02/2011);
- Meeting with Robert-Jan Smits of DG Research and Innovation (Brussels, 25/02/2011);
- Workshop 'Enhancing and focussing EU international cooperation in research and innovation: A strategic approach' (Brussels, 13/03/2012);
- EPP Group hearing on Horizon 2020 (Brussels, 06/06/2012).
1.B. Input into EUA and EUA-CDE Policy Declarations and Positions
Reference to the outcomes of the DOC-CAREERS projects is always included in all relevant EUA and EUA-CDE policy statements:
- Salzburg II Recommendations: European Universities' Achievements since 2005 in Implementing the Salzburg Principles, 21st October 2010 (attached Policy declarations and positions 1.pdf);
- Smart People for Smart Growth: Statement by the European University Association on the EU Flagship Initiative 'Innovation Union' of the Europe 2020 European Strategy for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth', 3rd February 2011 (attached Policy declarations and positions 2.pdf)
- European University Association (EUA): EUA position on the EC 'Green Paper' on a Common Strategic Framework for EU Research and Innovation Funding; 10th May 2011 (attached Policy declarations and positions 3.pdf);
- EUA position on the EC consultation document on the 'ERA Framework', 30th November 2011 (attached Policy declarations and positions 4.pdf);
- Memorandum of Understanding between the European Commission and the European University Association, 17th July 2012 (attached Policy declarations and positions 5.pdf)
1.C. Participation in dedicated EU R &I Stakeholders Fora policy dialogue
Participation in dedicated European policy development dialogue included meetings and events organised by the Responsible Partnering Initiative partners (EUA, EARTO, EIRMA, ProTon) and with other bodies such as the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and the European Science Foundation.
- The Responsible Partnering Guidelines published in 2005 were thoroughly revised and re-published in 2009. The revised guidelines used the outcomes of DOC-CAREERS project throughout the text, contributing to the promotion of establishing projects and agreeing on solutions to concerns for the benefit of all partners on an equal basis and not with the assumption that one party is at the service of the others. A very concrete example of the contribution is the 'Suggested Checklist for Situations involving Collaborative Research Training' (p. 28 of the Responsible Partnering Guidelines), which are the final 'Twelve messages for developing collaborative doctoral programmes' that encapsulated the essence of the DOC-CAREERS project findings (p.110 of the DOC-CAREERS report)
- EIT Conference 'The role of the EIT in the Education Landscape' (Leuven, 02-03/12/2010)
- Responsible Partnering Initiative Core Group Meeting with EARTO and EARMA (Brussels, 11/07/2011, 29/09/2011)
- Participant at the First Workshop Member Organisation Forum on Researchers Career Development (Brussels, 09-10/02/2011);
- Horizon 2020 Science Business Policy Bridge (Brussels, 27/03/2012)
- Member of the Advisory Panel to the FP7 Project called 'European Laboratory for Modelling the Technical Research University of Tomorrow' (Ulab) 2011-2012 (the 2nd Advisory Panel Meeting was hosted by EUA in Brussels, 01/06/2012).
The work of DOC-CAREERS and DOC-CAREERS II is reflected also in other projects and initiatives developed by EUA and EUA-CDE:
1.D.Linkages with EUA-CDE activities
- Report to EUA membership: presentation of DOC-CAREERS outcomes in the seminar on Doctoral Education organised back to back with the EUA Council under the Spanish Presidency (Sevilla, 25/03/2010; attached Linkages EUA-CDE activities 1.pdf)
- Continuous mutual update of and input to activities between in EUA Research and Innovation unit and EUA-CDE, normally between Dr. Lidia Borrell-Damian and Dr. Thomas Jorgensen.
- Participation of EUA Research and Innovation staff (Dr. John H. Smith, Dr. Lidia Borrell-Damian) in EUA-CDE Steering Committee meetings when relevant;
- Participation of EUA Research and Innovation staff (Dr. John H. Smith, Dr. Lidia Borrell-Damian) in EUA-CDE workshops when relevant.
1.E. Linkages with other EUA projects
- FP7 project 'European Universities Implementing their Modernisation Agenda' (EUIMA): this project looked at how universities work with regional partners in establishing long-term collaborative research initiatives and exploring how institutions develop research assessment tools in relation to their strategic missions and their context. In this respect, collaborative doctoral education is a particular case of collaborative research, very well delimited in time and objectives. The outcomes of the DOC-CAREERS II project have been presented or provided input in the EUIMA workshops indicated below. The programme and presentations of the workshops are available on the EUIMA website (see http://www.eua.be/eua-projects/current-projects/euima/euima-collaborative-research.aspx online):
- Workshop 1 Leuphana University, Germany, (5-6/10/2010)
- Workshop 2 Tampere University of Technology, Finland (22-23/02/2011)
- Workshop 3 Karlstad University, Sweden (12-13/05/2011)
- Workshop 4 Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy (07-08/11/ 2011)
- Workshop 5 University of Cambridge, United Kingdom (5-6/12/2012)
- EUIMA project final event Brussels (20/05/2012)
- EUA Project funded by the Life Long Learning Programme called 'Mapping University Mobility of Staff and Students' (MAUNIMO) - Final Conference, Oslo (04-05/09/2012; attached Linkages EUA projects 1.pdf)
- ARDE project on 'Accountable Research Environments for Doctoral Education' (see http://www.eua.be/eua-projects/accountable-research-environments-for-doctoral-edu.aspx online). This was a project coordinated by EUA, particularly EUA-CDE. It involved many EUA members who also contributed to DOC-CAREERS II project. The ARDE project report entitled 'Quality Assurance in Doctoral Education results of the ARDE Project' (2013) included numerous references to DOC-CAREERS II and a section dedicated to career development (p. 36-41). This report can be found on the ARDE project website: http://www.eua.be/Libraries/Publications_homepage_list/EUA_ARDE_Publication.sflb.ashx
2. Dissemination: events, communication and dissemination tools
Benefiting from the extensive experience of the EUA in disseminating project outcomes and communicating with its large membership base has allowed the project to reach to the wider higher education and research communities across Europe, including more than 800 EUA member universities, 34 rectors' conferences and numerous university and research organisations and networks. To do this, various communication channels were used throughout the project, including dedicated websites for the project and its events, newsletter articles, targeted, mailings to various contacts as well as other tools which have facilitated engaging relevant stakeholders. All these have been instrumental on the one hand in promoting the projects' activities as well as for disseminating the outcomes and findings resulting from the project's events. Specifically, these include:
2.A. Dissemination events: Presentations/Chair of sessions in conferences and events
2.B. DOC-CAREERS II website
2.C. EUA Newsletter
2.D. Interviews and input to external projects
2.E. Publication of outcomes in peer-reviewed journals and in scientific monographs
2.F. Input to specialised media
2.G. Other dissemination tools
2.A. Dissemination events: Presentations/Chair of sessions in conferences and events
EUA is permanently promoting the outcomes of DOC-CAREERS and progress of DOC-CAREERS II in relevant activities in the field of research, doctoral education and university-industry collaboration, including links with EUA-CDE and the Responsible Partnering initiative. This is normally done in the form of dedicated presentations adapted to each audience. During the project, the following dissemination events took place:
- 'Breakfast Briefing: Launch of the DOC-CAREERS Report', Swiss Mission (Brussels, 09/12/2010; attached Dissemination events 1.pdf)
- Third European University / Business Forum on 'University-Business Cooperation for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth': Dr. Lidia Borrell-Damian gave a presentation in collaboration with EIRMA President, Dr. Leopold Demiddeleer under the framework of the Responsible Partnering Initiative. She was also Moderator of the Session (Brussels, 4-5/05/2010; ; attached Dissemination events 2.pdf)
- Presidency Conference on 'Universities 2020' under the Spanish Presidency (Salamanca, 17-18/06/2010; attached Dissemination events 3.pdf)
