Introduction and regulations
The completion of a thesis with the mention of Industrial Doctorate is regulated by Royal Decree 195/2016 of 13 May, published in the Official Bulletin of State, 6 June 2016, modifying Royal Decree 99/2011, 28 January, in regulation of official Doctorate studies.
As is stated in both Royal Decrees, the industrial doctorate has as its purpose “… to stimulate the participation of firms in doctoral programs…” and “… to guarantee the links between the academic world and the business world, whether public or private firms …”
The specific regulation on industrial doctorates is established in a new article, article 15 bis, which is reproduced below:
Article 15 bis. Mention of Industrial in the doctoral qualification.
1. The mention of “Industrial Doctorate” will be granted provided the following circumstances:
a) The existence of a labor or mercantile contract with the doctorand. The contract may be signed with a firm from either the public or the private sector, as well with a Public Administration.
b) The doctorand will have to participate in a project concerning industrial investigation or experimental development that will be take place in the firm or Public Administration at which the service is rendered, which cannot be a University. The project of industrial investigation or experimental development in which the doctorand participates has to be directly related to the thesis that is undertaken. This direct relation will be accredited through a report that must be approved by the University.
2. In cases where the project of industrial investigation or experimental development will be completed in collaboration with the University and the firm or Public Administration at which the doctorand is employed, an agreement on collaboration will be signed between both parties. In such an agreement, the obligations of the University and the obligations of the Public Administration will both be set down, as well as the procedure for the selection of the doctorands.
The doctorand will have a thesis supervisor designated by the University and a contact person designated by the firm or Public Administration who may be, where applicable, the thesis Director, in accordance with the specific regulations of the Doctorate.”
UBU Protocol
Taking account of previous experience and to speed up compliance with these regulations, the Doctorate School has established a simple protocol for students who wish to undertake this type of thesis. The steps are as follows:
- Presentation of a Framework Agreement on Collaboration between the University of Burgos and the firm that, among other objectives, will establish in an explicit way the completion (or that will facilitate the completion) of the investigative activities of employees of that firm who are students of the Doctorate School.
In this sense, any previous agreement that is still in force and that specifies the aforementioned objective will be valid.
- Presentation of a contract on agreement that contains the confidentiality clauses on the development of the investigation, results, etc.
While the framework agreement is general and the same agreement can be applicable to various students, it must be stated that the contract of confidentiality is specific for each thesis.
- Both documents must be presented at the Doctorate School for examination and confirmation.
If considered convenient, it can be referred for Legal Assessment. Nevertheless, if the template of a pact or agreement that has previously been approved by Legal Assessment is followed and in which there are no substantial changes (logically, with the exception of those referring to names, dates, etc.), referral for Legal Assessment may be by-passed. This change could significantly speed up the administrative procedure. To that end, the Doctorate School has model forms available both for the framework agreement and the confidentiality agreement that have been approved following Legal Assessment.
- If both parties were to consider it convenient, they could sign other agreements or complementary clauses, such as, for example, the confidentiality clause for the members of the examination panel, a model for which is also available: Confidentiality Agreement Members of Examination Panel (in Spanish) (116.46 KB).
- Once confirmed, the corresponding signatures are sought. In the case of the agreement, it will be signed by the Rector and then referred to the firm for signing. In the case of the contract on confidentiality, it will be signed by the thesis director, the student, and the firm.
If the firms so wishes, copies of each document may obviously be signed. In any case, the Doctorate School will keep a copy of both documents that are signed.
- Together with those documents, a copy of the contract between the student and the firm, or any document that accredits their labor relationship will be presented.
- The rest of the documentation will be the same as that presented for a conventional doctorate, which is listed in the regulations both of the School and the different programs (Initial investigation plan, annual follow-up report, etc.)
In that sense, the Initial Research Plan must include an explanation of the relation between the activities of the doctorand at the firm and the thesis. If an Initial Research Plan is not included in this explanation, a specific report containing the aforesaid explanation must be submitted to the School as established in the final part of section 1.b of article 15bis.
The Industrial Doctorates have the objective of training researchers through their participation in projects of industrial investigation or experimental development upon which their doctoral theses is based, which will be developed either at a firm or at a Public Administration, which cannot be a University.
The project of industrial investigation or experimental development can be completed in its entirety at the firm or in collaboration between the firm and a Research Group or a Research Institute of the University of Burgos.
The doctorand will have a thesis supervisor designated by the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Program in which the doctorand is enrolled and a contact person designated by the firm or Public Administration who may be, where applicable, the director of the thesis in accordance with the regulations of the Doctorate School of the University of Burgos. The work of the doctorand will conclude with the presentation of the doctoral thesis at the University of Burgos, which will receive the mention of Industrial Doctorate.
A labor or commercial contract must be signed with the doctorand. The contract may be signed by a firm from the private sector or public sector, as well as by a Public Administration.
The Ministry annually offers Grants for contracts for the training of researchers at firms (Industrial Doctorates) (in Spanish) .