Perhaps you think that the doctorate is limited to basic research carried out in an academic setting. Well no. With the program “ Win4Doc » of the Public Service of Wallonia (SPW-EER), any company with a head office located in Wallonia can establish a partnership with a university laboratory and become a promoter of a doctoral thesis on a theme that directly concerns it and, thus, nourish its innovation policy.
If you identify the need to strengthen the scientific or technological potential of your company in one of the 5 Strategic Innovation Areas (DIS) of the Smart Strategy of Wallonia, if collaboration with the world of university research allows us to glimpse the development of a new product, a new process or a new service within 4 years, why not think about the program “ Win4Doc » ? Depending on the size of the company, the Win4Doc program supports 50 to 70% of the salary of a researcher within the company. Additional costs (eg coordination, missions abroad, etc.) are also eligible. At the same time, the university laboratory receives an operating budget to support research. A part-time presence of the doctoral student in the company and within the university is, in fact, expected.
“Win4Doc” projects are evaluated on the basis of their innovative character, the excellence and experience of the partners, the quality of the file, the prospects for promoting innovation, the contribution to sustainable development and the degree of risk. And it works! Look at this example of a perfectly successful doctoral student project in business carried out in partnership between the Urban and Environmental Engineering Research Unit and the Bru-Chevron company. Also reserve October 15 in your diary to attend the thesis defense of André Andrade Paiva; you will discover how the Win4Doc project led by Hexagon and Professor Philippe Rigo helps reduce the acoustic vibrations of vehicles and thus increase both interior comfort and environmental impact.
If you also have scientific or technological questions to explore in greater depth, or innovations to develop as part of a doctoral thesis, do not hesitate to contact FSA professors and researchers to submit a Win4Doc project. You can also ask Catherine Ghymers to help you find an academic partner.
The SPW-EER publishes 2 calls per year. The next ones letters of intent for the submission of a Win4Doc project are expected for November 14th next (12 p.m.). A detailed proposal must then be submitted by March 11, 2025. If successful, the project must start before October 15, 2025.
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