Benefits of Becoming an Industry Partner

As a partner of a CDT, your company receives the benefit of having the time, academic expertise and problem-solving capacity of the doctoral student. It is an opportunity to shape the doctoral training to target the gaps in capability that the UK needs. It can be a way of exploring engagement with a new academic group or institution before making a larger commitment through other research projects.

Students trained at EPSRC CDTs are among the world’s best-trained postgraduates. UKRI has published a statement of expectations for postgraduate training which it expects all recipients of UKRI training grant funding to uphold. As well as the development of technical skills, EPSRC students have access to opportunities that allow them to develop:

■ A broad understanding of their research areas

■ Transferrable skills, including those related to research conduct and wider professional training

■ Their horizons beyond the ‘home’ research organisation via collaborations with others, participation in conferences etc.

By participating in doctoral training, companies can explore pre-competitive aspects of their technologies and products that would not be possible via other routes. Working on doctoral projects also provides companies with opportunities to create and maintain links with the academic community. When directly supporting one or more students, the company receives the benefit of having the academic expertise and problem solving capacity of the doctoral researcher, for the time of the project, and can target the capabilities they need.

As partners, you will have a clear stake in the direction and outcomes of the centre for doctoral training. We know that our graduates are highly employable, with 77% of our students typically taking on jobs in a STEM-related career, and many of these will be with our industry partners. Beyond this, partners in CDTs will be involved in both the training activities and the governance of the centre. CDTs are expected to identify the relevant training requirements by working with their partners. For more information about our CDT investments and the benefits of this kind of training for the UK, you might be interested in our 2021 review of doctoral education.