PhD Projects with Industry Involvement Chris Dainty National University of Ireland, Galway Brussels, 4 June 2008

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

2 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.

3 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).

4 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 …..

5 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.)

6 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

7 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.

8 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, …. ).