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Industry PhD is a doctoral program where a research project is co-designed with the end-users of research. The program offers opportunities to doctoral candidates to apply their research skills to solve a real-world problem in collaboration with industry partners.
- Work on a research project designed to solve a real-world problem.
- Receive industry funded project scholarship.
- Opportunities to work with industry partners and learn career enhancing skills.
- Expand your industry network.
- Participate in industry engagement training and research internship program.
- An opportunity to create a competitive edge through R&D activity.
- Solve a real-world problem that your business is facing.
- Establish new relationships with the academics of Western Sydney University.
- Access Western Sydney University’s research facilities and academic expertise. Eligible industry partners may apply for R&D tax incentives.
1. Western Sydney University (Western) Industry PhD Program
Western Sydney Industry PhD Program is a research end-user focussed program where the need for research is driven by industry partners. Research projects are co-designed by industry partners and PhD supervisors. PhD candidates, once identified, also participate in the design of research projects. In addition, Western Industry PhD program provides doctoral candidates industry engagement training and offers opportunities to engage in research internship with the end-user of their research. The program is specifically designed to conduct research with a broader research impact.
How it works:
- An academic staff of Western Sydney University and the interested industry partner’s representative discuss a potential research project.
- If the project is considered feasible, the industry partner can nominate and sponsor a PhD candidate through one of the following two routes:
- Industry employee route: industry partners sponsor their staff, eligible to get admission in a PhD program, as a professional development opportunity.
- Industry funded route: industry partners can fund a PhD scholarship for applicants external to their organisation.
- For industry funded route, the project scholarship is advertised on the Western Sydney University website to recruit a doctoral candidate.
- For industry employee route, the nominated employee will apply for admission in a PhD program at Western in consultation with the academic supervisor.
- Once recruited, a PhD candidate starts working on the research project under the supervision of the academic staff and advice from the industry partner.
- Download Western Industry PhD flyer for more information.
Potential PhD candidates:
Please visit our industry funded project scholarships page to see if there is a project that is of interest to you and follow the instructions to apply. Otherwise, visit the find a supervisor page to identify a supervisor for your proposed research project.
Industry partners:
Please visit our research capabilities page to see our academic expertise and to find your partner in research. You can contact the relevant academic staff directly to discuss your research project. If you have trouble finding one, please contact us at grs.industry@westernsydney.edu.au and we can help you find an expert.
2. National Industry PhD Program
The National Industry PhD Program combines the strengths of the industry and research sectors to enable industry professionals and PhD candidates to conduct industry-focused research and participate in career-enhancing training as part of a PhD.
The program has two streams, Industry Linked PhD and Industry Researcher PhD. In the Industry Linked PhD, outstanding PhD candidates undertake a research project co-designed by university and industry, with opportunities to be embedded in an industry setting. In the Industry Researcher stream, eligible employees of industry partners undertake research projects while maintaining their employment status.
For more information about the program and to download guidelines, application form and other resources please visit the National Industry PhD Program website.
3. CSIRO’s Industry PhD Program
CSIRO’s Industry PhD Program is delivered by CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) as part of the Australian Government initiative to better translate academic research into commercialisation outcomes. The program is available to all Australian Universities and offer opportunities to researchers and industry partners to develop PhD research projects and attract high-quality PhD candidates. The PhD supervision is shared with CSIRO and industry partners. More information for potential PhD candidates, industry partners and university academic staff is available on the CSIRO Industry PhD Scholarship Program website.