- EAIE Conference, Session No.10:06 on 'DOC-CAREERS: linking doctoral education and industry' (17/09/2010) Session organised and chaired by EUA with speakers from institutions that had contributed to DOC-CAREERS (Université Pierre et Marie Curie, France; University of Newcastle, UK), following the approval of a bid presented by EUA to the scientific committee of the conference. Dr. Lidia Borrell-Damian had a double role of Speaker and Chair (Nantes, 17/09/2010; attached Dissemination events 4.pdf)
- EUA-CDE Workshop on doctoral Education: Dr. Lidia Borrell-Damian chaired a session on University-Business cooperation in Doctoral Education during the EUA-CDE Budapest workshop (Budapest, 20-21/01/2011; attached Dissemination events 5.pdf)
- University-Business Forum (Brussels, 23/03/2011; attached Dissemination events 6.pdf)
- EURODOC conference, presentation entitled 'Collaborative doctoral education a way towards enhanced employability and career perspectives' (Vilnius, 01-02/04/2011; attached Dissemination events 7.pdf)
- Conference on 'Youth on the Move', Journalists Seminar, session on 'Challenge and change: Developing modern education and training systems in Europe' (Florence, 07-08/05/2011; attached Dissemination events 8.pdf)
- Conference on 'Training, Career and Mobility of Researchers' (Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union; Budapest, 28-29/06/2011; attached Dissemination events 9.pdf)
- FP6 Marie Curie Conference 'Increasing researchers' employability in Europe: Marie Curie Actions' Formula for successful careers', presentation entitled 'Collaborative doctoral education a way towards enhanced employability and career perspectives' (Paris, 03-04/10/11; attached Dissemination events 10.pdf)
- CRUE Sectorial I+D Conference 'XIX Jornadas de Investigación de las Universidades Españolas', presentation entitled 'University-business relations, regional innovation and doctoral education in collaboration with businesses and other external partners' (Málaga, 27-28/10/11; attached Dissemination events 11.pdf)
- DOCENT conference, presentation entitles 'Collaborative Doctoral Education: University-Industry Partnerships for Enhancing Knowledge Exchange DOC-CAREERS project' (Bologna, 13/10/2011; attached Dissemination events 12.pdf)
- Umeå Seminar on Doctoral Education 'Meeting with Industrial Graduate School', presentation entitled 'Guidelines for collaborative research and knowledge transfer + The Salzburg Principles' (Umeå, 13-14/12/2011; attached Dissemination events 13.pdf)
- European Business Summit 'Skills for growth' (Brussels, 26/04/2012; attached Dissemination events 14.pdf)
- OECD Roundtable: 'Universities for skills, entrepreneurship, innovation and growth' (Paris, 20/09/2012; attached Dissemination events 15.pdf)
- ProTon Europe, Annual Convention 'From a tech transfer approach to a knowledge exchange approach', presentation entitled 'European universities in partnerships for knowledge exchange and innovation: strategies and outcomes' (Liège, 21/09/2012; attached Dissemination events 16.pdf)
- Delegation of Umeå University visiting EUA, presentation entitled 'EUA in research, innovation and doctoral education' (Brussels, 29/10/2012; attached Dissemination events 17.pdf);
- Cyprus Presidency Conference on ERA 'Completing the European Research Area in the context of the Innovation Union Boarding Time', presentation entitled 'Mobility and Employment Fostering Innovation Perspectives in University and Non-University sectors' (Nicosia, 14-15/11/2012; attached Dissemination events 18.pdf);
- Danish Association of Research Managers (DARMA) visits Danish EU Research Office (DANRO), presentation entitled 'The relationship between EUA and ERA EUA in research, innovation and doctoral education' (Brussels, 28/11/2012; attached Dissemination events 19.pdf);
- European Laboratory for Modelling the Technical Research University of Tomorrow (ULAB project) 'Bridging R &D and Innovation: The role of European Universities', presentation entitled 'European universities implementing the modernisation agenda Main outcomes of the collaborative assessment part' (Brussels, 11/12/2012; attached Dissemination events 20.pdf).
2.B. Website
As one of the main communication and dissemination tools, the project website (see http://www.eua.be/doc-careersii online) was set up at the beginning of the project offering a platform for publicising information about the project and its developments.
2.C. EUA Newsletter
A key dissemination tool for EUA is the EUA newsletter, which reaches more than 10.000 subscribed persons and institutions, including EUA individual university members, collective members (national rectors' conferences, university networks), as well as a large range of staff in European universities, research organisations and other networks.
2.D. Interviews and input to external projects
Dr. John H. Smith and Dr. Lidia Borrell-Damian also gave numerous interviews to specialist journalists, to general national media and to other organisation, disseminating the findings of the project and as an input to other external projects.
2.E. Publication of outcomes in peer-reviewed journals and in scientific monographs
The work developed throughout the DOC-CAREERS project has been an important input to DOC-CAREERS II. The outcomes of DOC-CAREERS have been published by EUA, in a scientific monograph entitled 'Collaborative Doctoral Education: University-Industry Partnerships for Enhancing Knowledge Exchange' (attached Scientific monograph.pdf).
Out of the success and excellent comments received by the community of experts in doctoral education in Europe, the Steering Committee of DOC-CAREERS project engaged in the drafting of an article with the aim to publish some of the main outcomes of the research in a peer reviewed journal. This objective was successfully achieved in December 2010 when the Higher Education Policy, the Quarterly journal of the International Association of Universities (IAU), published the article entitled 'Collaborative Doctoral Education: University-Industry Partnerships for Enhancing Knowledge Exchange' (attached Peer reviewed article.pdf). The authors think that this was an excellent outcome of the project which validated the methodology and conclusions from an academic point of view. Indeed, since this publication EUA has been contacted by several academic directors in the UK and USA requesting a reprint of the article.
2.F. Input to specialised media
The results of DOC-CAREERS II have served as input to the following articles published in Nature journal:
- Outside the box (published on 23/02/2012; attached Input to specialised media 1.pdf)
- PhDs leave the ivory tower (published on 05/04/2012; attached Input to specialised media 2.pdf)
- PhDs fit for industry and commerce, too (published on 01/08/2012; attached Input to specialised media 3.pdf)
List of websites:
http://www.eua.be/doc-careersii
The formatted text is included in the attachment Final report DOC-CAREERS II.pdf
The project 'Promoting Collaborative Doctoral Education for Enhanced Career Opportunities' (DOC-CAREERS II) was a Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) Support Action that looked at how universities work with businesses and other non-university partners in establishing and taking forward research projects in the framework of doctoral education. It was part of a series of initiatives of the 2008 FP7 PEOPLE Work Programme aiming at responding to the EC objective of reinforcing human resources in research in Europe and of stimulating a culture of mobility and career development. As indicated in that Work Programme, a second phase of the DOC-CAREERS project (FP6) was funded through a FP7 Support Action to 'widening the dialogue on good practices initiated towards the broader audience of the European University Association, comprising some 800 higher education institutions, and will result in organising regional workshops discussing how to implement in practise for the local context the recommendations of DOC-CAREERS. '
Project context and objectives:
The formatted text is included in the attachment Final report DOC-CAREERS II.pdf
The DOC-CAREERS II project was particularly relevant to the Specific Actions of the European Commission DG Research '2008 PEOPLE Work Programme' (Activity 5.2) in which the general objective was 'reinforcing human resources in research in Europe and of stimulating a culture of mobility and career development'.
The project 'Promoting Collaborative Doctoral Education for Enhanced Career Opportunities' (DOC-CAREERS II) was a FP7 Support Action that looked at how universities work with businesses and other non-university partners in establishing and taking forward research projects in the framework of doctoral education. It intended to identify good practices and to test the feasibility of organising regional workshops as one way to foster collaboration between universities and businesses/enterprises or between universities and other external partners.
