UIDP is leading a national effort to design a jointly funded Ph.D. fellowship model that brings together universities, industry, government, 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:
- Listening Session | Sept. 3, 2025 | Minneapolis, MN
A focused, in-person session to gather input from academic, industry, nonprofit, and philanthropic stakeholders. Learn more here. - Virtual Town Hall Series | Sept.–Oct. 2025
A series of interactive virtual town halls will bring together participants to explore key challenges in developing a collaborative, jointly funded Ph.D. model. Each session will focus on a specific topic and offer an opportunity to share insights to help shape the workshop agenda and inform the pilot framework. Participants will also connect with peers from academia, industry, and other sectors. A final session after the workshop will highlight key takeaways and outline 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.
Stakeholder perspectives are essential to shaping this model. Join one or more of these upcoming engagements to share input, connect with peers, and help build a sustainable framework for training the next generation of doctoral researchers.
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, 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. The landscape of doctoral education is rapidly shifting, and recent reductions to nationally funded STEM Ph.D. fellowships, such as NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), have underscored an urgent need for sustainable, expanded funding pathways.
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, and nonprofits to develop a scalable model in which Ph.D. students are co-supported by 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 will be 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 reduction in federally funded doctoral fellowships and the growing shift of STEM Ph.D. graduates toward industry roles have 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. model?
The initiative explores a four-year doctoral fellowship co-funded by a government agency and an industry partner. Students would spend significant time at the company site, working under the supervision of an industry mentor, while continuing their academic coursework and research through their university. 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 will the initiative address?
Participants are exploring program design elements such as:
- Fellowship life cycle and duration (award timeline and time to degree)
- Student recruitment and selection
- IP, confidentiality, and publication protocols
- Employment status, time spent working in industry
- Financial management, co-funding models, and administrative compliance
- Research themes aligned with national and industry priorities (e.g., quantum, AI, data science)
What are the benefits for students?
- Increased financial support through co-funding
- Mentorship from both academic and industry professionals
- Real-world R&D experience in industry
- Expanded career pathways beyond academia
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 and strategic partners, helping to ensure alignment with 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 will be held at the University of Minnesota. The listening session offers stakeholders in the U.S. research ecosystem a platform to reflect on challenges and opportunities in the sector. Findings from this session will directly contribute to the series’ culminating workshop.
Sept. 29–30, 2025: The culminating workshop will take 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.
Who is eligible to participate in the upcoming workshop?
UIDP invites nominations from university-industry pairs to participate in the upcoming workshop. Each pair should represent an existing or emerging partnership, preferably involving organizations in the same geographic area. This approach ensures the workshop dialogue is shaped by real-world partnership dynamics and informed by cross-sector perspectives and will support practical pilot implementation.
In addition to these paired participants, a limited number of additional stakeholders, including representatives from government, nonprofit organizations, and philanthropic foundations, will be invited to attend as observers or contributors based on their alignment with the initiative’s objectives.
What is the nomination process?
Each participating organization in a university–industry pair may nominate one to five individual representatives with relevant roles and expertise to help shape the pilot model.
Is there a cost to participate in the workshop?
There is no fee to attend the workshop. UIDP will formally invite the selected nominees to participate following the nomination review process. Limited travel support, for approved university representatives, is available through funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF Award #2501504) to help defray costs. The funding structure for the pilot program will be defined during the workshop.
What is the selection process for university-industry pairs?
UIDP will review all nominations received by Aug. 29, 2025, based on their alignment with the initiative’s goals. Priority will be given to university–industry pairs that demonstrate:
- An existing or emerging partnership
- Geographic proximity (to support practical pilot implementation)
- Relevant expertise in STEM research, graduate education, workforce development, or public–private collaboration
- A commitment to exploring and contributing to the development of a jointly funded Ph.D. model
UIDP aims to ensure a diverse mix of participants across sectors, institution types (e.g., public/private, large/small), and technical focus areas. Following the review, selected nominees will be formally invited to participate in the workshop. Additional attendees may be invited as observers based on their interest and alignment with the initiative.
What is the format of the workshop?
The two-day workshop will include focused breakout sessions, peer exchanges, and facilitated discussions. Attendees will contribute to shaping key design elements of the pilot and receive a summary report from the event.
What happens after the workshop?
UIDP will develop a pilot program blueprint based on workshop input, identify committed university-industry partners, and work toward a multi-site pilot launch with potential for national scaling.
Depending on the interest and readiness of the participating pairs, pilot sites may be identified within six months following the workshop.
How will students be selected?
Student selection criteria and timelines will be defined in the pilot development. Once the model is finalized, participating institutions will identify and nominate eligible students.
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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