Industrial GFVP Studentships - opportunity for non-academic partners to collaborate in high-quality research training

Co-funding Opportunity for companies - iGFVP

The Industrial Global Food Venture Programme (iGFVP) supports industry-led doctoral studentships to advance research and innovation in the Food System.

This co-funding opportunity for companies, is a unique scheme for companies to sponsor a Doctoral Studentship. The iGFVP is designed to initiate or deepen a low-risk, cost-effective research partnership with an academic partner within the GFVP network.

Benefits include :

Access to high-quality doctoral students conducting cutting-edge research directly aligned with your business priorities.
Priority access to future talent, with an opportunity to guide students through internships and hands-on experiences that benefit both the student and your organisation.
Opportunities for collaborative research that may attract additional funding and strengthen future R&D initiatives.

How does this work ?

Industrial GFVP studentships allow PhD students to receive high-quality research training in collaboration with a non-academic partner. This collaboration promotes partnerships between scientists and non-academic partner organisations in the public, private, and third sector in the agri-food sector

Alongside the financial contribution of the industrial partner, each iGFVP award represents funding for one studentship and is to be used in support of a specific student or project. iGFVP funding may only be used to support doctoral studentships of maximum four years’ duration. For iGFVP grants 2024/2025, the total value of each studentship is at least €90,000, of which at least €60,000 comes from the grant. The industrial partner will provide the remainder.

EIT Food provides all the entrepreneurial training components and coordination of the industrial engagement. The student gets a fully-funded co-funded minimum 3-year PhD studentship and must be offered a 3-month internship (minimum) with the industry partner. Additional benefits are agreed at set-up and could include lab time, access to equipment, mentoring etc. This means co-supervision of the PhD aligned with companies priorities.

For EIT Food strategic partners, we offer a reduced contribution rate, first access to available PhD projects, and a role on shaping the GFVP Industrial Advisory Board, enhancing influence and visibility within the network. This rate can be adjusted depending on the company’s size.

iGFVP is part of the Global Food Venture Programme, click here to find out more about the GFVP Programme

Interested ?

If you are interested in exploring a potential studentship project or would like to discuss your goals in more detail, or if you want to find out more about eligibility, selection criteria and exact terms & conditions...

please let us know your availability and we will arrange a call at your convenience to provide further information.

Click here to reach out to the GFVP Team

EIT Food Education Vision on Collaborative Training

Objectives

The GFVP industrial studentships (iGFVP) are aligned with the 3 EIT Food’s Missions: Healthier lives through food; Net Zero food systems and Reducing risk for a fair and resilient food system.

These studentships provide support for doctoral studentships where non-academic organisations (business and industry, public sector, government, regulators, third sector, start‐ups) take the lead in arranging challenge-led projects with an academic partner of their choice.

The non-academic organisations provide financial support, resources, and potentially research facilities and supervision / mentorship for a doctoral student. Best practices in such inter‐organisational experience are collaborative projects that involve intense interaction between the learner and the external organisation, including working in start‐ups and social enterprises. The academic partners involved must take part in the Global Food Venture Programme.

The aim of these awards is to provide doctoral students with a first-rate, hands-on, challenging research training experience, within the context of a mutually beneficial research collaboration between academic and non-academic partner organisations.

Our priorities are:

to provide a potentially better student experience (via the student being part of a larger cohort of individuals working in leading research teams for example).
to facilitate the strategic use of all EIT Food GFVP’s students via EIT Food working with a smaller group of companies and research organisations, so we can better target training at areas of particular strategic importance.

iGFVP studentships include the following elements

Financial Support: The company provides co-funding to the PhD studentship, which includes a stipend for living expenses during their internship, and additional funding for research-related costs such as travel, equipment, and materials. It also contributes towards entrepreneurship training and coordination activities.
Research Collaboration: The PhD research is aligned with the interests and strategic goals of the sponsor. This can include projects that are directly relevant to the company's products, services, technologies and their innovation challenges.
Access to Resources: Sponsored students have access to the company's facilities, data, equipment, and proprietary technologies relevant to their project, which can be invaluable for their research.
Professional Development: The sponsorship often includes opportunities for the student to engage with industry professionals. It also includes the EIT Food GFVP training programme, thereby enhancing their professional skills and network.
Employment Opportunities: possibility of future employment with the sponsoring company, providing a clear career path post-PhD.
Academic and Industry Mentorship: Sponsored PhD students receive guidance from both academic supervisors and industry mentors, offering a balanced perspective and expertise from both the academic and industrial world.

