What is the Industrial Doctorate?

In Industrial Doctorates, students take part in an industrial or experimental development research project that is directly related to their thesis and carried out in a company or public body (universities excluded) with a connection to any of the branches of knowledge. 

The project may be carried out entirely in the company or public body, or in partnership between the company or public body and the university.  

The mention in intended to foster relations between academic and business worlds by promoting knowledge transfer and innovation and enhancing the employability of young researchers. It is conceived as a tool for training researchers in the skills required to perform R+D+i roles and activities in the business environment. 

Theses will take as their subject a project of interest to the business community and will generate enough knowledge to be regarded as innovative research. Generally speaking, these theses may include business or experimental projects geared towards the development of new or improved products, processes or services. 

Requisites

In accordance with article 15 bis of Royal Decree 99/2011, of 28 January, inserted in Royal Decree 195/2016, of 13 May, the doctoral degree certificate may include the “Industrial Doctorate” mention provided that the following circumstances are met:

a) An employment or commercial contract with the doctoral student is in force. The contract may be drawn up by a private or public-sector company, or by a public body. 

The duration of this contract must be of at least one year's duration, which must be within the period of preparation of the thesis and, in no case, have ended prior to one year from the date of deposit of the doctoral thesis.

b) Doctoral students must take part in an industrial or experimental development research project carried out in the company or public body (universities excluded) to which they are joined by contract. The industrial or experimental development research project must be directly related to their thesis. This direct relation will be accredited in a report submitted for inspection by the relevant doctoral programme’s academic committee. The mention will accredit the thesis’s interest to the business community and generation of enough knowledge to be regarded as innovative research. The mention must include the details of the person responsible in the company (mentor assigned by the company) or public body.

Should the industrial or experimental development research project be carried out in partnership between the university and the company or public body to which the student is joined by contract, the parties involved must sign an agreement document laying down the 

obligations of the university and the obligations of the public body, as well as the student recruitment process.

Student mentor and thesis supervisor

The company or public body will assign a mentor to the doctoral student; this mentor will be responsible for supervising the research project. If this mentor also holds a doctoral degree, he or she may also supervise the doctoral thesis pursuant to the doctoral degree’s own regulations.  The relevant doctoral programme’s academic committee will review the company mentor’s curriculum vitæ before deciding whether she or he is qualified to act as thesis supervisor.

Should the company mentor eventually act as thesis supervisor, a tutor or co-director from the University of Alcalá must be designated. When the company mentor does not act as thesis supervisor, a supervisor from the University of Alcalá must be designated.

Confidentiality Agreement

Should the parties deem it necessary, a confidentiality agreement shall be signed to regulate the use of confidential information and the dissemination of research outcomes. This agreement will be attached to the doctoral student’s application form and technical report.

Applying for the “Industrial Doctorate” mention

When applying for the “Industrial Doctorate” mention, students must submit their application to the relevant programme’s academic committee at least six months before depositing the thesis. The application form must be accompanied by a copy of the employment or commercial contract; a technical report on the industrial or experimental development research project, and its connection to the doctoral thesis; and the confidentiality agreement, should there be one. The technical report must have the approval of the person responsible at the company (mentor assigned by the company) or in the public body and explain its interest in the development of the project. The report must also have the approval of the UAH’s tutor and thesis supervisor(s).

Should the project be carried out in partnership between the company or public body and the university, the relevant agreement will be attached, said agreement having been signed by the university and the company or public body pursuant to article 15bis.2 of RD 195/2016, of 13 May, which lays down the requisites for issuing the European supplement to the university degree of doctor.   

The relevant doctoral programme’s academic committee will examine the application and accept or reject it according to the programme’s criteria and bearing in mind the viability of the research project submitted. The committee’s decision will then be validated by the Doctoral School. 

Examination of thesis

The thesis will be examined according to the procedure set out in the Regulations of the Doctoral School of the University of Alcalá and to the specific terms agreed in writing between the UAH and the company or public body.