The previous FP6 DOC-CAREERS project (2006-2009) had looked into doctoral training for the employability of doctorates through transferable skills acquisition. Building on this project, FP7 DOC-CAREERS II project aimed at widening the initial dialogue towards the broader audience of the European University Association, comprising some 850 higher education institutions, and intended to organise regional workshops to discuss how to implement in practice the project recommendations. The input provided by a large number of case studies, which was reflected in the DOC-CAREERS study, demonstrated that:
- many views on opportunities, challenges and barriers related to university-industry cooperation are shared by both partners, university and business.
- there are no "one-size-fits-all" formats for cooperation and that they tend to be strongly based in regional environments, where proximity facilitates frequent contact between stakeholders.
- the organisation of high level meetings (e.g. workshops) involving university leaders and leaders from the non-academic sector, pooling expertise from different fields and sectors, was pointed out as one way forward for improving mutual understanding and for identifying challenges which require research and development (R &D) input.
The main objectives of the project were:
- To reflect on: strategies and good practices on university-industry relations; models and degree of structure of university-industry doctoral schemes; employability of doctoral holders and its relation with transferable skills; good practices in tracking of doctoral holders;
- To identify strategies and good practices used by SMEs and other local partners to approach universities and address how their access to university research could be enhanced;
- To explore the perspectives of employability of doctoral holders in the region, mobility opportunities and its relation to regional efforts to reinforce doctoral employability considering the benefits of employing highly trained workers and their professional expectations.
The employability perspectives of doctorate holders and how the collaborative nature of the doctoral programmes enhances their career perspectives remained a central focus of the project.
Project results:
The formatted text is included in the attachment Final report DOC-CAREERS II.pdf
1. Methodology
1.A. Focus of the DOC-CAREERS II Workshops and Case Studies - The collection of "Full Stories" and their Regional Contexts
A major change in focus from the previous DOC-CAREERS project was the selection and foci of the case studies. In DOC-CAREERS, the case studies were identified targeting specific sectors a university, a company, a doctoral candidate or another organisation and their selection processes were independent within a minimum set of common criteria. The selected case studies were studied sector by sector to identify both common trends and cross-cutting issues. Emerging cross-cutting indications were that i) proximity was considered an essential factor in building the necessary trust among partners; ii) the organisation of meetings involving high level academic and non-academic experts were seen as a good way to foster mutual understanding of contexts and needs and identify ideas for potential projects of common interest; iii) employability of doctorate holders were linked to mastery of some transferable skills acquired through doctoral research in cooperation with non-academic partners.
Thus, the case studies in DOC-CAREERS II aimed to deepen emerging cross-cutting issues from a regional perspective and were selected targeting the university sector, in order to study how universities work with external partners. Universities were asked to liaise with their doctoral candidates and their external partners who were involved in specific collaborative doctoral projects or programmes in order to collect 'full stories', from the doctoral thesis conception to employability of the doctorate holder.
The input of the case studies was gathered either in the form of
- presentations in the workshops, and/or
- through specific questionnaires addressed to each of the three stakeholders contributing to a case study: university, doctoral candidate, business/external partner.
1.D. DOC-CAREERS II Workshops - Programme Structure and Key Characteristics
A unique characteristic of the DOC-CAREERS II workshops was that universities presenting their case studies reflected the "full story" approach (indicated above) by being accompanied by their business/external partners and/or the doctoral candidates enrolled in collaborative programmes. Thus, presentations of case studies had the format of 'double acts' (university-doctoral candidate or university-business/external partner) or 'triple acts' (university-doctoral candidate-business/external partner).
The DOC-CAREES II Final Conference was structured in four Plenary Sessions:
Two Plenary sessions showed the typical 'double act' and 'triple act' presentations as in the workshops. They highlighted key elements of success in collaborative doctoral education.
1.F. DOC-CAREERS II Questionnaires: universities, doctoral candidates, businesses/external partners
As indicated above, the questionnaires were prepared to collect structured input from participants and they were used as a framework to prepare the key questions for discussion in the workshops and final conference. They were, therefore, an important and integral part of the project. The questionnaires included specific questions on setting up and taking forward research collaborations with a particular focus on doctoral education. Three questionnaires were prepared including specific questions to each of the three stakeholders: university professors acting as doctoral supervisors, doctoral candidates and companies or other external partners. They were developed based on the questionnaires from DOC-CAREERS, which were updated according to the outcomes of the project. Their main characteristics were as follows:
Measuring the success of the DOC-CAREERS II workshops
- Major engagement of industry and external partners: One of the key measures of success of the structure implemented in the DOC-CAREERS II workshops was the high attendance by company representatives involved in collaborative doctoral education (11%-18% company representatives per workshop). The business participation rate in all the workshops was very high in relation to many existing university-business workshops which mainly involve university representatives. The key for this successful rate of company representatives attendance was the condition pursued by EUA that participant universities had to commit to involve their external partners in providing their input. This was hard work for both the universities and EUA. Teamwork was essential in achieving a successful approach to companies and external partners, as described earlier in Section 1.C on 'DOC-CAREERS II Workshops Preparation and Role of the Host University and EUA'.
- High-quality and depth of dialogue: The double-acts and triple-acts and the extended time for discussion allowed to enormously enrich the quality and depth of dialogue, in contrast with events in which the presence of the business sector is minimal or non- existent. Extensive dialogue took place in the parallel sessions, where the case studies were presented and discussed in detail, and in the Final Discussion Session gathering all experts in a final discussion plenary. Discussions paid particular attention to the specifics of the doctoral candidate education and follow-up, his/her mobility opportunities and the benefits and challenges for the university and the company.
- Long permanence and presence of stakeholders in the workshop: Thanks to the short duration of the workshop (6-7 hours), most participants could afford to stay for the whole event. This was particularly important for the business representatives who normally not only stayed and listened to all presentations, but were also very vocal during the discussions.
- High-level participants from university and business sectors: Workshops involved the representation and addressees of universities at its highest level (Rector) and CEOs of partner companies and other actors in the field which included ministries of education or science and/or local authorities interested in building a strong base of highly educated people to work in the region, as a way to foster innovation through R &I.
- Dialogue local/regional - European: The introduction of non-local case studies (such as the Umeå case study in the EPFL workshop or that of University College London in Camerino), together with the presence of an international audience, allowed interesting discussions on the different contexts in which the doctoral collaborations take place. While there is a backbone common to these collaborations (identified in DOC-CAREERS) that can be translated from one context to another, negotiating conditions (including working conditions, IP, etc.) and details must be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, and these may not be transferable, as they normally depend on the national context and on laws applying to universities or companies. Moreover, the language of the negotiations is normally the local language: this was particularly apparent in the workshops of Camerino (Italian in Italy), Trondheim (Norwegian in Norway) and Kaunas (Lithuanian in Lithuania).
- Showcase of a broad range of successful models of cooperation in doctoral education: "top-down" (such as that from the KESS initiative from Bangor, using Structural Funds or the doctorates funded by the Research Council of Norway) and "bottom-up" (such as the case of Kaunas University of Technology with local companies, one of them a small and medium-sized entreprises (SME) which involved a former student that was already working in the company when she engaged in the doctorate).
- Loyal expert audience: A group of experts from across Europe attended the five workshops and Final Conference, thus following the project from beginning to end.
- Platform for new initiatives: Out of this loyal community of experts, three universities decided to invest further in developing a common industrial graduate school (University of Ghent, Umeå University and Bangor University). They used the DOC-CAREERS II workshops for their continued meetings and this process is now being consolidated.