Benefits for Companies

iGFVP can be used as an affordable and low-risk way to initiate novel research collaboration with a new institution or academic that, if successful, grows into a larger relationship.
Company-university partnerships enabled by iGFVP can lead to investment and attract more funding
Companies will benefit from a motivated, high- quality doctoral student undertaking cutting-edge research relevant to the organisation’s priorities and objectives.
Priority access to talents, giving the possibility of future employment of talented & highly skilled researchers within the sponsoring company.

This is a unique opportunity to develop a symbiotic relationship where the student gains practical experience and industry insight, while the company benefits from cutting-edge research and potential innovations that can be directly applied to their business.

Benefits for Academics & Students

Benefits for Academics

• Introduce new academics within that university to collaboration with that company

• Joint supervision enabling the university to maintain and sustain the relationship with the company

• Provide a unique and critical element of feedback and strategic direction for their research activity

Benefits for Students

Strong progression into R&D related roles in private sector and academia. Learn industry-specific tools, methodologies, and technologies that may differ from academic research practices, enhancing their technical skillset.

• Exposure to commercial business practices and increased understanding of commercial priorities

• Interpersonal skills such as developing different reporting styles, handling meetings and progress reviews, working with non-technical people

• Opportunities to expand academic and technical skills

• Opportunities to publish and present at conferences and in-company

Opportunity to build a network of professional contacts, potentially opening doors for collaborations, mentorship, or future employment.

Students have an opportunity to gain insights into Food System innovation challenges, develop a range of valuable skills, and significantly enhance their future employability; the expectation is that many will become research leaders of the future or successful entrepreneurs.

How do you define as a company an excellent iGFVP Studentship?

Companies identify a research area of their interest

Criteria: defining an excellent iGFVP Studentship

High-quality project – A challenging, feasible and realistically achievable doctoral project which stimulates excellent research. Through a truly collaborative approach, it provides tangible benefits to all partners.
High-quality training environment – Through access to distinctive but complementary environments, partners provide a stimulating framework for research training in the proposed field. Joint supervision gives a unique and broadening perspective on the impact of collaborative research.
High-quality student experience – An enriched integrated training experience allows the student to acquire novel skills and expertise. The student gains a wider understanding of how their research may have an impact in a wider context, which will enhance their future career prospects.

The primary aim of iGFVP is to provide high quality research training relevant to EIT FOOD’s GFVP remit.

The key criteria will be the overall quality of training offered by the academic institution and the proposed non-academic partner, in line with the “Competency Framework” developed by EIT Food Education

Alignment with EIT Food Missions

The iGFVP studentship projects are aligned with the 3 EIT Food’s Missions:

Healthier lives through food

EIT Food's Healthier Lives Through Food mission framework is based on three targets where the EIT Food community can have the most impact, and in the areas of greatest need. These are:

Improving product choice and supply for a balanced diet for people and planet
Diversifying protein choices for food products
Optimising the nutrient density of food.

Net Zero food systems

EIT Food's Net Zero Food System mission framework is based on three targets where the EIT Food community can have the most impact, and in the areas of greatest need. These are:

Establishing regenerative agriculture as a commercially viable option in key value chain
Reducing food loss and waste
Growing the circular food economy through packaging and labelling.

Reducing risk for a fair and resilient food system

EIT Food's Reducing Risk for a Fair and Resilient Food System mission framework is based on three targets where the EIT Food community can have the most impact, and in the areas of greatest need. These are:

Improving sustainable and resilient food production practices
Improving urban integration of shorter supply chains
Investing in the growth of fair and resilient business models supporting food security.

Discover all about the 3 EIT Food Missions!