Program Overview

Industrial Doctorate

The Generalitat de Catalunya runs an industrial doctorate programme that offers a different way to carry out doctoral studies, through a collaboration agreement between the University of Barcelona (UB) and a company in a relevant sector. The doctoral student will be contracted by a company where they will carry out their thesis research, within the framework of their official doctoral programme.

Aim of the Industrial Doctorate Programme

The aim of the Industrial Doctorate programme is to contribute to the competitiveness and internationalization of Catalan industry, to strengthen instruments to capture the talent that the country generates, and to place future doctors in a position to develop R+D+I projects.

Research Project

The research project must be developed within the strategic framework of a company or entity in the business environment and, at the same time, within a research group of a research body, in which the doctoral student must carry out their research training, with the aim of writing a doctoral thesis.

Types of Grants and Funding Support

• Co-funding (DI-COF):
  • The specific workplace must be in Catalonia.
  • This requires the exclusive dedication of the doctoral student.
  • Both the academic sector and the business environment are beneficiaries of the funding.
• Specific grant (ID-ESP):
  • The specific workplace can be located in Catalonia or further afield.
  • The business environment is represented by a public sector body of the Government of Catalonia.
  • This does not require the exclusive dedication of the doctoral student.
  • Only the academic sector is the beneficiary.

Grants and Financial Aid

• Financing for the business environment (up to €22,800.00)
• Doctoral student bursary (up to €10,800.00), for enrolment, mobility, training, and publication of articles.
• Funding for the research group (up to €22,800.00).
• Indirect costs or overheads (up to €4,200). This amount is intended to cover the indirect costs incurred during the development of the research project.
• A complementary grant of €2,000 is awarded to each of the requesting bodies that have obtained funding under the corresponding call if the doctoral student obtains the international doctoral certification.

Industrial Doctoral Degree Certification

As a general rule, all doctoral students who have been awarded an industrial doctorate grant by the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) obtain the industrial doctoral degree certification.