Collaborative Doctoral Awards: Partner Organisations

Please note: The SGSAH CDA competition is now closed and is no longer accepting applications. The text and guidance documents remain available on this webpage for reference purposes only.

Collaborative Doctoral Awards provide funding for PhD-level research projects which are developed in partnership between Higher Education Institutions and non-HEI organisations or businesses. The funding is awarded to the HEI and the student receives a stipend.

The awards are intended to encourage and develop collaboration and partnerships providing opportunities for doctoral students to gain first-hand experience of work outside the university environment and enhance the employment-related skills and training a research student gains during the course of their award.

The projects also encourage and establish links that can have long-term benefits for both collaborating partners, providing access to resources and materials, knowledge and expertise that may not otherwise have been available and also provide social, cultural and economic benefits to wider society.

Click here to view and download the CDA guidance documents and application template in Word or PDF format.

This page contains information for non-academic organisations. If you are an academic organisation, click here for information relevant to you.

FAQs

What are Collaborative Doctoral Awards?

What will participating in a Collaborative Doctoral Award mean in practice for my organisation?

How are the Collaborative Doctoral Awards funded?

Do organisational partners provide any funding towards the Collaborative Doctoral Awards?

How many Collaborative Doctoral Awards will be made each year?

Who is involved in a Collaborative Doctoral Award?

What are the benefits of Collaborative Doctoral Awards for organisational partners?

What are the time commitments for organisational partners participating in Collaborative Doctoral Awards?

What is the process for applying for a Collaborative Doctoral Award?

What scope do organisational partners have for defining the terms of the research?

What is a PhD?

Who can be an organisational partner for a Collaborative Doctoral Award?

What are the outputs of a Collaborative Doctoral Award?

Timetable

Industry partners who don’t currently have an HEI partner confirmed for a potential project to submit a brief proposal to SGSAH (click here for online form)

By 17th June 2024

Industry proposals circulated by SGSAH to HEIs for their consideration

W/C 24th June 2024

HEIs who wish to collaborate on a project to respond directly to the partner organisation

By 2nd Aug 2024

Industry partners review responses and select HEI/supervisory team to work with

By 6th Sep 2024

Full CDA applications submitted (student may be attached at this stage or after studentship is funded): Application system open between 1st-13th Feb 2025

By 14th Feb 2025

Applications reviewed by external panel

March/April 2025

Successful partnerships informed

April 2025

Studentship opportunities advertised (if no student attached)

April/May 2025

Student profiles to SGSAH for panel review (if no student attached at point of application) and students appointed to projects

June 2025

Studentships begin

October 2025