- Views from workshop organisers all agreed that the organisation of their workshop was a great success in their university. In their feedback to EUA, they indicated a series of benefits that illustrate this success:
- Promoted unique collaborative doctoral education partnerships
- Improved regional, interregional and national cooperation
- Promoted collaborative doctorates and doctoral degrees
- Good platform for participation of SMEs
- Enhanced European networking
- Highlighted main approaches and solutions to problems in university/business cooperation
- Shared knowledge between actors from different sectors
- Assisted in developing network
- Assisted in building consortia for application for funding
- Allowed to increase community awareness of university activities
4. Outcomes of the Case Studies (Workshop and Questionnaires' Results)
Objectives
The DOC-CAREERS II project aimed to achieve three main objectives. First, the project sought to disseminate the outcomes of DOC-CAREERS in a broader range of university partnerships with non-academic organisations. The project also aimed to identify models of interaction of universities with their regional partners in doctoral education. In this respect, the project focused on: strategies and good practices used by SMEs and other local partners to approach universities; how to enhance the access of non-academic organisations to university research; bringing into the dialogue SMEs that appreciate the added value and benefits of university-industry cooperation in order to identify issues which could be addressed at local level. On focusing on the relationship between universities and businesses, the project also considered the skills acquired in collaborative doctoral schemes, the perspectives of employability of doctoral holders at the regional level, and mobility opportunities and their relation to regional efforts to reinforce doctoral employability. The third and final objective of DOC-CAREERS II was to explore how to provide regular assistance in fostering university-industry collaboration at the doctoral level, in particular with the EUA-CDE, with the other three partners of the Responsible Partnering Initiative and with regional bodies, both private and public.
The case studies conducted in DOC-CAREERS II aimed at providing a 'full story' encompassing the views of an academic leader (e.g. thesis supervisor, director of doctoral programme) involved in collaborative doctoral education, of one or more of his/her supervised doctorate candidates/holders and of one or several of the companies/external partners with whom the academic leader works in research collaborations.
In order to collect structured input from these stakeholders, in-depth questionnaires covering a wide range of areas were used. The main topics addressed in the questionnaires related to the motivations and incentives to engage in a collaborative scheme; the main characteristics of the scheme (including funding and IPR arrangements); recommendations and good practice examples; specificities of the collaborative schemes across different fields of knowledge (SET, BML, ESSH); the importance of transferable skills for increased employability of doctoral candidates; and the main benefits and sustainability of collaborative doctoral schemes.
The questionnaires were submitted by 13 universities, representing 18 doctoral programmes, 14 companies and 21 doctoral candidates. The main trends identified in the analysis of the case studies can be summarized as follows:
4.A. Motivations to engage in the collaborative doctoral scheme
The increasing degree of complexity and the fast changing pace of the challenges faced by modern societies and, in particular, by the business and the university sectors, spans across several dimensions technological, economic and social , and creating solutions to tackle them requires knowledge and skills that cross-cut functional areas of knowledge and sectorial activity. This overall context is reflected in the development strategies pursued by universities and by industry. As indicated by both sectors, the main motivation to engage in partnerships and, specifically, in collaborative doctoral degrees, is to further their competitive advantage and foster innovation.
The specific regional and national characteristics, articulated with national-level policies and strategic development priorities, are also important contextual variables that help understand the emergence and deepening of university-industry collaboration. In this respect, the outcomes of both case studies and workshops have shown that, in some cases, university-industry partnerships emerged as a result of national or regional strategies/legislation or due to the regional/ geographical proximity between industry and universities, which acted as a catalyst of inter-sectorial cooperation.
Selected quotes from participants:
Dublin Institute of Technology: 'Close engagement locally and globally with society and the economy, and collaborative links with a range of world-class companies and academic institutions internationally are essential components in everything DIT does'
UNICAM Chemical: 'GoldenPlast ( ) is located in a small town on the Adriatic coast, in the centre of the Marche footwear industrial park ( ) GoldenPLast feels the responsibility to remain competitive and keep growing. It is no longer possible to much count on suppliers and competitors to obtain information, but it is absolutely necessary to acquire proprietary scientific knowledge and professional wisdom. As a consequence, GoldenPlast has felt the need to draw the attention of UNICAM on its activities and decided to start a co-operation based on a doctorate'.
University of Ferrara: 'The doctoral scheme is pursued within the region Emilia Romagna and in close proximity of other main productive regions such as Lombardia and Veneto. There are close relations between the companies based in these regions and our university ( ) Thus, research programmes are calibrated in relation to the possible need of external recipients of the research and of the doctorates'
Kaunas University of Technology: 'An innovation-oriented university ( ) responsive to the needs of the national economy and the international research market ( ) a university which is a partner of industry, business, NGOs, and the society'
Intel Ireland: 'We would like to develop a Strategy Research Programme partnerships with the Universities are the best for that'
Solvay Belgium: 'Access to leading edge expertise in new fields'
4.B. Advantages of the collaborative scheme
As indicated by all stakeholders across the workshops and case studies, the major benefit of the collaborative doctoral scheme, compared to a traditional doctoral programme, is the need of the doctoral candidate to bridge and integrate both sectors the university and industry. This aspect was perceived simultaneously as the main advantage and the main challenge in pursuing a collaborative doctoral degree. All stakeholders, but especially doctoral candidates, need to balance the different needs and demands of the university and the industry partner arising in the collaboration process. In spite of being perceived, partly, as a challenge, it is exactly this factor that underpins the perception that doctorate holders from a collaborative scheme are more employable in the industry sector than doctorate holders from traditional programmes.
Selected quotes from participants:
NTNU: 'One of the assumptions behind establishing such a scheme is that candidates in these projects will develop unique competence and skills and be 'bilingual' in terms of understanding the 'languages' of both academic and non-academic sectors'.
Ghent University: 'For the PhD candidates it is often a way to develop themselves as researchers without losing touch with the private sector ( ) For the companies it is an opportunity to introduce more fundamental research in their work'
University of Perugia: 'This doctoral scheme allows [doctoral candidates] to work with colleagues and engineers, resulting in more interdisciplinary [knowledge]'
Skretting: '[Doctoral candidates] see real company issues and see how results are implemented. In addition to publication they also work on applied issues'
Fasrund Aluminium Casting: 'It is easier to come to work in industrial field later. They get company experiences, in practice experiences and they get to know industrial solutions'
Doctoral candidate B: 'I have also learned to handle both academic and industrial issues and people'
Doctoral candidate P: 'Wider appreciation of other fields and how these can be incorporated into my own research'
4.C. The collaborative scheme in practice
4.C.1. Setting-up the collaborative scheme
A common point highlighted by both universities and businesses throughout the workshops and the case studies is that building trustful relationships between the partners is essential to develop and to sustain the collaborative scheme. The definition of a common vision of realistic expectations, and a common understanding of each party's objectives and priorities, were aspects identified as a prerequisite to build trustful relations and to ensure a successful collaboration. The stakeholders clearly emphasized the importance of setting-up the collaborative project in advance. They stated that this stage should not be rushed, as it is a determining factor in the quality of the collaboration.
4.C.2. Developing the research project
On developing the research project, stakeholders identified several broad aspects that should characterise the life-cycle of the collaboration in order to ensure its success. These included the importance of sharing resources between the different partners and building and maintaining trustful relationships. Regarding the latter, establishing a clear division of the each party's role, work and milestones was seen as an essential part of building trustful relationships. For example, in the workshops conducted, it was proposed that the academic supervisor should focus on new scientific knowledge, the company should focus on how to use the knowledge to further their business and the doctoral candidate should be the vehicle for the original research. The need to have committed and competent individuals in both partner organisations university and industry was emphasized, since ultimately they are the ones taking the collaboration forward. It was also considered that universities should check frequently with the industry partner to ensure the collaboration was satisfactory and that the company appreciated the depth of scientific knowledge brought by doctoral candidates/holders.
Selected quotes from participants:
Newcastle University: 'Monthly meetings are held between the student and the industrial and academic supervisors these are typically via teleconference. On a three monthly basis, a face-to-face meeting is held involving the same parties as for the monthly meeting but with the project sponsor present to ensure the research is on track from a business and research perspective'
Doctoral candidate T: 'We have an annual review with CoMPLEX where two staff, external to my PhD, check my progress and provide support if I have any difficulties. Work plans and future tasks are logged and updated via the UCL Graduate School research log book roughly every 6 month.'
