Deadline: 08-Sep-2026
The Industrial PhD: Greenland and the Faroe Islands Private Sector programme supports collaborative research projects involving companies, universities, and PhD students. The programme provides co-financing for Industrial PhD student salaries, travel and course participation, and university project costs while helping companies generate commercial value from applied research.
About the Industrial PhD Programme
The Industrial PhD programme enables companies in Greenland and the Faroe Islands to collaborate with universities and PhD students on research projects with practical business applications.
The programme is designed to connect academic research with private-sector needs and real-world challenges.
It aims to:
- Create commercial benefits for participating companies.
- Strengthen collaboration between universities and businesses.
- Support applied research in real-world business environments.
- Provide PhD students with practical research experience.
- Co-finance eligible project costs for companies and universities.
- Encourage knowledge transfer between academia and industry.
How the Industrial PhD Programme Works
An Industrial PhD project brings together three key participants:
- A company: Provides a real-world research challenge and supports the student’s work within the business environment.
- A university: Provides the academic research environment and appoints an appropriate PhD supervisor.
- A PhD student: Conducts research that addresses the company’s needs while fulfilling the requirements of a PhD programme.
The collaboration allows companies to benefit from research and development while PhD students gain experience applying academic knowledge to practical business challenges.
Funding Available
The programme provides financial support to both the participating company and university.
Eligible support includes:
- Up to DKK 17,000 per month towards the Industrial PhD student’s salary.
- Up to DKK 100,000 for the student’s travel expenses and participation in courses.
- A fixed DKK 360,000, including overhead, for the university’s project costs.
The funding is intended to help cover expenses directly associated with conducting the Industrial PhD project.
Who Is Eligible?
The programme involves companies, universities, and PhD candidates that meet specific eligibility requirements.
Companies
Eligible companies must:
- Have a geographical department in Denmark.
- Have the financial capacity to carry out the proposed project.
- Have appropriate facilities for the Industrial PhD project.
- Be able to provide the necessary business environment for the student’s research.
Companies with a geographical division in Greenland or the Faroe Islands can also receive support under the programme.
Universities
Participating universities must:
- Be officially approved to conduct PhD programmes.
- Be able to appoint a qualified supervisor for the Industrial PhD project.
- Provide an appropriate academic research environment for the project.
PhD Candidates
Candidates must meet the academic requirements for the programme.
Applicants must:
- Have completed a master’s degree.
- Have achieved at least a grade of 10 for their master’s thesis.
- Have an average grade of at least 8.2 across their bachelor’s and master’s degrees combined, or
- Have an average grade of at least 9.5 in their master’s degree alone.
These academic requirements ensure that candidates have the qualifications necessary to undertake an Industrial PhD research project.
What Does the Programme Support?
The programme supports research that creates a clear connection between academic knowledge and business needs.
Projects should demonstrate:
- A relevant research challenge for the participating company.
- Potential commercial benefits for the company.
- Collaboration between the company and university.
- Practical application of research findings.
- A suitable academic research framework.
- Opportunities for knowledge exchange between the private sector and university.
- Appropriate supervision and research facilities for the PhD student.
Benefits for Companies
Participating companies can use the Industrial PhD model to access advanced research expertise while addressing business-specific challenges.
Potential benefits include:
- Commercial development opportunities.
- Access to university research expertise.
- Development of new products, services, processes, or solutions.
- Access to highly skilled research talent.
- Stronger links with universities.
- Application of academic research to real-world business problems.
Benefits for Universities and PhD Students
The programme also strengthens connections between higher education and the private sector.
Universities can:
- Develop industry-oriented research collaborations.
- Strengthen links with companies.
- Apply research to practical challenges.
- Support knowledge transfer and innovation.
PhD students can:
- Conduct research in a real-world business environment.
- Gain practical industry experience.
- Develop academic and professional skills.
- Work on research with potential commercial applications.
- Build connections between academic and private-sector environments.
How to Apply and Develop a Project
Applicants should establish the required company-university collaboration before developing the project proposal.
The general process involves:
- Identify a research challenge: The company identifies a relevant business or commercial problem that can be addressed through research.
- Identify a university partner: The company works with an approved university that can provide the appropriate research environment and PhD supervision.
- Select a PhD candidate: The candidate must meet the academic requirements of the Industrial PhD programme.
- Develop the research project: The company, university, and candidate jointly define the research objectives, methodology, expected outcomes, and commercial relevance.
- Define the collaboration: The proposal should clearly establish the responsibilities of the company, university, supervisor, and PhD student.
- Prepare the budget: Eligible salary, travel, course, and university project costs should be included.
- Submit the application: The participating parties must submit the required project information and supporting documentation according to the programme requirements.
What Should a Strong Project Demonstrate?
A competitive Industrial PhD project should clearly explain:
- The research problem and its importance.
- How the research addresses a real business need.
- The expected commercial benefits.
- Why an Industrial PhD is appropriate for the project.
- How the company and university will collaborate.
- The role and responsibilities of the PhD student.
- The academic value of the research.
- The expected practical outcomes.
- The research environment and supervision arrangements.
- How the proposed budget will support project delivery.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid:
- Developing a project without clear company and university collaboration.
- Failing to demonstrate commercial relevance.
- Selecting a candidate who does not meet the academic requirements.
- Providing insufficient information about the company’s capacity to conduct the project.
- Failing to identify an eligible university supervisor.
- Treating the project solely as an academic research exercise without practical business relevance.
- Providing an unclear budget for salary, travel, course participation, or university costs.
Why the Industrial PhD Programme Matters
The Industrial PhD: Greenland and the Faroe Islands Private Sector programme connects academic research with private-sector innovation.
By co-financing student salaries, travel, course participation, and university project costs, the programme helps companies undertake research that may generate commercial value while providing PhD students with practical experience.
The model also strengthens long-term collaboration between businesses and universities and promotes the use of research to address real-world commercial challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Industrial PhD programme?
It is a collaborative research programme connecting companies, universities, and PhD students. The student conducts research relevant to a company’s needs while completing a PhD.
Who can participate?
The programme involves eligible companies, approved universities, and qualified PhD candidates who meet the programme’s academic requirements.
How much funding can a company receive for the PhD student’s salary?
The programme can provide up to DKK 17,000 per month towards the Industrial PhD student’s salary.
Is travel and course participation supported?
Yes. Companies may receive up to DKK 100,000 for the student’s travel expenses and participation in courses.
How much funding does the university receive?
A fixed amount of DKK 360,000, including overhead, is provided to the university for the project.
What academic qualifications must the PhD candidate have?
The candidate must have completed a master’s degree, achieved at least a grade of 10 on the master’s thesis, and meet the required grade average through either the combined bachelor’s and master’s degrees or the master’s degree alone.
What is the main purpose of the programme?
The programme aims to create commercial value from research, strengthen university-business collaboration, support applied research, and provide PhD students with experience working on real-world business challenges.
Conclusion
The Industrial PhD: Greenland and the Faroe Islands Private Sector programme provides a structured funding and collaboration model for companies, universities, and PhD students. By supporting student salaries, travel, courses, and university project costs, the programme promotes applied research, commercial innovation, industry-academia collaboration, and practical PhD training.
For more information, visit Innovation Fund Denmark.
