The Industrial Ph.D.

scheme: Project description template

The project description may be maximum 10 A4 pages. It is not possible to upload a project description that exceeds this size. Information on the Industrial Ph.D. scheme and a link to the call for proposals are available on the schemes webpages: www.rcn.no/naeringsphd, as well as on the Research Council website: www.rcn.no > For industry > Funding for industry > The Industrial Ph.D. scheme. Click on the link to the call for proposals to find background information, guidelines for how to fill in the application form, and answers to FAQ. Grant applications comprise the electronic application form and the four following attachments: A project description providing all of the information specified in this template. The CV of the proposed candidate. A binding collaboration agreement with the degree-conferring institution. Documentation of the candidates admission to a doctoral degree programme.

It will often be the case that the collaboration agreement has not yet been completed and/or admission has not yet been confirmed by the submission deadline, and that only the project description and CV can thus be included in the electronic application form. In such cases, applicants must submit documentation that these processes are underway. These two items are often closely linked, and are discussed in more detail below. o

The collaboration agreement/documentation

All doctoral degree candidates must sign an admissions agreement with the educational institution that will be conferring the degree. A signed copy of this agreement may be used as what the Research Council of Norway refers to as a binding collaboration agreement under the Industrial Ph.D. scheme. The admissions agreement with the degree-conferring institution will cover the mandatory items to a varying extent, depending on the type of institution. As a general rule, it is possible to add additional terms and conditions to such an agreement. Please take special note of the item stipulating that the research fellow must spend at least one year at the institution and the company, respectively, as this is rarely addressed in standard agreements. It may be worthwhile to use the admissions agreement as a basis for the collaboration agreement, incorporating additional items as needed. It is important that companies planning to apply for funding under the Industrial Ph.D. scheme take contact with the degree-conferring institution at the earliest possible date. Experience indicates that it may take some time to draw up a collaboration agreement, particularly in branches of industry in which intellectual property rights are of major significance for the companys earnings. In cases where the company is planning to use the admissions agreement as the basis for the collaboration agreement, incorporating any necessary items, this may be described in the project description. If a draft agreement is available it should be submitted with the application form, and the company should indicate that it understands that the final agreement must include the following items:

Issues pertaining to intellectual property rights must be adequately clarified. The advisers from the degree-conferring institution and the company, respectively, must be specified by name.

The Industrial Ph.D. scheme project description template

Issues pertaining to the research fellows right to publish the results of his/her research and present them in his/her thesis must be adequately clarified. The research fellow must spend at least one year at the institution and the company, respectively. The time may be distributed in a manner that is most advantageous for the project. If the project involves work duties on the part of the research fellow, these must be adequately clarified. This item may also be incorporated into a separate employment agreement between the research fellow and the company.

The admissions process/documentation Companies should take contact with the degree-conferring institution at the earliest possible date to find out about the institutions admissions procedures. In many cases, universities will not confirm admission to a doctoral degree programme before funding is allotted. In such cases the institution normally grants admission once the Research Council has processed the grant application and issued a pledge of funding. To document that the admissions process is underway, the company may attach a copy of the admissions application submitted to the university, or alternatively, a letter from the degree-conferring institution confirming that the admissions application has been received and the admissions process is underway. Such documentation is adequate for initiating grant application processing under the Industrial Ph.D. scheme.

The contract between the Research Council and the company will not be drawn up before all of these attachments have been received.

All italicised text is for information purposes only, and should be deleted in the final document. Project title:
Enter title here. Use the same project title entered in the electronic application form.

Applicant:
Use the same information entered in the electronic application form. Enter the companys enterprise number in the Register of Business Enterprises. Sole proprietorships with only one employee are not eligible to apply for funding, nor are private limited companies or other types of companies in which the research fellow is or will be the only employee. See the call for proposals for information about who is eligible to apply for funding under the Industrial Ph.D. scheme.