Doctoral candidate G: 'grand meeting with all the supervising parties every six months'
Doctoral candidate U: 'We organize monthly a meeting to evaluate the progress of the research and new applications of our product'
4.D. What makes for a successful collaborative scheme?
In establishing and taking forward a collaborative scheme, both universities and companies highlighted the importance of timely feedback and decision making processes, since this is often perceived as the main challenge to be overcome in the collaborative scheme process. The stakeholders mentioned that there is frequently a mismatch in the decision making timeframe of universities and businesses, due mainly to excessive bureaucracy or lengthy management procedures. This can delay the completion of important steps, particularly in establishing the partnership.
Selected quotes from participants:
NTNU: 'When cooperating closely with industry, there is always a risk of applied research becoming more of consultancy work rather than research. Typical means to overcome these risks are: Scientific quality requirements of PhD projects'
EPFL: 'different objectives, and different needs, which translate in different approaches and different timeframes. In these lies a risk of misunderstanding between the partners. There is therefore a need for an equilibrium that both partners need to find in the preparation of the collaboration: adapting the subject, identifying the key people, keeping the long-term view of the project'
DIT: ' challenges they were avoided from the start by including all partners in the design of the scheme from day one. The ethos of the scheme is that it breaks down boundaries between researchers, practitioners, professionals, policymakers, industry and the community by developing a dynamic research programme enabling collective identification of the research problems and solutions'
GSK Biologicals: 'To companies: good collaborative academic lab and the company you have to meet informally lots of times to build trust and not to leave the student alone'
Doctoral candidate B: 'I believe it's one of the most frustrating task of a Ph.D. student located in industry and working with industrial tasks to combine and balance the interests and needs of industry and academia'
Doctoral candidate I: 'Early feedback about this balance from both sides makes this challenge manageable and improves the usefulness and quality of the research results'
4.E. Impact and sustainability of the doctoral scheme
The results from the workshops revealed that collaborative doctoral programmes are increasing in importance and many governments in Europe are developing their own schemes to foster this type of partnership. In addition, collaborative doctoral education is considered by practitioners as a good way to 'test' university-business collaboration. However, many academics and companies are still reluctant in involving themselves in these partnerships. In this sense, during the workshops it was suggested that 'peer-to-peer' activities from company-to-company and university-to-university could help the 'non-convinced' ones to become more open and to encourage them to participate in the collaborative schemes. Collaborative doctoral programmes have a much higher impact than traditional programmes, as they respond directly to the partners' needs and results have a direct application in the industry which results in increased prospects for knowledge acquisition and therefore more 'value for money'.
Selected quotes from participants:
UCL BIOPROCESS: 'Feedback from our Industrial Training Advisory Board (comprising 30 bioindustry professionals and which meets annually) suggests our EngD graduates have a major impact in industry. We have, via completed EngD collaborations, delivered new generic technologies which help achieve speed to market through novel UCL bioprocessing methods. Some companies have achieved up to a 50% reduction in development time. Other companies have used our methods to support new manufacturing licence applications for new therapies while emerging regenerative medicine companies are using EngD outputs to rapidly explore options for bringing entirely new types of human cell therapy to market'.
Bangor University: 'KESS has commissioned an external ongoing external evaluation. This will look at how all of the participants (academic and industrial partners and doctoral candidates) have benefitted and how the project has met its stated objectives. The evaluation will provide a mid-term report and annual progress reports before providing a comprehensive final report at the end of the project'.
Skretting: 'Relatively new for us. Indirect assessment. No monitoring system. We are happy right now'
Biotalentum: 'We are new starters, we have no analyses yet, but because of the EU projects (Marie Curie programme) we are preparing the first report now. It is a 5 year long sponsored programme'
Solvay: 'IP, co-financing/external recognition of risky projects/recruiting/ good consulting base, less expensive that the Big Consulting Firms, access to high end equipment, not worth an investment for industry employment'
Doctoral candidate R: 'Most valuable are the contacts formed in industries that can be quite inaccessible to external researchers'
Doctoral candidate N: 'obtained results can find immediate application since they are equally driven by academia and business sector'
4.F. Employment opportunities in the business sector
On a general level, collaborative doctoral programmes were considered to contribute to enhancing the personal and professional development of the population through research, building the R &D capacity of a region or country. On a more concrete level, pursuing and achieving a doctorate degree clearly enhances the employability perspectives of the individual, not only by broadening the spectrum of potential employment positions and sectors but also by enhancing the likelihood of reaching higher positions in their employment organisation in the long-term. This is clearer in larger companies than in SMEs, where the career perspectives in the long-term may be more limited. Companies involved in the workshops and case studies agreed that taking part in a collaborative doctoral scheme resulted in a boost of the firm's innovation, the opportunity to train doctoral candidates as future employees and the chance to gain access to new markets. Doctoral candidates working in companies are a source of new ideas and their work contributes to develop new areas of research in the company and to explore their potential applications. The company will hence become more professional as it increases its scientific knowledge.
Selected quotes from participants:
Newcastle University: 'The experience of undertaking research within an industrial environment and working within the constraints imposed by business equips the students to be much more aware of the drivers to take new ideas through a company. Additionally as the students are embedded within the company, they are working closely with industrial colleagues and hence it is more likely that they will be able to implement changes as a consequence of their research ( ) Industry in some cases will only support EngD students as it is seen as an ideal training ground for potential employees. Additionally the students are exposed to the work environment and the challenges it presents';
UNICAM Chemical: 'Based on my experience, most doctoral holders have received at the end of their doctoral programme the possibility of an employment contract in the same company'.
Ingolstadt University: 'For companies this scheme is very tempting as they are working with the candidate for several years, get to know him/her, get first-hand information and will eventually find their next co-worker ( ) In addition, there is no long induction phase of the employee for the company which saves money again and makes immediate results more likely'.
Biotalentum: 'Yes, definitely, because of the experiences, training, secondments'
Intel Ireland: 'Yes, definitely. They are more experienced, knowledge of industry world, built relationships'
Alcatel Lucent: 'PhDs, they make a difference from Masters, they develop soft skills ok managers are coming out of research'
Oryx Simulations AB: '[We are] Pleased for the moment. [Doctoral candidates] would like to see long term challenging perspectives'
Scandinavian Business Seating: 'Generic knowledge is missing with PhD holders they have a very ideal mind-set, not realistic. They would need to have a general knowledge of the economy and real world. Hard to find a candidate that has both and not just the purely academic knowledge'
OCAS: 'Weakness areas: accuracy, project management skills'
Doctoral candidate P: 'I think non-academic sectors value those who have a head for business and can implement the research applicable to their company. Most PhD graduates have to be trained in a new area as their research has been too narrow and focused to be useful to the company entirely'
Doctoral candidate S: 'I do feel more employable because of the training courses run during the EngD and the skills I have learned from this course as opposed to more traditional based programmes'
Doctoral candidate B: 'For my plans of working in industry and for an industrial career later I believe I get a better training at the doctoral scheme compared to a standard one. Every day is training, going to the office, talking to colleagues, meeting customers or production personnel'
Doctoral candidate S: 'Yes I do intend to work outside academia at some point in my future and see the EngD, with its high level of industrial collaboration, a useful step into a bio-industry career'
4.G. Lessons learned and recommendations from stakeholders
Collaborative doctoral schemes are becoming more widespread and there is an increasing interest in this type of partnership. Although many practitioners see collaborative schemes as a good way to 'test' university-business collaboration, several obstacles remain, namely some reluctance on the part of academics and companies to engage in this type of project. To overcome this challenge, participants in the workshops have suggested that 'peer-to-peer' activities from company-to-company and university-to-university could help the 'non-convinced' ones to become more interested and willing to take an active role in collaborative doctoral schemes.
