Industrial & Translational Postgraduate Student Collaboration Programme
“HEFCE Catalyst Studentships”
Call
Sheffield Healthcare Gateway is now inviting applications from PhD students to
undertake short collaborative projects with external parties, typically business and
industrial partners, in the health technologies and medical devices sectors.
These collaborative studentships would be expected to run for between 3 and 12 months,
and this should include a period of industrial placement for the PhD student.
The
student would receive a stipend at the current Research Council rates to cover the
additional time spent on this programme. The company would be expected to make a
financial contribution to this activity that would be in line with CASE studentship rates.
The collaborative project and placement could be undertaken at any time during the PhD
programme, or immediately afterwards as long as the student continued to be registered
with the University.
Priority will be given to those proposals that contribute to the institutions IIKE strategy
and
HEFCE
targets
including
knowledge
exchange,
creation
of
employment
opportunities, commercialisation opportunities, and future applications for translational
funding schemes.
There will be approximately 10 opportunities for PhD students to go on “HEFCE Catalyst
Studentships” per annum for 3 years (starting May 2014).
Industrial partners will
contribute approximately £7000 per annum per student, and the HEFCE catalyst project
will cover up to approximately £13,000 stipend per annum.

Application guidelines are in attached Appendix 1.

Examples are provided in the attached Appendix 2.

Application form is in attached Appendix 3.
Deadline.
Applications are welcome from now until 31st January 2017, and the
studentships need to be completed by 30th June 2017. Studentships will be awarded on
a first-come-first-served basis, provided applications meet required criteria.
Please direct any questions to: Karen Booth, Sheffield Healthcare Gateway
Karen.booth@sheffield.ac.uk, Ext 21404
1
Industrial & Translational Postgraduate Student Collaboration Programme
“HEFCE Catalyst Studentships”
Appendix 1: Application Guidelines
1. Eligibility and Assessment Criteria
1.1. PhD students from all academic departments and research centres are eligible to
apply.
1.2. The student must be currently registered with the UoS (ie up until the faculty signoff of PhD thesis).
1.3. Applications must be discussed with and approved by student’s supervisor and
Head of Department (or authorized person acting on behalf eg PGR tutor), prior to
submission.
1.4. Eligible external partners include: Business and Industry, NHS, Charities.
Other
institutions such as public sector bodies (eg local authorities) will be considered.
1.5. It is anticipated that the majority of projects will be 3-12 months duration.
1.6. All projects must be completed, and fully spent, by 30th June 2017.
1.7. A portion of the placement should be spent with the external partner (to be
appropriate to the opportunity, and assessed on a case by case basis).
1.8. Whilst students can undertake a HEFCE Catalyst Studentship at any point during
their PhD, ideally it would take place either in the first or second year of the PhD,
or after submission of the first draft of the PhD thesis in the third year. Timings,
responsibilities and impact of undertaking a HEFCE Catalyst Studentship must be
discussed
and
agreed
with
the
student’s
supervisor
and
responsible
departmental approver. It is imperative that the HEFCE Catalyst Studentship does
not cause the whole of the PhD to extend beyond its 4 year term, or impact in an
otherwise negative way on previously agreed milestones.
1.9. It is expected that the placement project will be connected to the student’s PhD
subject or related objectives, and will therefore not constitute a Leave of Absence
from the PhD.
1.10.
Applications will be judged and prioritised against the following criteria:

Commitment of the external partner to the project.

A clear explanation of the perceived benefits to UoS and external partner.
2
Industrial & Translational Postgraduate Student Collaboration Programme
“HEFCE Catalyst Studentships”

The potential to develop longer term research collaborations with the
partner.

