Industrial doctorates at the City Council
The industrial doctorate is a modality in which the doctoral student, linked to a public or private university, carries out research in the field of business or public administration for three years.
The industrial doctorate reinforces the scientific basis of municipal projects, providing a better informed reflection and facilitating decision-making and a more consistent development of each project. In addition to the thesis tutor from their university, doctoral students have a tutor from the corresponding municipal department, who welcomes them, accompanies them and actively monitors them.
The Industrial Doctorates Plan is an initiative of the Secretariat for Universities and Research of the Government of Catalonia. From the end of 2021, Barcelona Science and Universities is promoting a new line of industrial doctorates in urban policies with the aim of consolidating the current ones and extending this modality to various departments of the City Council and strengthening the link between municipal action and academic research, as set out in objective 5 of the Barcelona Science Plan 2020-23.
How to apply for an industrial doctorate?
To apply for an industrial doctorate at the City Council, there are five steps to follow:
- Consult the project offers available on the Industrial Doctorates portal and look for those in which the City Council is listed as a company.
- Consider the requirements and the type of offer.
- Download the offer you are interested in.
- Fill in the form with the applicant's details.
- Submit the application to the e-mail address indicated on the Industrial Doctorates portal.
Industrial Doctorates completed
Barcelona City Council has already hosted industrial doctorates in a wide range of fields in six municipal departments:
- Mobility and Infrastructure Management. Urban distribution of goods (in collaboration with the UPC).
- City Development (Pla de Barris). Interculturality (UAB).
- Municipal Institute for People with Disabilities (finished). Legal capacity of people with disabilities (UB).
- Municipal Institute for People with Disabilities (finished). Optimisation of special transport routes (UPF).
- Municipal Institute of Social Services (finished). Improvement of home care (UPF).
- Municipal Institute of Housing and Rehabilitation (finished). Development of the Inter-University Chair on Housing (UPF).
How to promote an industrial doctorate in the City Council?
First, the municipal unit concerned must identify its own project, either current or to be promoted, which requires specialised research work and a specialised approach.
The next step is to coordinate with the university department or research group that shares the same line of work as the project. If appropriate, this identification and liaison can be facilitated through the Department of Science and University. If the City Council is willing to promote a line of work, but has not yet defined a specific project, it can also be defined jointly with the university. In any case, it is not the PhD student who defines the project, but rather the student incorporates his or her specialised knowledge and research work.
The industrial doctorate is part of a specific municipal project. The person chosen will be hired by the City Council under a temporary contract for work and services (not for research staff), which includes the same regime as for temporary staff in terms of holidays, leave and leave, as well as the right to the training of the municipal unit that hosts him/her.