Selected quotes from participants:
Dublin Institute of Technology: 'It is important that all partners including business are included in the design of the scheme from day one and not after the fact'
Umeå University: 'Bottom up process with support from management, funding 50/50 gives engagement, supervision from company'
UCL BIOPROCESS: 'We have found focussing doctoral research training around larger cohorts of students to be extremely beneficial. For the researchers involved this approach provides improved supervisory arrangements and greater opportunities for company involvement, more opportunities to be involved with a multidisciplinary cohort and to generate a wider network of contacts. For the centre/department these larger activities provide opportunities for enhanced provision of research training, a reduction in the unit cost of training provision and enhanced opportunities for income generation either from research funding bodies or industry'.
Intel Ireland: 'I think that the conference we are organizing every year between the academic world and our technicians is a very good example that should be followed by other organizations'
Fasrund Aluminium Casting: 'More connected to incentives would be great to get tax reduce would help a lot for smes'
Skretting: 'Be very selective in selection process'
Jansen Pharmaceutica: '[Need for companies to have an] Entrepreneurial/exploratory spirit, bringing students into the business'
Doctoral candidate B: 'For my plans of working in industry and for an industrial career later I believe I get a better training at the doctoral scheme compared to a standard one. Every day is training, going to the office, talking to colleagues, meeting customers or production personnel'
4.H. Main messages
The main outcomes of the DOC-CAREERS II workshops and case studies can be summarised into the following brief main messages:
Validation of DOC-CAREERS outcomes: The input provided by the contributing persons and organisations fully validated the finding and conclusions of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) DOC-CAREERS report. Thus, the new collected evidence reinforces the main messages and increases the evidence of successful collaborative doctoral programmes, both bottom-up and top-down. The seven components of the collaborative doctoral programmes identified in the FP6 DOC-CAREERS project remain essential and, in particularly, the involvement of a supervisor from the industry sector, remains as the distinctive characteristic of these types of collaboration.
Regional Workshops: A useful tool to foster university-industry research collaborations: DOC-CAREERS II project developed a methodology to organise Workshops that bring together all stakeholders for fruitful discussions. With the 'double-acts' and 'triple-acts' presentations the presence of main stakeholders is ensure and this allows deeper dialogue, which is both focused and holistic.
Trustful relations: Building and maintaining trustful relationships among all stakeholders is essential to ensure the success of the collaborative doctoral scheme. Understanding each partner's needs and objectives , establishing clear and realistic expectations and ensuring regular contact between the parties is vital to build trust and to develop long-term university-business partnerships.
Planning the collaborative scheme: Planning the activities of the doctoral theses and ensuring that they all make sense within the framework of the theses well in advance is a determining factor in the quality and functioning of the partnership. Involving all stakeholders in the different life-cycle stages of the scheme is also needed to ensure the success of the scheme.
Agreements and formal arrangements: Comprehensive agreements between all the stakeholders should be established before the start of the collaborative scheme. These should include the rights and obligations of each party, general rules for the collaboration, financial provisions and intellectual property ownership and rights. IPR should be negotiated from the outset, with a view to strike an appropriate balance of interests in relation to publication and potential commercial application of the research results.
Supervision: Although the academic supervisor is ultimately responsible for ensuring the doctoral research project is of appropriate academic quality to earn a doctorate degree, the industrial supervisor is an integral part of the collaborative scheme. Participants in the workshops and case studies agreed that the company supervisor should have a doctorate degree him/herself or, alternatively, should be aware of what doctoral research entails. Academic and industrial supervisors could also benefit from 'peer-to-peer' training for tutoring doctoral candidates involved in collaborative schemes.
The 'right people' profile: Taking part in a collaborative doctoral scheme requires a specific skill set. Doctoral candidates should not only be committed to research, but should also be willing to develop their work in an industrial setting, making compatible two worlds academia and industry. Academic and industrial supervisors should understand each other needs and priorities and be committed to take the partnership forward ensuring the quality and progress towards the achievement of the doctoral degree.
Diversity of collaborative models: There is no 'one-size fits all' model for collaborative doctoral training. Instead, the workshops and case studies have shown a variety of successful models, emerging from both top-down and bottom-up levels. The key factor seems to be the involvement of all hierarchical levels and, particularly, the support of top management levels, both in universities and in companies.
Employment: All stakeholders agreed that doctorate holders from collaborative schemes are more employable in the business sector than doctorate holders from traditional programmes. The ability to be 'bilingual', bridging the academic and industry sectors, and the development of transferable skills, were identified as the main reasons accounting for the enhanced employability perspectives of doctorate holders in the business sector.
Interdisciplinary dialogue: Participants in the workshops identified the need for more dialogue between the SET, BML and ESSH fields. Closer linkages between the different scientific fields are beneficial to foster mutual learning and to share good practice examples.
The specificity of SMEs: SMEs still face some challenges in engaging in collaborative doctoral programmes (e.g. absence of someone to act as industrial supervisor, funding difficulties). To overcome some of these challenges, participants in the workshops have suggested that SMEs could engage in joint supervision in Master level degrees, as these projects are shorter in time. The need to develop collaborative schemes that require a low level of investment from SMEs was also suggested. In this vein, public funding, national or European, for collaborative doctoral schemes is essential to develop the R &D culture in SMEs.
Overcoming barriers to collaborative doctoral education: To overcome some reluctance on the part of academics and companies to engage in a collaborative doctoral schemes, 'peer-to-peer' activities from company-to-company and from university-to-university could be used to change stereotypes and to develop more positive expectations of university-industry collaboration, with a view to bring more partners into university-business collaborations.
Public support: Public support is always mentioned as an essential component of collaborative research. It includes, obviously, funding, but also proper legislation to encouraging, or at least not hindering, it. Rewards for university scientists involved in collaborative processes are one of the measures. Legal frameworks that support both universities and businesses in preserving their interest while fostering collaboration are also crucial.
The regional dimension: All case studies in DOC-CAREERS II had a strong local base. While all consistently met the characteristics of the seven main components of collaborative doctoral research (identified in DOC-CAREERS) in all regions in which the programmes operated, the collaborative doctoral agreements were possible only because of a deep understanding of the regional industry dynamics and local/regional/national legal issues.
The policy dimension: It was clear that the regions fostering their competitiveness through innovation from university R &D do value collaborative doctoral programmes and the skills that doctoral candidates acquire through the process. These regions establish policies that support research collaborations and commit resources through local/regional public programmes and encourage the participation of local SMEs. These regions encourage also applications for funding from European and worldwide competitive calls and push for mobilising private funding.
Potential impact:
The formatted text is included in the attachment Final report DOC-CAREERS II.pdf
DOC-CAREERS II contributed to build evidence towards the continued development of an EU integrated policy strategy for researchers in Europe through focusing upon the varied and changing research environments in which doctoral programmes are situated, how they are adapting to these realities and the consequent implications for future career development. It made an important contribution, therefore, towards the plans for the continued development and implementation of the Green Paper on 'The European Research Area: New Perspectives', the recent EC Recommendation on 'The Management of Intellectual Property in Knowledge Transfer Activities for Universities and Other Public Research Organizations' and the EC Communication on 'Better Careers and More Mobility: A European Partnership For Researchers'.