The potential to realise economic and/or societal benefit for Sheffield City
Region and/or UK citizens.
2. Application Process
2.1. This is a rolling call, applications can be submitted at any point until 31st March
2015. Application is a single-stage process.
2.2. All potential applications should be discussed with Karen Booth at the Sheffield
Healthcare Gateway (ext 21404) prior to submission.
2.3. All applications must be discussed with the student’s supervisor, and approved
by their department prior to submission.
2.4. Applications should contain a statement of support from the student’s
supervisor, outlining the student’s suitability for the placement, the benefits to
be gained for the student, and a confirmation that the placement is achievable
without impacting negatively on the student’s PhD.
2.5. Applications should be accompanied by a letter of support from the external
partner. The letter should indicate the external partner’s willingness to enter into
a collaborative agreement with UoS and stipulate the financial commitment to be
made by them.
2.6. To submit an application, please email a signed electronic copy of the completed
application form to karen.booth@sheffield.ac.uk.
2.7. All applications will be considered by interview panel consisting of Karen Booth, at
least one other member of HEFCE Catalyst management team.
3
Industrial & Translational Postgraduate Student Collaboration Programme
“HEFCE Catalyst Studentships”
3. Funding and Conditions
3.1. By accepting the award, the applicants agree to engage with Sheffield Healthcare
Gateway to monitor the progress of the project to allow the reporting of
outcomes. This will include making non-confidential aspects available to assist
with the development of case studies and providing a Final Report upon
completion.
3.2. A HEFCE Catalyst Studentship Contract must be in place before the project
commences.
3.3. Sheffield Healthcare Gateway reserves the right to recover funds where there is
evidence that a project is failing to adhere to the agreed application. Similarly,
funds may be recovered where these have not been spent in accordance with the
application, unless a change has been agreed in writing.
4
Industrial & Translational Postgraduate Student Collaboration Programme
“HEFCE Catalyst Studentships”
Appendix 2: Background
The University of Sheffield graduates over 1500 PhDs per annum, with approximately
80% of these based on three-year programmes without an industrial partner. The aim of
this instrument is to enable external partners to collaborate more flexibly with academic
departments to develop PhD students by becoming partners at any point after primary
registration. The mechanism for partnership will be based on the existing arrangements
for CASE students, with payment of a fixed stipend contribution by the external party and
negotiation of a collaboration agreement between the partners. While this relatively
simple, common mechanism will be used to implement the arrangement, the nature of
these collaborations will differ greatly depending upon the needs of the business partner
and the nature of the student and his/her project. Examples of the type of arrangement
we propose to develop include:

The PhD student is working in an area that has become interesting to a potential
industrial partner. The industrial partner negotiates joining the project as a partner in
year two and/or three and/or setting up a fourth year of industrial placement. The
industrial partner would contribute according to the terms of the HEFCE Catalyst
Studenship contract, typically £5000 to £7500 per annum, with the PhD sponsor
covering the remainder in the first three years and the new HEFCE catalyst award
covering any additional costs in year four.

The PhD student is working in an area that has become interesting to a potential
external partner near to the end of the research programme. The partner accepts the
PhD student onto a placement within their business, typically after the student has
completed their laboratory studies and submitted the thesis, and still within the
context of a collaborative relationship with the University.
The industrial partner
would contribute in the region of £5000 to £7500 for this one year plus any other
direct costs associated with the placement within their business, while the HEFCE
Catalyst award would cover the standard student bursary for up to one year. The
student would of course retain links with his or her academic base, and would be
expected to follow an agreed personal development plan that would typically include
additional relevant training.

