Collaborative doctoral degrees are increasingly seen by universities around the world as a means of developing international research collaborations. Bringing together two sets of doctoral requirements, often in very different academic cultures, regulatory environments and research contexts, whilst ensuring a positive experience for the postgraduate researchers (PGRs), can present significant challenges.

The project team developed this project in response to a growing interest in collaborative doctoral degrees and the multiple challenges of improving a standard approach across UK Universities towards developing this type of provision.

The collaboration brought together practitioners from a representative group of UK institutions to share their experience of collaborative doctoral provision and identify good practice.

The project team have produced guidance to equip colleagues in a range of roles with the knowledge they need to develop successful collaborative doctoral programmes - enabling others to benefit from their extensive experience and knowledge of good practice in this area.

The document is made up of 9 sections including:

• The benefits of Collaborative Doctoral Awards
• Definitions: The Challenge of Terminology and Alternatives to Collaborative Doctoral Awards
• Regional Variations
• Programme Development
• Legal Considerations
• Funding Models
• Agreeing the Collaborative Doctoral Award Examination Process
• Delivering the Collaborative Doctoral Award
• Conclusion and Guiding Principles

This functional toolkit closes with reflective questions for consideration, operational checklists, other useful resources and further reading.

The materials are helpful to a wide range of stakeholders including:

• professional support staff who have been tasked with developing, or supporting, collaborative doctoral provision,
• particularly those new to this area of work
• senior university staff who are involved in establishing international institutional partnerships
• academics who are interested in collaborative doctoral provision

Project lead:

Coventry University

Project partners:

University of Warwick, University of Glasgow, University of Hertfordshire, Northumbria University and University of York.