Project period:
The earliest permitted start-up date is the date of submission of the grant application. However, it is recommended that applicants submit their applications well in advance of

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project start-up. Grant applications may be submitted before final confirmation of admission to a doctoral degree programme has been received or a collaboration agreement has been signed, but applicants must submit documentation that these processes are underway (see the information above).

Contents
The table of contents is generated automatically. To update the table, put your cursor on the table, right click on your mouse and click on Update Table of Contents (Oppdater felt).

A PROJECT DESCRIPTION ...................................................................................................................... 3 A.1.1 The objectives and purpose of the project/project summary ........................................................... 3 A.1.2 Progress plan with milestones ......................................................................................................... 3 A.1.3 Project organisation ......................................................................................................................... 4 A.1.4 Applicant company ......................................................................................................................... 5 A.1.5 Degree-conferring institution .......................................................................................................... 5 A.1.6 Foundation in and relevance to the companys strategic focus ....................................................... 5 A.1.7 The companys R&D expertise ....................................................................................................... 5 A.1.8 Cost plan ......................................................................................................................................... 6 A.1.9 Funding plan.................................................................................................................................... 8

A Project description
A.1.1 The objectives and purpose of the project/project summary Describe the project in greater detail, elaborating on the brief project summary provided in the electronic application form. Describe the scientific content of the project and specify the primary and secondary objectives.

A.1.2

Progress plan with milestones

Annual seminars for research fellows and advisers under the Industrial Ph.D. scheme are organised each year. Research fellows are required to attend at least one meeting during the first year of the doctoral project, and are encouraged to attend meetings each year throughout the project. The seminars are held annually at the beginning of January, and participation in at least one seminar should be listed as a milestone in the progress plan in the electronic application form. The seminars provide participants with the opportunity to acquire new scientific input, engage in discussion and exchange experience. The seminars are also a tool for network-building among funding recipients under the scheme. It is generally sufficient to list the main activities and milestones in the electronic application form. Additional information may be provided here, if desired. The progress plan provided in the application form (and when appropriate the project description) should include a list of courses to be taken at the university, a list of planned scientific articles and the proposed date for the candidates defence of his/her doctoral thesis.

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A.1.3

Project organisation

Describe the collaboration between the degree-conferring institution, the doctoral candidate and the company. The following points must be addressed: A binding collaboration agreement with a degree-conferring university or university college is required before funding may be allocated. How far along has this process come? As described above, all doctoral candidates must sign an admissions agreement with the degree-conferring institution and this may serve as the binding collaboration agreement, given that it includes all required items. The contract with the Research Council will not be sent to the company until a collaboration agreement has been drawn up and a signed copy has been submitted. It must be signed by someone authorised to represent and assume legal and financial obligations on behalf of the company/institution. How will the work duties of the research fellow be organised? The research fellow must be an employee of the company. Please keep in mind that he/she will have work duties at both the company and the degree-conferring institution, and is required to spend a total of at least one year at each place, although it does not have to be a full year in one stretch. This means that the research fellow must have an office at both places and must be integrated into both environments. Aside from this, it is up to the parties themselves to decide how to organise the research fellows work duties. This item should be clarified and included in the binding collaboration agreement; see the information on the collaboration agreement above. An adequate proportion of the research fellows working hours must be set aside for the doctoral research project: either 100 per cent for a three-year project period or 75 per cent for a four-year project period. The company and the university must cooperate to ensure that other tasks to be undertaken by the research fellow do not hinder project progress, and any work duties must be clarified in advance. Describe how this will be done.

Admission to an organised doctoral degree programme. How far along has this process come? If admission has been confirmed, applicants must submit the confirmation letter together with the grant application. If admission has not yet been confirmed, applicants must submit documentation that this process is underway. In certain cases, institutions will not confirm admission before the Research Council has issued a pledge of funding. In such cases, applicants may submit, for example, documentation from the institution confirming that the admissions process has begun and will be concluded once a pledge of funding has been issued. Applicants may also send a copy of the application for admission submitted to the doctoral degree programme. Once the Research Council has allotted funding, the institution normally grants admission. Assuming all other criteria have been met, a contract will then be signed between the company and the Research Council. The individuals who will serve as the research fellows advisers at the company and the degree-conferring institution must be specified by name in the project description and the collaboration agreement with the institution. The table below must be completed.

