University - industry links - the big picture

The production of knowledge and the process of research are being radically transformed and these changes can directly affect the way in which many doctoral candidates undertake their research. The old paradigm of knowledge discovery ('Mode 1 ') circumscribed by disciplinary research and driven by the autonomy of researchers and their host institutions, the universities, is being superseded-but not replaced-by a new paradigm of knowledge production ('Mode 2'). 'Mode 2' research is done by teams of researchers who typically have different disciplinary backgrounds, theoretical perspectives and skills and who assemble to work on a real world problem in the context of its application, necessitating much closer links between the researchers and the users of the research. Researchers are brought together to form a team to address a problem. This team may be a virtual team, the members of which communicate electronically. The team dissolves when its work is finished only to be re-configured in a different constellation for another task (see Gibbons et al 1994). A relatively low proportion of graduates of contemporary Australian and New Zealand doctoral programs will spend their entire careers as academics in universities. All over the world, non-university employers of doctoral graduates such as research institutes, government departments and industry now need researchers who can operate effectively in this 'Mode 2' environment. Research training is being modified to meet this requirement catalysed in Australia by government policy initiatives such as Cooperative Research Centres, the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Scheme and encouragement for science agencies such as the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to become more involved in research training. In New Zealand the Foundation for Research Science and Technology (FRST) has similar initiatives through its Consortia program and its Enterprise Scholarships. These initiatives provide increased opportunities for Australasian research higher degree candidates to undertake projects that are wholly or partially funded by industry (including government) partners. In order to undertake such a project you may be based off-campus at a government or industry research laboratory. Like most other initiatives, there are costs and benefits of being associated 'with an industry-funded doctorate. Such an arrangement is not optimal for all candidates-think carefully before you commit yourself. The purpose of this chapter is to help you make an informed decision about whether an industry funded doctorate is the right choice for you, and if you decide that it is, how to make the most of such an opportunity