The PhD student and an academic group have skills and knowledge that are of
interest to business or another external entity (e.g. a charity). The external entity
complete a HEFCE Catalyst Studenship agreement with the University and take the
PhD student on a one year placement, usually the fourth year and ideally after
5
Industrial & Translational Postgraduate Student Collaboration Programme
“HEFCE Catalyst Studentships”
submission of the thesis. This placement forms the basis of a relationship with the
University, transferring knowledge to the business or other entity while providing
experience and further training to the PhD student. The economics are the same as
the example above, with the external party providing a cash contribution in the
region of £5000 to £7500 and the HEFCE catalyst fund supplying the normal stipend
with any other additional costs being determined by negotiation of the contract.
It is important to note that while the medical devices and health technologies
manufacturing industry is a key beneficiary of this proposed programme, it is not the only
sector or type of organisation that will be eligible to partner with the University using this
mechanism. Other organisations that we believe will wish to improve growth through this
innovative partnership programme include other companies in the supply chain (e.g. law
firms, patent attorneys, and other service providers), medical charities, and the local NHS.
By definition then, it is not only PhD students in the sciences, medicine and engineering
who will be eligible to enter this programme, but also students from the humanities and
arts who can bring unique skills and training to service of the city region.
Benefits:
This scheme is relatively low cost to implement, yet offers substantial benefits for industry
and other external partners, the University, individual students, and ultimately the Sheffield
City Region:
(a) The external partner will form or further develop their relationship with an academic
group with obvious benefits in terms of access to expertise and facilities, and they will
form a close working relationship with a talented postgraduate student who could be
considered for future recruitment. The project will itself be of significant benefit, providing
new knowledge and insight for the partner that may form the basis for further innovation.
(b) The University will benefit from greater interaction with businesses and other
employers of graduate and postgraduate students, both in terms of new relationships that
can increase the impact of academic research and the development of a better-integrated
local community centered on a key industrial strength of the region.
(c) Postgraduate students will benefit from the experience of working closely with industry
and/or other external agencies, gaining a better understanding of the world outside of
academia and increasing their employability. Understanding of the innovation pathway
from concept through to product will be of particular value to Science, Engineering and
Medicine graduates who are considering a career in manufacturing industry. Moreover, a
6
Industrial & Translational Postgraduate Student Collaboration Programme
“HEFCE Catalyst Studentships”
greater understanding of the many factors that influence decision-making in business will
be invaluable for students, as will the tailored training they will receive on this programme.
(d) The Sheffield City Region will benefit by developing a generation of postgraduates with
a greater awareness and knowledge of the business world and other potential employers,
increasing opportunities for employment, innovation and economic growth.
Greater
retention of talent within the region will also provide significant opportunities for future
growth in the medium and longer term.
7
Industrial & Translational Postgraduate Student Collaboration Programme
“HEFCE Catalyst Studentships”
Appendix 3: Application Form
Named PhD Student
Registration Number
Department
PhD Sponsor
Are you receiving a stipend or
tuition fee waver from UoS?
Please specify
PhD Start Date
Anticipated or Actual
Submission Date of PhD Thesis
Short summary of the proposed
collaborative project and
placement (300 words)
Proposed Start Date
Proposed End Date
Project Cost (total)
Industrial partner contribution
(a) cash (b) in kind (c) other.
Will the sabbatical generate
intellectual property (IP), or use
IP generated from the
student’s PhD? (Please provide
details)
Student’s Statement
1
Industrial & Translational Postgraduate Student Collaboration Programme
“HEFCE Catalyst Studentships”
(500 words – Please explain how
the proposed collaboration will
fulfil the requirements of the
scheme eg Knowledge Exchange,
employability, potential for future
collaboration.
Candidate should include details of
relevance to PhD and personal
development objectives as a PhD
student)
PhD Supervisor
Name
Signature
Date
Name
Signature
Date
Supervisor’s Statement of
Support
(300 words – Please indicate
suitability of student for placement
including relationship to PhD,
personal development objectives.
Please confirm that PhD milestones
are expected to be met alongside
placement. Please provide details
of discussions had with industry
partner about this sabbatical.)
Departmental Representative
(Head of Department or
authorised person, eg PGR
Tutor)
Please attach student’s CV, highlighting relevant posters, prizes or publications
Please attach letter of support from external partner
Please submit this application to
Karen Booth
Sheffield Healthcare Gateway
Karen.booth@sheffield.ac.uk
Ext 21404
2