Template for Industrial PhD project description
This form must be filled in as it is. The template’s instructions in grey italics must be deleted before
submitting the application. If the application exceeds the maximum number of pages allowed for the
individual sections, it can be administratively rejected.
Basic information
Project title
Industrial PhD candidate
Company
University, centre/institute
Any first third party
Any second third party
A. Objectives and success criteria (max. ½ page)

The project’s objectives
Description of the project’s objectives and their news value
relative to the state-of-the-art.

The project’s success criteria
Which criteria determine if the project is a success?
B. Commercial potential (max. 1 page)

The project’s commercial potential for the company
Description of how the project is expected to contribute to the
company’s business foundation and profits, for instance:

by development of a product or service: Market size,
strengths in comparison with competing services /
products, the project’s importance and placement in the
development chain, etc.

by development of processes, organisation or other
internal matters: Size and importance to the company of
the particular internal structures, how much the potential
improvements are expected to affect the company
economically (or otherwise), how the results will be
implemented, etc.

by pursuit of fundamental knowledge related to the
company’s commercial activities: Which commercial
activities that the project is related to, the size of these
activities (relative and absolute), how the knowledge
produced by the project can clarify possible improvements
of commercial activities, etc.
C. State-of-the-art and theoretical background (max. 1 page excl. references)

State-of-the-art and, if relevant, theoretical background for the Industrial PhD project’s field of
research
Here, please describe the current state of the Industrial PhD
project's specific research field: How far has the research
advanced, which barriers and openings have been encountered,
what is known, and what is not known? Refer to research
literature in the description.
This section must describe where the research field is right now
and is the reference point for the project objectives. If the field is
unexplored, adjoining fields should be described. If relevant, e.g.
within humanities and social sciences, the field's theoretical
background should also be described.
D. Project description (max. 4 pages)

Project description
Comprehensive and detailed description of how the project is to
be carried out, including (but not necessarily in this order):

which research hypotheses or research questions that are to
be examined,

why precisely these hypotheses/questions are relevant to
examine, in particular with regard to attaining the project
objectives,

which specific research methods that are to be used for this,

where the project is to be carried out specifically, and how
adequate empirical data/knowledge will be obtained,

what other activities are to be carried out,

how the project is organised and how roles are allocated
between the participants: Which activities will the Industrial
PhD candidate carry out and with what kind of support (in
the form of competences and/or facilities) from which
project parties, and which activities are to be carried out by
others for the candidate?
The overall objective of this section is to clarify that the project
has a sufficiently high research quality and is possible to carry
out in practical terms.
E. Publication plan
Proposed title and date of publication
Proposals for one or more acknowledged research
journals as desired place of publication
F. Courses, conferences og stays abroad (max. ½ page)

PhD courses
Preliminary plan for which PhD courses the Industrial PhD
candidate will attend. State as well as possible at current time.

Conferences, seminars

Stays abroad
Preliminary plan for participation in conferences or seminars.
Preliminary plan for stays abroad at universities or research
institutions.
G. Dissemination plan (max. ½ page)

Dissemination plan
A preliminary plan for the extent, type and duration of the
candidate’s knowledge dissemination (e.g. lectures at the
university, participation in conferences, writing articles, briefing
sessions and advising in the company etc.). Please provide an
estimate of the time spent on each activity and a total.
An Industrial PhD candidate enrolled at a Danish university is
obliged to follow the knowledge dissemination requirements of
the Danish PhD executive order (ph.d.-bekendtgørelsen). The
PhD executive order does not establish the extent, but in the
collective agreement for university employed PhDs it is set to
840 hours.
H. Structure and time schedule (max. 1 side)

The structure of the education and project, divided into work packages with corresponding milestones
and success criteria, and illustrated in a time schedule chart
The milestones and associated success criteria of the project are
described in order to make it possible to follow and assess the
project’s overall progress. Milestones and success criteria can
be scientific or commercial. The description of the project
structure is supplemented by a Gantt chart or similar.
I. Time allocation
Allocation of the Industrial PhD candidate’s time
in months
in % of project time
In Danish division of host company
%
In non-Danish divisions of host company
%
At other companies or organisations
%
At the host university
%
At other universities and research institutions
%
J. Company (max. 2 pages)

The company and its activities
Here, please describe the company to employ the Industrial PhD
candidate: Where is it, how big is it, is it part of a larger
corporation, what activities does it have, how does it earn
money? Does it have any research experiences and activities?

The candidate's placement in the company
Here, please describe where exactly in the company the
Industrial PhD candidate is to work during the project, and
which professional competences and facilities the candidate will
have access to here.

Any exit strategy
If the company is new, small, or has fragile finances, please
describe an exit strategy for the candidate here. An exit strategy
is a plan for how the candidate will continue the project in a
different company in case the company is unable to support the
project to the end of the education. The more fragile the
company is, the more specific the plan should be.
K. University (max. 1 page)

Description of the university and centre / institute
Here, please describe the academic profile of the university and
the specific research centre or university department where the
candidate will be. Which research competences and facilities
will the candidate have access to here?
L. Third parties (max. 1 page per third party)

Description of any third party
Description of professional profile, competences and facilities of
any third parties that are part of the project.