Adviser at the company Name

Adviser at the university Name

Email

Email

Tel. no.

Tel. no.

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Any additional advisers should also be listed in the table along with their contact information.

Please note that the earliest permitted start-up date is the date of submission of the grant application. Applications should be submitted well in advance of the planned start-up date.

A.1.4

Applicant company

A description of the company is to be provided here, including the following information: Organisational form. Number of employees. Name of the corporation or group of companies with which the company is affiliated. Number of years the company has been in operation. Length of time the research fellow has been employed by the company, if he/she is already an employee of the company. If not, specify whether the research fellow will be employed permanently or on a temporary basis for the duration of the project. Other relevant information.

Small and medium-sized companies may also apply for funding to cover additional costs related to laboratory testing. Companies planning to seek such funding must document that they belong to this category.

A.1.5

Degree-conferring institution

Applicants must specify the name of the degree-conferring institution and the department/institute with which the doctoral candidate will be affiliated. A description should also be provided of how the candidates work will be organised in terms of physical facilities at the degree-conferring institution. The doctoral research project must be designed in close cooperation between the company, degree-conferring institution and doctoral candidate. Describe how this will be done. If the candidate is planning to purse a doctoral degree at a university abroad, applicants must submit documentation that the degree programme is of equal standard to a Norwegian doctoral degree programme.

A.1.6

Foundation in and relevance to the companys strategic focus

Describe how the project is based on and supports the companys strategic focus. Describe how the doctoral research project and resulting degree are of relevance to the companys activities and long-term needs for expertise. How will the research findings be applied? Will specific products or services be developed on the basis of the findings?

A.1.7

The companys R&D expertise

Describe the companys existing R&D expertise and the staff and other resources dedicated to its own R&D activities. Has the company drawn up a specific R&D strategy? What type of professional environment will the research fellow be working in at the company while pursuing his/her doctoral degree?

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The research fellow must have an adviser at the company. The degree-conferring institution is responsible for approving the company adviser as a formal co-adviser for the project. Normally co-advisers are required have a doctoral degree. However, in cases where no one at the company possesses a doctoral degree, or a relevant doctoral degree, it is possible to enter into an agreement to procure adviser services, for example, from an independent research institute or another company.

A.1.8

Cost plan

All project costs are to be specified in the electronic application form. The individuals included in the calculation of these costs and the hourly rate used as the basis for these calculations should be specified in the project description. No costs may be entered into the project accounts before the project has officially started. The earliest permitted start-up date is the date of submission of the grant application. However, a start-up date of minimum one month from the application submission date is recommended. The Research Council will not enter into a contract with the company until all of the mandatory attachments and any revisions have been received. Thus, companies that start up projects as early as the date of submission of their grant application do so at their own risk. All items in the cost plan should be specified here, i.e. the items included in the cost calculation should be described, including the hourly rate and the number of project hours for the research fellow and the internal adviser, respectively. Specific guidelines for calculating payroll and indirect expenses for companies have been drawn up. It is very important to comply with these when preparing the budget. Please consult the Research Council website for more information on these guidelines: http://www.forskningsradet.no/no/Personalkostnader+og+stipendsatser/1183468209187 Payroll and indirect expenses are to cover the research fellows salary, office-related costs, and the like. These should also include expenses related to internal adviser services.

Payroll and indirect expenses are calculated as an hourly rate and must always be based on actual costs. These include: Hourly salary. Addition for social security and overhead costs, calculated as an hourly rate.