1. Use of project outcomes
The outcomes of the DOC-CAREERS II project have been widely used in EUA activities related to research and innovation and particularly in researchers training, employment opportunities and researchers' careers. These can be classified as follows:
1.A. Policy Consultations with the European Commission and the European Parliament
1.B. Input into EUA and EUA-CDE Policy Declarations and Positions
1.C. Participation in dedicated EU R &I Stakeholders Fore policy dialogue
1.D. Linkages with EUA-CDE activities
1.E. Linkages with other EUA projects
1.A. Policy Consultations with the European Commission and the European Parliament
1.A.i. Participation in European Commission consultation meetings and expert groups
Presence of EUA in Expert Groups and Ad-hoc Meetings organised by the European Commission in relation to doctoral programmes, researcher's careers, Modernisation Agenda, EIT, ERC, Horizon 2020, etc., including:
- Expert Subgroup on 'Human Resources and Mobility Steering Group' (Brussels, 11/01/2011);
- EUA participated in the consultation process leading to the 'Principles for Innovative Doctoral Training' (Brussels, 27/06/2011) part of the Report of Mapping Exercise on Doctoral Training in Europe 'Towards a Common Approach', adopted by the ERA Steering Group on Human Resources and Mobility'
- Expert Subgroup on 'Skills' (Brussels, 02/02/2012)
- Brainstorming on the Modernisation Agenda at DG EAC (Brussels, 25/01/2012);
- Consultation on Common Strategic Framework (Stakeholder meeting; Brussels, 01/03/2011);
- Meetings on Marie Curie actions:
- Development of a 'European Industrial PhD' programme (EC People Advisory Group; Brussels, 08/02/2010);
- Marie Curie Industry Stakeholders Meeting (Brussels, 07/07/2010);
- Marie Curie Consultation Meeting on Business-Academia PhD (Brussels, 10/11/2010);
- Expert Subgroup on 'Research and Innovation Staff Exchange' (Marie Curie Actions Stakeholder meeting; Brussels, 08/05/2012);
- Expert Subgroup on 'Individual Fellowship' (Marie Curie Actions Stakeholder meeting; Brussels, 14/05/2012);
- Horizon 2020 Marie Curie Actions Stakeholders meeting (COFUND; Brussels, 15/06/2012);
- ERA Framework Meeting with Stakeholders (Brussels, 21/06/2011);
- Common Strategic Framework (CSF) for Research and Innovation Energy (Stakeholders' workshop; Brussels, 23/06/2011).
1.A.ii. Strategic dialogue with European Institutions and Initiatives
- Meeting with MEP Morten Lokkegaard (Brussels, 09/02/2011);
- Meeting with Robert-Jan Smits of DG Research and Innovation (Brussels, 25/02/2011);
- Workshop 'Enhancing and focussing EU international cooperation in research and innovation: A strategic approach' (Brussels, 13/03/2012);
- EPP Group hearing on Horizon 2020 (Brussels, 06/06/2012).
1.B. Input into EUA and EUA-CDE Policy Declarations and Positions
Reference to the outcomes of the DOC-CAREERS projects is always included in all relevant EUA and EUA-CDE policy statements:
- Salzburg II Recommendations: European Universities' Achievements since 2005 in Implementing the Salzburg Principles, 21st October 2010 (attached Policy declarations and positions 1.pdf);
- Smart People for Smart Growth: Statement by the European University Association on the EU Flagship Initiative 'Innovation Union' of the Europe 2020 European Strategy for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth', 3rd February 2011 (attached Policy declarations and positions 2.pdf)
- European University Association (EUA): EUA position on the EC 'Green Paper' on a Common Strategic Framework for EU Research and Innovation Funding; 10th May 2011 (attached Policy declarations and positions 3.pdf);
- EUA position on the EC consultation document on the 'ERA Framework', 30th November 2011 (attached Policy declarations and positions 4.pdf);
- Memorandum of Understanding between the European Commission and the European University Association, 17th July 2012 (attached Policy declarations and positions 5.pdf)
1.C. Participation in dedicated EU R &I Stakeholders Fora policy dialogue
Participation in dedicated European policy development dialogue included meetings and events organised by the Responsible Partnering Initiative partners (EUA, EARTO, EIRMA, ProTon) and with other bodies such as the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and the European Science Foundation.
- The Responsible Partnering Guidelines published in 2005 were thoroughly revised and re-published in 2009. The revised guidelines used the outcomes of DOC-CAREERS project throughout the text, contributing to the promotion of establishing projects and agreeing on solutions to concerns for the benefit of all partners on an equal basis and not with the assumption that one party is at the service of the others. A very concrete example of the contribution is the 'Suggested Checklist for Situations involving Collaborative Research Training' (p. 28 of the Responsible Partnering Guidelines), which are the final 'Twelve messages for developing collaborative doctoral programmes' that encapsulated the essence of the DOC-CAREERS project findings (p.110 of the DOC-CAREERS report)
- EIT Conference 'The role of the EIT in the Education Landscape' (Leuven, 02-03/12/2010)
- Responsible Partnering Initiative Core Group Meeting with EARTO and EARMA (Brussels, 11/07/2011, 29/09/2011)
- Participant at the First Workshop Member Organisation Forum on Researchers Career Development (Brussels, 09-10/02/2011);
- Horizon 2020 Science Business Policy Bridge (Brussels, 27/03/2012)
- Member of the Advisory Panel to the FP7 Project called 'European Laboratory for Modelling the Technical Research University of Tomorrow' (Ulab) 2011-2012 (the 2nd Advisory Panel Meeting was hosted by EUA in Brussels, 01/06/2012).
The work of DOC-CAREERS and DOC-CAREERS II is reflected also in other projects and initiatives developed by EUA and EUA-CDE:
1.D.Linkages with EUA-CDE activities
- Report to EUA membership: presentation of DOC-CAREERS outcomes in the seminar on Doctoral Education organised back to back with the EUA Council under the Spanish Presidency (Sevilla, 25/03/2010; attached Linkages EUA-CDE activities 1.pdf)
- Continuous mutual update of and input to activities between in EUA Research and Innovation unit and EUA-CDE, normally between Dr. Lidia Borrell-Damian and Dr. Thomas Jorgensen.
- Participation of EUA Research and Innovation staff (Dr. John H. Smith, Dr. Lidia Borrell-Damian) in EUA-CDE Steering Committee meetings when relevant;
- Participation of EUA Research and Innovation staff (Dr. John H. Smith, Dr. Lidia Borrell-Damian) in EUA-CDE workshops when relevant.
