Template for Industrial PhD project description

This form must be filled in as it is. The template’s instructions in grey italics must be deleted before submitting the application. If the application exceeds the maximum number of pages allowed for the individual sections, it can be administratively rejected.

Basic information

Project title
Industrial PhD candidate
Company
University, centre/institute
Any first third party
Any second third party

A. Objectives and success criteria (max. ½ page)

·  The project’s objectives

Description of the project’s objectives and their news value relative to the state-of-the-art.

·  The project’s success criteria

Which criteria determine if the project is a success?

B. Commercial potential (max. 1 page)

·  The project’s commercial potential for the company

Description of how the project is expected to contribute to the company’s business foundation and profits, for instance:

-  by development of a product or service: Market size, strengths in comparison with competing services / products, the project’s importance and placement in the development chain, etc.

-  by development of processes, organisation or other internal matters: Size and importance to the company of the particular internal structures, how much the potential improvements are expected to affect the company economically (or otherwise), how the results will be implemented, etc.

-  by pursuit of fundamental knowledge related to the company’s commercial activities: Which commercial activities that the project is related to, the size of these activities (relative and absolute), how the knowledge produced by the project can clarify possible improvements of commercial activities, etc.

C. State-of-the-art and theoretical background (max. 1 page excl. references)

·  State-of-the-art and, if relevant, theoretical background for the Industrial PhD project’s field of research

Here, please describe the current state of the Industrial PhD project's specific research field: How far has the research advanced, which barriers and openings have been encountered, what is known, and what is not known? Refer to research literature in the description.

This section must describe where the research field is right now and is the reference point for the project objectives. If the field is unexplored, adjoining fields should be described. If relevant, e.g. within humanities and social sciences, the field's theoretical background should also be described.

D. Project description (max. 4 pages)

·  Project description

Comprehensive and detailed description of how the project is to be carried out, including (but not necessarily in this order):

-  which research hypotheses or research questions that are to be examined,

-  why precisely these hypotheses/questions are relevant to examine, in particular with regard to attaining the project objectives,

-  which specific research methods that are to be used for this,

-  where the project is to be carried out specifically, and how adequate empirical data/knowledge will be obtained,

-  what other activities are to be carried out,

-  how the project is organised and how roles are allocated between the participants: Which activities will the Industrial PhD candidate carry out and with what kind of support (in the form of competences and/or facilities) from which project parties, and which activities are to be carried out by others for the candidate?

The overall objective of this section is to clarify that the project has a sufficiently high research quality and is possible to carry out in practical terms.

E. Publication plan

Proposed title and date of publication / Proposals for one or more acknowledged research journals as desired place of publication

F. Courses, conferences og stays abroad (max. ½ page)

·  PhD courses

Preliminary plan for which PhD courses the Industrial PhD candidate will attend. State as well as possible at current time.

·  Conferences, seminars

Preliminary plan for participation in conferences or seminars.

·  Stays abroad

Preliminary plan for stays abroad at universities or research institutions.

G. Dissemination plan (max. ½ page)

·  Dissemination plan

A preliminary plan for the extent, type and duration of the candidate’s knowledge dissemination (e.g. lectures at the university, participation in conferences, writing articles, briefing sessions and advising in the company etc.). Please provide an estimate of the time spent on each activity and a total.

An Industrial PhD candidate enrolled at a Danish university is obliged to follow the knowledge dissemination requirements of the Danish PhD executive order (ph.d.-bekendtgørelsen). The PhD executive order does not establish the extent, but in the collective agreement for university employed PhDs it is set to 840 hours.

H. Structure and time schedule (max. 1 side)

·  The structure of the education and project, divided into work packages with corresponding milestones and success criteria, and illustrated in a time schedule chart

The milestones and associated success criteria of the project are described in order to make it possible to follow and assess the project’s overall progress. Milestones and success criteria can be scientific or commercial. The description of the project structure is supplemented by a Gantt chart or similar.

I. Time allocation

Allocation of the Industrial PhD candidate’s time / in months / in % of project time
In Danish division of host company / %
In non-Danish divisions of host company / %
At other companies or organisations / %
At the host university / %
At other universities and research institutions / %

J. Company (max. 2 pages)

·  The company and its activities

Here, please describe the company to employ the Industrial PhD candidate: Where is it, how big is it, is it part of a larger corporation, what activities does it have, how does it earn money? Does it have any research experiences and activities?

·  The candidate's placement in the company

Here, please describe where exactly in the company the Industrial PhD candidate is to work during the project, and which professional competences and facilities the candidate will have access to here.

·  Any exit strategy

If the company is new, small, or has fragile finances, please describe an exit strategy for the candidate here. An exit strategy is a plan for how the candidate will continue the project in a different company in case the company is unable to support the project to the end of the education. The more fragile the company is, the more specific the plan should be.

K. University (max. 1 page)

·  Description of the university and centre / institute

Here, please describe the academic profile of the university and the specific research centre or university department where the candidate will be. Which research competences and facilities will the candidate have access to here?

L. Third parties (max. 1 page per third party)

·  Description of any third party

Description of professional profile, competences and facilities of any third parties that are part of the project.