PhD Projects with Industry Involvement Chris Dainty National University of Ireland, Galway

1. PhD Projects withIndustry InvolvementChris DaintyNational University of Ireland, Galway Brussels, 4 June 2008

2. Summary of Presentation • Introduction to the Applied Optics Group • Industry-linked PhD schemes available to researchers in Ireland • Discussion

3. Applied Optics Group • ≈25 people: 3 permanent faculty, ≈7 post-docs, ≈ 12 PhD students, + 1 admin + visitors + 1 industry coordinator (Una Murphy) • Research theme: IMAGING. Includes vision science, adaptive optics, polarisation, scattering, lithography ……… • Funded mainly by Science Foundation Ireland • Close links to Irish Development Agency and many companies. • Have graduated 47 successful PhD students to date.

4. Industry-linked PhDs in Ireland • Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology (IRCSET), “Enterprise” Fellowships: focus on student training. • Enterprise Ireland “Innovation Partnerships”: focus on innovation for industry. • Contracts from Science Foundation Ireland and other agencies. • EU Programmes, particularly Marie Curie, e.g. “Initial Training Networks” (FP7).

5. IRCSET “Enterprise” Fellowships • Initially three years funding, provided to University for named student and company. Six month extension almost automatic, moving to four year funding. • Marginal costs funded: IRCSET provides €25K p.a., of which €8K comes from the company. • University-industry collaboration agreement must be in place before funding is provided. • Focus on training for research “best interests of student”. • No mandatory “industry stage”: complicated issue …..

6. IP Issues (personal view) • Full project cost? Typically €50K-€100K per annum….. Depends on many factors. • Company pays only €8K per annum …… • If there is any argument about IP, don’t bother to work with that company / university ! • In my experience, smaller companies can have IP-related problems: perhaps other mechanisms might for collaboration with them? • (Personally, never had any IP problems in 30+ years.)

7. IRCSET Enterprise in Applied Optics • With HP Manufacturing, Leixlip. • Partially coherent imaging in lithography. • Arlene Smith (Ireland) • Peer reviewed paper in preparation • With Alcon Ireland • Use of adaptive optics to simulate novel intra-ocular lenses • Elie deLestrange (France) • Already helped Alcon on related manufacturing issues • Training plans

8. Marie Curie Initial Training Networks • Call out now, closing date early September • Typically 2-7 partners, strong preference for meaningful industry involvement. Industry stages encouraged? • Marie Curie: the most successful EU programme for encouraging mobility of EU young researchers? (Made successful by dedicated supervisors.) • Student focussed, training programme, science not a priority. • Administration/bureaucracy; much much worse than merely dreadful. Score about minus 100 on a scale of 1 to 10 …. Result? Too many third-rate organisations, best researchers don’t want to get involved.

9. Summary • Direct industry involvement is a PhD research project can be very beneficial, both to student and to quality of the research. • IP should never be a barrier (find another partner: “a person’s word is their bond”) • Very good opportunities in Ireland for industry-university PhD training. • EU Marie Curie Networks can be excellent. • Just one of many industry – university interactions that should be occurring (many options: e.g. visits from/to companies, offering short courses, industrial affiliate programmes, …. ).