1.E. Linkages with other EUA projects
- FP7 project 'European Universities Implementing their Modernisation Agenda' (EUIMA): this project looked at how universities work with regional partners in establishing long-term collaborative research initiatives and exploring how institutions develop research assessment tools in relation to their strategic missions and their context. In this respect, collaborative doctoral education is a particular case of collaborative research, very well delimited in time and objectives. The outcomes of the DOC-CAREERS II project have been presented or provided input in the EUIMA workshops indicated below. The programme and presentations of the workshops are available on the EUIMA website (see http://www.eua.be/eua-projects/current-projects/euima/euima-collaborative-research.aspx online):
- Workshop 1 Leuphana University, Germany, (5-6/10/2010)
- Workshop 2 Tampere University of Technology, Finland (22-23/02/2011)
- Workshop 3 Karlstad University, Sweden (12-13/05/2011)
- Workshop 4 Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy (07-08/11/ 2011)
- Workshop 5 University of Cambridge, United Kingdom (5-6/12/2012)
- EUIMA project final event Brussels (20/05/2012)
- EUA Project funded by the Life Long Learning Programme called 'Mapping University Mobility of Staff and Students' (MAUNIMO) - Final Conference, Oslo (04-05/09/2012; attached Linkages EUA projects 1.pdf)
- ARDE project on 'Accountable Research Environments for Doctoral Education' (see http://www.eua.be/eua-projects/accountable-research-environments-for-doctoral-edu.aspx online). This was a project coordinated by EUA, particularly EUA-CDE. It involved many EUA members who also contributed to DOC-CAREERS II project. The ARDE project report entitled 'Quality Assurance in Doctoral Education results of the ARDE Project' (2013) included numerous references to DOC-CAREERS II and a section dedicated to career development (p. 36-41). This report can be found on the ARDE project website: http://www.eua.be/Libraries/Publications_homepage_list/EUA_ARDE_Publication.sflb.ashx
2. Dissemination: events, communication and dissemination tools
Benefiting from the extensive experience of the EUA in disseminating project outcomes and communicating with its large membership base has allowed the project to reach to the wider higher education and research communities across Europe, including more than 800 EUA member universities, 34 rectors' conferences and numerous university and research organisations and networks. To do this, various communication channels were used throughout the project, including dedicated websites for the project and its events, newsletter articles, targeted, mailings to various contacts as well as other tools which have facilitated engaging relevant stakeholders. All these have been instrumental on the one hand in promoting the projects' activities as well as for disseminating the outcomes and findings resulting from the project's events. Specifically, these include:
2.A. Dissemination events: Presentations/Chair of sessions in conferences and events
2.B. DOC-CAREERS II website
2.C. EUA Newsletter
2.D. Interviews and input to external projects
2.E. Publication of outcomes in peer-reviewed journals and in scientific monographs
2.F. Input to specialised media
2.G. Other dissemination tools
2.A. Dissemination events: Presentations/Chair of sessions in conferences and events
EUA is permanently promoting the outcomes of DOC-CAREERS and progress of DOC-CAREERS II in relevant activities in the field of research, doctoral education and university-industry collaboration, including links with EUA-CDE and the Responsible Partnering initiative. This is normally done in the form of dedicated presentations adapted to each audience. During the project, the following dissemination events took place:
- 'Breakfast Briefing: Launch of the DOC-CAREERS Report', Swiss Mission (Brussels, 09/12/2010; attached Dissemination events 1.pdf)
- Third European University / Business Forum on 'University-Business Cooperation for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth': Dr. Lidia Borrell-Damian gave a presentation in collaboration with EIRMA President, Dr. Leopold Demiddeleer under the framework of the Responsible Partnering Initiative. She was also Moderator of the Session (Brussels, 4-5/05/2010; ; attached Dissemination events 2.pdf)
- Presidency Conference on 'Universities 2020' under the Spanish Presidency (Salamanca, 17-18/06/2010; attached Dissemination events 3.pdf)
- EAIE Conference, Session No.10:06 on 'DOC-CAREERS: linking doctoral education and industry' (17/09/2010) Session organised and chaired by EUA with speakers from institutions that had contributed to DOC-CAREERS (Université Pierre et Marie Curie, France; University of Newcastle, UK), following the approval of a bid presented by EUA to the scientific committee of the conference. Dr. Lidia Borrell-Damian had a double role of Speaker and Chair (Nantes, 17/09/2010; attached Dissemination events 4.pdf)
- EUA-CDE Workshop on doctoral Education: Dr. Lidia Borrell-Damian chaired a session on University-Business cooperation in Doctoral Education during the EUA-CDE Budapest workshop (Budapest, 20-21/01/2011; attached Dissemination events 5.pdf)
- University-Business Forum (Brussels, 23/03/2011; attached Dissemination events 6.pdf)
- EURODOC conference, presentation entitled 'Collaborative doctoral education a way towards enhanced employability and career perspectives' (Vilnius, 01-02/04/2011; attached Dissemination events 7.pdf)
- Conference on 'Youth on the Move', Journalists Seminar, session on 'Challenge and change: Developing modern education and training systems in Europe' (Florence, 07-08/05/2011; attached Dissemination events 8.pdf)
- Conference on 'Training, Career and Mobility of Researchers' (Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union; Budapest, 28-29/06/2011; attached Dissemination events 9.pdf)
- FP6 Marie Curie Conference 'Increasing researchers' employability in Europe: Marie Curie Actions' Formula for successful careers', presentation entitled 'Collaborative doctoral education a way towards enhanced employability and career perspectives' (Paris, 03-04/10/11; attached Dissemination events 10.pdf)
- CRUE Sectorial I+D Conference 'XIX Jornadas de Investigación de las Universidades Españolas', presentation entitled 'University-business relations, regional innovation and doctoral education in collaboration with businesses and other external partners' (Málaga, 27-28/10/11; attached Dissemination events 11.pdf)
- DOCENT conference, presentation entitles 'Collaborative Doctoral Education: University-Industry Partnerships for Enhancing Knowledge Exchange DOC-CAREERS project' (Bologna, 13/10/2011; attached Dissemination events 12.pdf)
- Umeå Seminar on Doctoral Education 'Meeting with Industrial Graduate School', presentation entitled 'Guidelines for collaborative research and knowledge transfer + The Salzburg Principles' (Umeå, 13-14/12/2011; attached Dissemination events 13.pdf)
- European Business Summit 'Skills for growth' (Brussels, 26/04/2012; attached Dissemination events 14.pdf)
- OECD Roundtable: 'Universities for skills, entrepreneurship, innovation and growth' (Paris, 20/09/2012; attached Dissemination events 15.pdf)
- ProTon Europe, Annual Convention 'From a tech transfer approach to a knowledge exchange approach', presentation entitled 'European universities in partnerships for knowledge exchange and innovation: strategies and outcomes' (Liège, 21/09/2012; attached Dissemination events 16.pdf)
- Delegation of Umeå University visiting EUA, presentation entitled 'EUA in research, innovation and doctoral education' (Brussels, 29/10/2012; attached Dissemination events 17.pdf);
- Cyprus Presidency Conference on ERA 'Completing the European Research Area in the context of the Innovation Union Boarding Time', presentation entitled 'Mobility and Employment Fostering Innovation Perspectives in University and Non-University sectors' (Nicosia, 14-15/11/2012; attached Dissemination events 18.pdf);
- Danish Association of Research Managers (DARMA) visits Danish EU Research Office (DANRO), presentation entitled 'The relationship between EUA and ERA EUA in research, innovation and doctoral education' (Brussels, 28/11/2012; attached Dissemination events 19.pdf);
- European Laboratory for Modelling the Technical Research University of Tomorrow (ULAB project) 'Bridging R &D and Innovation: The role of European Universities', presentation entitled 'European universities implementing the modernisation agenda Main outcomes of the collaborative assessment part' (Brussels, 11/12/2012; attached Dissemination events 20.pdf).
2.B. Website
As one of the main communication and dissemination tools, the project website (see http://www.eua.be/doc-careersii online) was set up at the beginning of the project offering a platform for publicising information about the project and its developments.
2.C. EUA Newsletter
A key dissemination tool for EUA is the EUA newsletter, which reaches more than 10.000 subscribed persons and institutions, including EUA individual university members, collective members (national rectors' conferences, university networks), as well as a large range of staff in European universities, research organisations and other networks.
2.D. Interviews and input to external projects
Dr. John H. Smith and Dr. Lidia Borrell-Damian also gave numerous interviews to specialist journalists, to general national media and to other organisation, disseminating the findings of the project and as an input to other external projects.
2.E. Publication of outcomes in peer-reviewed journals and in scientific monographs
The work developed throughout the DOC-CAREERS project has been an important input to DOC-CAREERS II. The outcomes of DOC-CAREERS have been published by EUA, in a scientific monograph entitled 'Collaborative Doctoral Education: University-Industry Partnerships for Enhancing Knowledge Exchange' (attached Scientific monograph.pdf).
Out of the success and excellent comments received by the community of experts in doctoral education in Europe, the Steering Committee of DOC-CAREERS project engaged in the drafting of an article with the aim to publish some of the main outcomes of the research in a peer reviewed journal. This objective was successfully achieved in December 2010 when the Higher Education Policy, the Quarterly journal of the International Association of Universities (IAU), published the article entitled 'Collaborative Doctoral Education: University-Industry Partnerships for Enhancing Knowledge Exchange' (attached Peer reviewed article.pdf). The authors think that this was an excellent outcome of the project which validated the methodology and conclusions from an academic point of view. Indeed, since this publication EUA has been contacted by several academic directors in the UK and USA requesting a reprint of the article.
2.F. Input to specialised media
The results of DOC-CAREERS II have served as input to the following articles published in Nature journal:
- Outside the box (published on 23/02/2012; attached Input to specialised media 1.pdf)
- PhDs leave the ivory tower (published on 05/04/2012; attached Input to specialised media 2.pdf)
- PhDs fit for industry and commerce, too (published on 01/08/2012; attached Input to specialised media 3.pdf)
List of websites:
http://www.eua.be/doc-careersii