CDTs –
Industrial Doctorate
Centres (IDCs)
Dr Jim Fleming
Senior Industrial Doctorate Manager, EPSRC
The context
 EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training are a new approach
to training PhD students, creating communities of researchers
working on current and future challenges. 19 of the centres will
be industrial training centres that will equip their students with the
business skills they need to turn pioneering ideas into products
and services, boosting their impact on the UK’s economy.
 The multidisciplinary centres bring together diverse areas of
expertise to train engineers and scientists with the skills,
knowledge and confidence to tackle today’s evolving issues.
They also create new working cultures, build relationships
between teams in universities and forge lasting links with
industry.
 This approach to training has been extensively piloted by
EPSRC through a number of Engineering Doctorate Centres and
Doctoral Training Centres in Complexity Science, Systems
Biology and at the Life Sciences Interface. This increased
investment builds on the success of these and will establish a
strong group of centres which will rapidly establish a pre-eminent
international reputation for doctoral training.
Purpose of Industrial Doctorate Centres
Doctorate level education for
UK's leading researchers aiming for a career in industry
The Research:
relevant to the needs of industry
in partnership with, industry
innovative
make a significant contribution to the performance of the
industrial partner.
The taught component aims to enhance
professional development
transferable skills
specialist technical subjects
CDT launch event – 5 December 2008
Key Messages…..
CDTs will create a large wave of new scientists and
engineers
Strong user engagement in the development and delivery
within Centres.
Centres will be tackling some the biggest problems currently
facing the UK.
Centres will equip these students with the skills they need to
turn research into business, helping to boost the UK economy
It is a new approach to training our scientists and engineers
Centre should / are broad in outlook, inclusive and outwardlooking.
Strong leadership with real drive to overcome institutional
issues etc
Overall student numbers and balance
Trend and projection of EPSRC supported students
6000
5000
DTA
Numbers
4000
PS
CDT
3000
ICASE
DHPA/IDS
2000
Other
1000
0
2006
2009
Year
2013
The importance of high level skills
Engineering Doctorates (EngDs)
Introduced 1992, 1200 Research Engineers
500 companies collaborating
Industrial Doctorate Centres (IDCs) & Centres for Doctoral
Training (CDTs)
Start Oct 2009; will train over 2000 new students; £250M
commitment
Includes 19 IDCs all with significant industrial collaboration; e.g.
Industrial Doctorate Centre: Sustainability for Engineering
and Energy Systems; Industrial Doctorate Centre:
Formulation Engineering; Industrial Doctorate Centre:
Systems; Industrial Doctorate Centre: Micro- and
NanoMaterials and Technologies
The importance of high level skills (contd.)
Difference between an EngD & PhD
“1+3” model; 75% time in industry (2 supervisors)
Good employment rates (esp. with collaborating
company) and high starting salaries; skills training
Publication records equivalent to PhD
High Tech
Visualisation, Electronics Design, Systems, Medical
Systems, Nano, Fuel Cells, Healthcare & Pharma,
Bioprocessing, Web Science etc etc
Future Opportunities - Strategic Partnerships/Areas,
Gap-filling
Distribution of IDC Funding by
Programme Area
£113M
www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/students/centres/Pages/indd.aspx
Importance to Industry
Creating a High-Value Economy
•
•
•
•
It involves what I call deep knowledge;
•
It involves the definition of solutions that meet complex
requirements;
•
It requires well-developed systems integration skills;
It has a high research and technology content;
It requires a profound understanding of the customer;
It exploits both scientific and experiential intellectual
property;
Sir John Rose, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce plc
10 November 2009
EPSRC Strategic Plan Goals from 2010
Delivering Impact – to ensure excellent research and
talented people deliver maximum impact for the health,
prosperity and sustainability of the UK
Shaping capability – to shape the research base to
ensure it delivers high quality research for the UK, both now
and in the future
Developing leaders – to commit greater support to the
world-leading individuals who are delivering the highest
quality research to meet UK and global priorities
Summary
RE Viewpoints
Accelerated Career Development
Knowledge & skill used by Industry or Government
Developing transferable skills enhancing employment value
Benefits are delivered during the EngD as well as after.
Industry Viewpoints
Filling skill shortages for competitive advantage
Developing products and processes
Adding value to the business
Improving outcomes through collaboration
Stimulating and managing change
Supported in Manufacturing Theme Day Report
Ongoing
IDC Advocates
Spread best practice in the management, operation and
development of centres
Act as champions for the scheme
Patrick Godfrey, Chris France, William Powrie
Association of EngDs
Raise awareness
Accreditation
Alumni
Case Studies
www.aengd.org.uk
What Industry says
Extreme shortage of quality candidates which is quite simply
hampering many companies expansion plans.
US based games development company
“This is an excellent programme which will benefit our industry
significantly. Currently there is a big need for high calibre technical
people and the proposed Centre will address this shortage effectively”
Communications Company
….”produce a pool of people with the skills necessary to compete”
Global Computer System Manufacturer
Benefit: Filling skill shortages for competitive advantage
What Industry says
…. “enables development of products and services of real value to
the construction industry”.
International Consulting Engineers
The research completed will help us to implement technologies that
can make a substantial contribution to the reduction in carbon
emissions from warehousing and logistics in global supply chains.
Global Market leader
“I would consider the development of neurological control of
exoprostheses to be of significant importance……..step forward in
the quality of life of amputees”
Rapidly-growing orthopaedic company
Benefit: Developing products and processes
What Industry says
……”the EngD allows for activities to be undertaken that deliver
significant benefit to the supporting Company during the course
of the EngD programme.”
Global aerospace company
We have extracted real value out of the formal supervision
sessions, and from the academic rigour which (our RE) has added
to some of our research.”
A UK electricity company
“The research findings from these projects have been extremely
valuable ……. yielded a number of recommendations that… were
accepted in full.”
Motor car manufacturer
Benefit: adding value to the business
What Industry says
…. “EngD Programme where not only the needs of industry
become the main research question, but also the research rigor
of academia is maintained, providing credibility to the research
findings. The outputs will be applicable to consultancy practice
and immediately relevant to the industry.”
Global Construction Consultants
We strongly benefit from our long term collaboration with (the
University) who provide excellent supervision of our joint PhD and
EngD students.
USA Laboratory
Benefit: Improving outcomes through collaboration
What Industry says
“Our two current research engineers are already contributing strongly
to (Company) strategic thinking and are in close and frequent
communication with Board members. They are already quite literally
changing the way the Company thinks”
International Company > 7000 staff
“The EngD ……. has contributed enormously to the changes that
have and are taking place in (our company) and their Partners.”
One of the largest UK Building Companies
Benefit: Stimulating and managing change
Adding Value - Faster to market
New industry
product need
Research Engineer
develops ability
Say 10 years
to deliver need
Say 4 years
New Research
Method or Topic
New industry
product need
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Research Engineer
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Centre Value
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Research Engineer
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Benefits:
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Networking knowledge
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New Research
Faster to market
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Method