The sum of these items/hourly rate may not exceed the set maximum of .0012 of the nominal annual salary. Nor may this rate exceed NOK 1 100/hour, which is the maximum hourly rate allowed. The number of project hours for each participant per year may not exceed 1 850. Please note that 1 850 project hours are the set annual maximum. A normal working year including holidays usually amounts to fewer hours. It is important to take this into consideration when preparing the budget.

There are two important reasons why these guidelines must be complied with: If the project is allocated funding, a project account report must be submitted each year as the basis for disbursement. Actual incurred costs to be included in the annual project account report are calculated on the basis of an hourly rate in accordance with the same guidelines for calculating costs in the budget. Applicants may not automatically enter the applicable fellowship rate as a cost item, and must take care to ensure that costs to be

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included in the budget and the project account report, respectively, are calculated in accordance with the same guidelines. The Cost plan, Cost code and Funding plan tables to be completed in the electronic application form are an integral part of the contract with the Research Council. Funding under the Industrial Ph.D. scheme is specified in the contract as a percentage of the total budgeted and approved project costs. In the event that the actual incurred costs specified in the project account report are lower than the projected budget, the disbursement from the Research Council may be limited to the applicable percentage rate.

Costs related to the research fellows stay at and adviser services provided and invoiced by a Norwegian degree-conferring institution should be entered under Procurement of R&D services. Costs for procuring adviser services from institutions abroad should be entered under Other operating expenses and specified in the Specification field. The table below may be used as a basis for calculating the Cost plan to be completed in t he electronic application form. Year Payroll and indirect expenses (Salary, social security and overhead costs) Year Year

Research fellow: hourly rate x total project hours per year. Please note that if the project has a four-year timeframe, only 75 % of the calculated sum may be entered under each year in the budget. Internal adviser: hourly rate x total project hours per year. The total sum under the item Payroll and indirect expenses must cover both the research fellow and the internal adviser, and should be entered into the electronic application form. The hourly rate may not exceed the set maximum of .0012 of the nominal annual salary or NOK 1 100/hour.

Procurement of R&D services Equipment Other operating expenses

All expenses invoiced by the degree-conferring institution, including office costs and costs related to adviser services, must be entered here. The Industrial Ph.D. scheme does not cover equipment-related costs, and these should not be included in the budget. Costs that do not fall under the other categories should be included here. These include travel expenses, expenses for courses and conferences, costs for miscellaneous materials, laboratory costs, and expenses invoiced by degree-conferring institutions abroad. Eligible applicants (small and medium-sized companies only) seeking funding to cover additional costs related to laboratory testing must specify these in a separate table under point A.1.8 Cost plan.

Funding to cover additional costs related to laboratory testing (operating expenses) Small and medium-sized companies may also apply for funding to cover additional costs related to laboratory testing. Funding is not awarded to procure equipment, only to cover operating expenses (for example, procurement of chemicals, cell samples, etc.). Funding to cover up to 50 per cent of costs related to costly laboratory testing may be sought for a maximum of NOK 200 000 per year for a period of three years, or NOK 150 000 per year for a period of four years. These costs must be explained in the Specification field of the cost plan in the electronic application form and

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described in detail in the project description. In certain cases companies may also be eligible for additional funding to procure laboratory-related services from an external supplier. Only small and medium-sized companies are eligible to apply for funding to cover additional costs related to laboratory testing. Companies planning to seek such funding must complete the table below. Amounts must be entered in whole NOK 1 000.

Operating expense/type of materials

First year

Second year

Third year

Fourth year

A.1.9

Funding plan

The overall funding plan for the project is to be provided in the electronic application form. Projects are normally financed by the company and the Research Council. Any other sources providing additional funding should be specified here. Please note that the Industrial Ph.D. scheme is an instrument targeting trade and industry. Funding from the Research Council is limited to maximum 50 per cent of the fellowship rates in effect at the time of submission of the grant application. Overall public funding may not exceed 50 per cent of total project costs. The remainder must be covered by funding from private sources, which should be described here.

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