Pilot program lets ASU doctoral students gain industry research experience
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It’s said that experience is the best teacher, and doctoral candidates at Arizona State University now have a new opportunity to gain that valuable resource.
ASU is a founding partner in a new U.S. National Science Foundation-supported pilot program that unites universities and industry to co-invest in PhD students through joint funding, industry research experience and workforce development.
Led by the University-Industry Demonstration Partnership, or UIDP, the Industry-Integrated PhD Scholars Program seeks to enhance doctoral education by including industry research experience as part of the students’ PhD dissertation process. The pilot program is sponsored by the NSF’s Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships.
This initiative will enhance STEM doctoral education by putting students in industry research settings to better prepare them for the science and research workforce.
“Arizona State University’s participation in this important pilot reflects our commitment to preparing doctoral students to succeed beyond the university,” said Sally Morton, chief research and innovation officer and executive vice president of ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise. “By connecting students with industry research experience and mentorship, we are helping them build the skills, perspective and relationships they need to thrive in their career.”
ASU was one of the inaugural partners and is soliciting proposals from faculty-industry teams for first-round funding from the I-PhD program.
“ASU has been a leader in industry-engaged teaching and learning, research and discovery,” said David Rosowsky, senior advisor to the president at ASU. “Our investment and participation in the I-PhD program is a logical extension of that leadership and paves the way for even deeper engagements with our industry partners here in the Valley and across the state.”
Faculty are invited to apply on behalf of doctoral students participating in an already established university-industry partnership researching STEM disciplines.
Selected doctoral students get four years of coordinated support, mentorship from both academic and industry researchers and at least one year conducting on-site research related to their dissertations.
Dozens of schools and companies have already submitted letters of interest. Those interested in applying can find more information on the I-PhD Scholars Program website or in their program guide.
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