Date
December 3, 2026
Location
800 Maine Ave SW, Washington, D.C.
Convene
Review learning objectives, core content, and delivery approaches
Help PhD students prepare for research careers
Most STEM PhD programs focus on academic career pathways, even though fewer than one-third of recent doctoral graduates in those fields work in academia. Students moving into industry research may be well prepared in their disciplines, yet have limited exposure to the business context, cross-functional practices, intellectual property considerations, regulatory requirements, and decision-making processes that shape research outside the university.
UIDP is seeking community input to create the Foundations for Industry Research Experiences certificate, a national, non-credit training program that will provide doctoral students with a deeper understanding of how research operates in industry. Developed as part of the Strengthen and Modernize Initiative (SAMI) and the UIDP Industry-Integrated PhD (I-PhD) Scholars Program, the program will include asynchronous modules to introduce students to the practices, expectations, and considerations that shape research in industry, helping them build foundational knowledge and skills they can carry into research settings across sectors. Building on previous curriculum development efforts, the UIDP Certificate Design Summit will serve as a working session to further refine and finalize the certificate program's content.
Your Perspective Matters
University and industry participants will help ensure the certificate is both educationally sound and grounded in the expectations, practices, and ways of working that shape research in industry. Proposed modules cover a range of foundational topics, including communication and collaboration, leadership and professional effectiveness, industry research practices and business considerations, and innovation and commercialization.
The certificate must reflect what employers expect of early-career researchers while remaining a meaningful and scalable learning experience for students. Industry participants can help identify the knowledge, professional behaviors, and ways of working that traditional doctoral training may not emphasize. University participants can help ensure the curriculum complements existing doctoral education and professional development.
Working in module-specific teams, participants in the UIDP Certificate Design Summit will review learning objectives, core content, and delivery approaches. Discussions will focus on strengthening the curriculum's relevance, coherence, and value for students preparing for industry research experiences.
Nominations
Participation in the UIDP Certificate Design Summit is by invitation only. Use the button below to nominate yourself or a colleague for this exciting opportunity to strengthen doctoral education and workforce development in the U.S.
Who should attend?
UIDP is seeking a broad range of perspectives from academia and industry to help shape the certificate program. We welcome nominations from individuals representing the following roles:
- