UIDP is leading a national effort to design a jointly funded Ph.D. model that integrates academic research with industry engagement, bringing together universities, industry, government, philanthropic, and nonprofit partners to modernize doctoral education and strengthen the U.S. research workforce.
This initiative, supported by the National Science Foundation, addresses critical needs for sustainable graduate training pathways that prepare students for careers across sectors while ensuring access to diverse funding streams. To inform the development of a scalable pilot model, UIDP convened a series of engagements in 2025 to create an actionable framework:
- Listening Session | Sept. 3, 2025 | Minneapolis, MN
A focused, in-person session to gather input from academic, industry, nonprofit, and philanthropic stakeholders. - Virtual Town Hall Series | Sept.–Oct. 2025
A series of interactive virtual town halls that brought together participants to explore key challenges in developing a collaborative, jointly funded Ph.D. model. Each session focused on a specific topic and offered an opportunity to share insights to help shape the workshop agenda and inform the pilot framework. Participants also connected with peers from academia, industry, and other sectors. A final session after the workshop highlighted key takeaways and outlined next steps. The full schedule is available here. - Expanding STEM PhD Funding Streams Workshop | Sept. 29–30, 2025 | NSF Headquarters, Alexandria, VA
A multi-sector workshop to synthesize findings and advance the structure of a pilot Ph.D. funding program.
UIDP Launches NSF-Funded Initiative to Expand STEM Ph.D. Funding Streams
New model aims to modernize doctoral training and build an industry-ready research workforce.
Aug. 12, 2025 — UIDP, a global association of leading companies and universities, has launched a bold national initiative, Expanding STEM Ph.D. Funding Streams, to reimagine doctoral education in the United States through a scalable, jointly funded fellowship model that bridges university, industry, government, philanthropic, and nonprofit partnerships.
Supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF Award #2501504), the effort is co-funded by NSF’s Directorate for STEM Education and the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP). It responds to pressing challenges in STEM workforce development and graduate education by fostering strategic collaboration and advancing an industry-engaged model to complement traditional graduate education.
This initiative comes at a pivotal moment. Although the majority of recent doctoral graduates in science and engineering fields are employed in industry, most Ph.D. programs in the United States are designed to prepare students for academic careers. This shift has highlighted the urgent need for sustainable, alternative funding and training models that reflect today’s research workforce needs.
By creating new structured experiential pathways, this initiative seeks to empower future researchers through real-world industry experience while preserving academic rigor. To that end, UIDP is engaging leaders from academia, industry, government, philanthropic, and nonprofit organizations to develop a scalable model in which Ph.D. students are co-supported by universities, companies, and another external source, such as the federal (or state) government. The goal is to ensure that the United States possesses a capable and ready science and technology workforce that strengthens the U.S. innovation ecosystem. This effort is the first project to emerge from UIDP’s Strengthen and Modernize University-Industry Partnerships (SAMI) initiative, launched in 2024 to explore new models of collaboration across sectors.
“This initiative reflects UIDP’s longstanding commitment to building effective partnerships to drive innovation, talent development, and impact,” said UIDP President and CEO Anthony Boccanfuso, Ph.D. “It also marks a critical step in modernizing doctoral training to address the changing nature of research careers and better align with today’s R&D workforce needs.”
According to the 2023 NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates, only 34% of new Ph.D. graduates in science and engineering are employed in academia, down from 54% in 2003. During the same period, job commitments to industry have more than doubled. Yet, according to the World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, most institutions still lack structured pathways for doctoral students to gain applied experience in business or industry settings—the Expanding STEM Ph.D. Funding Streams initiative addresses that critical gap.
UIDP is convening a series of targeted meetings with relevant parties from multiple sectors to examine key program elements, such as student selection, timing, intellectual property management, funding models, compliance, and key research focus areas. These sessions will reflect diverse institutional contexts and workforce demands, particularly in high-impact fields such as engineering, data science, biomedical sciences, nanotechnology, and materials science.
Aligned with TIP’s mission and NSF’s GRFP and Research Traineeship programs, this initiative supports innovative, evidence-based approaches to graduate education and promotes new career pathways in strategic technology sectors.
“By bringing together academic excellence, industry expertise, and federal leadership, this initiative will lay the groundwork for a strategic program that expands opportunity, empowers the next generation of scientists and innovators, and advances U.S. competitiveness,” Boccanfuso added.
For more information about this effort and UIDP’s ongoing work through its Strengthen and Modernize University-Industry Partnerships initiative, visit uidp.org or contact info@uidp.net.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is UIDP’s Expanding STEM Ph.D. Funding Streams initiative?
This UIDP-led initiative is part of the broader Strengthen and Modernize U–I Partnerships Initiative (SAMI) and aims to design a scalable, jointly funded Ph.D. fellowship model that bridges academia, industry, government, non-profit, and philanthropic organizations. The goal is to expand funding for STEM doctoral education in the United States while promoting innovative, cross-sector solutions that strengthen university–industry collaboration and prepare a more agile, industry-ready research workforce.
The pilot model is being developed with input from diverse universities and companies across sectors, including public and private institutions, small and large companies, and organizations representing various geographic regions and technical focus areas.
Who is leading this effort?
UIDP is coordinating the initiative with support from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF Award #2501504), which is co-funded by NSF’s Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) and Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP).
Why is this initiative important now?
The shift of STEM Ph.D. graduates toward industry roles has highlighted the urgent need for sustainable, alternative funding and training models that reflect today’s research workforce needs.
What is the structure of the proposed Ph.D. program model?
The initiative explores a four-year doctoral award supported through coordinated co-investment between a university, an industry partner, and a government, philanthropic, or nonprofit co-funder. Each student is jointly mentored by academic and industry advisors and spends a minimum of one year, in aggregate, conducting research at the industry site. Throughout the program, students remain enrolled at their home institution, with industry-engaged research incorporated as a component of the dissertation. This structure combines rigorous academic training with real-world, applied experience.
What is the goal of the initiative?
To develop and pilot a flexible funding model that benefits students, universities, industry, and government, while helping to build a more agile, industry-engaged R&D workforce.
What specific topics has the initiative addressed?
To inform the proposed program, participants explored program design elements such as:
- Award life cycle and duration
- Student recruitment and selection
- IP, confidentiality, and publication protocols
- Employment status
- Time spent working in industry
- Financial management, co-funding models, and administrative compliance
What are the benefits for students?
- Increased financial support through coordinated co-funding
- Joint mentorship from academic and industry mentors
- Dissertation-integrated industry research experience
- Structured professional development opportunities
- Cohort-based engagement
- Expanded career pathways and informed career decision-making
How do universities benefit?
- New, sustainable graduate education funding streams
- Strengthened industry engagement
- Enhanced graduate outcomes aligned with emerging workforce needs
What’s in it for industry?
- Access to highly skilled Ph.D. talent
- Research aligned with organizational goals
- A structured, low-risk pipeline to recruit future talent
- Input into program structure and mentorship practices
How is government involved?
Federal (or state) agencies can serve as co-funders, helping to support national research priorities, economic growth, and workforce development needs.
Are there similar models elsewhere?
Yes. Several countries operate structured Ph.D. programs that combine government and industry support to fund doctoral students. These models offer valuable reference points for this initiative. However, no comparable scalable program exists in the United States. UIDP’s effort is designed to address that gap.
Examples of international models include:
What is the timeline?
Sept. 4, 2025: A listening session was held at the University of Minnesota. This session offered stakeholders in the U.S. research ecosystem a platform to reflect on challenges and opportunities in the sector. Findings from this session directly contributed to the series’ culminating workshop.
Sept. 29–30, 2025: The culminating workshop took place at NSF headquarters in Alexandria, VA, to finalize design elements for a pilot program. Workshop outcomes and stakeholder readiness will inform pilot launch timelines.
How are the workshop findings being used?
Using the pilot program blueprint developed from stakeholder input, UIDP is working to identify committed university-industry partners and work toward a multi-site pilot launch with potential for national scaling.
How will students be selected?
Under the proposed structure, the university and industry partner will jointly identify and select the student. Partners will work together to define the research focus and desired skill set and then identify a student early in their doctoral studies who is a strong fit for both the project and the partnership. The student must also agree to participate in the program.
Who can I contact for more information?
Please email info@uidp.net or visit uidp.org to learn more or express interest.
About UIDP
UIDP is a solutions-oriented global forum where academic and industry representatives find better ways to work together. Our membership, comprising top-tier innovation companies and world-class research universities, identifies issues affecting university-industry relations and seeks new approaches to partnership and collaboration. Together, we produce tools and resources to help members make a greater impact. We don’t just talk about problems. We solve them. Learn more at uidp.org.
Expanding STEM Ph.D. Funding Streams is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF Award #2501504)
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