Industrial Doctorate. Royal Decree 576/2023

Article 1. Amendment of Royal Decree 99/2011, of 28 January, regulating official doctoral programmes.

Sixteen. Article 15 bis is hereby amended, to read as follows

Article 15 bis. Industrial Endorsement on the Degree of Doctor

This endorsement shall be awarded upon completion of doctoral studies in collaboration with the social and economic fabric, with the aim of promoting collaboration and the transfer and exchange of knowledge between the academic world and the social and economic sphere, whether public or private. The “Industrial Doctorate” endorsement may be granted provided that the following conditions are met:

1. The thesis has developed a research project of industrial, commercial, social, or cultural interest for an entity, public or private company, or public administration. Universities, public research organisations (national or regional), and university hospitals are excluded. Exceptionally, this endorsement may be pursued in any of these institutions, except universities, provided that the content of the thesis is predominantly applied. The direct link between the doctoral thesis and the work carried out by the doctoral candidate within the entity or company must be formalised in a scientific-technical report, which shall be approved by the university.
2. A collaboration agreement has been signed between the entity, company, or public administration and the university for the academic development of the doctoral thesis, setting out, at a minimum, the obligations of the parties and the industrial property rights that may arise.
3. The doctoral candidate has been employed by the entity, company, or public administration where the research project is conducted for at least one year during the course of the thesis, with a substantial part of the thesis being carried out within that entity, company, or public administration.
4. The doctoral candidate shall have a thesis supervisor appointed by the university and a person responsible appointed by the entity, company, or public administration, who may, where applicable, act as Director or Co-Director of the thesis in accordance with the provisions of this royal decree. Under no circumstances may the person appointed by the company form part of the thesis evaluation board.

Own Protocol

To streamline compliance with this regulation and drawing on prior experience, the Doctoral School has established a straightforward protocol for students wishing to undertake this type of thesis.

• Submission of a framework collaboration agreement between the University of Burgos and the entity, company, or public administration, which must explicitly include among its objectives the undertaking (or facilitation) of research activities by employees of that entity, company, or public administration who are students of the Doctoral School.
  Any pre-existing agreement currently in force that encompasses this objective shall be deemed valid.
• Submission of a contract agreement incorporating confidentiality clauses concerning the development of the research, its results, and related matters.

It should be noted that while the framework agreement is general and may apply to multiple students, the confidentiality contract is specific to each individual thesis.

• Both documents must be submitted to the Doctoral School for review and verification.
  If deemed necessary, they may be referred to the Legal Advisory Service. However, if a previously approved template—validated by the Legal Advisory Service—has been followed without substantial changes (aside from those relating to names, data, etc.), referral to the Legal Advisory Service may be waived. This provision may significantly expedite processing. To this end, the Doctoral School provides template forms for both framework agreements and confidentiality agreements, which have already received legal approval.
• If both parties consider it appropriate, additional agreements or supplementary clauses may be signed, such as a confidentiality clause for examination board members: Confidentiality agreement of the examination board members for doctoral theses (119.10 KB)
  The signing of a confidentiality clause by the doctoral candidate and by the examination board members is recommended but not mandatory. (Decision of the Management Committee of 20 June 2022)
• Once verified, the relevant signatures shall be obtained. In the case of the framework agreement, it shall be signed by the Rector and subsequently forwarded to the entity, company, or public administration for signature. In the case of the confidentiality contract, it shall be signed by the thesis supervisor, the student, and the entity, company, or public administration.
  Copies of each document may obviously be signed if the entity, company, or public administration wishes to retain them. In all cases, the Doctoral School shall retain a copy of both signed documents.
• Along with these documents, a copy of the student's contract with the entity, company, or public administration—or any document evidencing their employment relationship—must be submitted.
• All other documentation shall be the same as that required for a standard doctorate, as specified in the regulations of the Doctoral School and the respective programmes (e.g., Initial Research Plan, Annual Progress Report, etc.).

The Ministry issues an annual call for Grants for Contracts to Train Researchers in Companies (Industrial Doctorates).