The research project is conducted in cooperation between a private
company, an Industrial PhD student and a university. As a supplement to
the research community in either the university or the company, a
public research institution – a so called third party - can be
attached.
The company
The Industrial PhD student is employed by a private company.
The company applies for a project subsidy from the Danish Agency for
Science, Technology and Innovation. The student is employed by the
company and paid a salary during the entire Industrial PhD education.
An exception from this is the 4+4 scheme, where the student is employed
by the company during the last two years of the PhD education.
Generally, the student’s working hours should be divided equally
between the university and the company over the three-year course of
the project.
The university
Universities and students of all nationalities may be
accepted. If the education is conducted at a foreign university, a
supervisor from a Danish university or public research institution must
be associated with the project.
The business course
A mandatory part of the Industrial PhD education is the
special business course offered by the Danish Agency for Science,
Technology and Innovation. In order to pass this course, a business
report must be written, which documents the student’s understanding of
commercial aspects of the project seen in relation to the company. For
public Industrial PhD projects, the business report should document the
student’s understanding of the institutional utility of the
project.
Legislation
The Industrial PhD Programme is set out in the Act on
Technology and Innovation. Other relevant legislation is the
Ministerial order on the PhD Programme at the Universities, which is
issued by the Danish University and Property Agency plus Act on
Employee Inventions and Act on Inventions at Public Research
Institutions, which both are issued by the Ministry of Economic and
Business Affairs.
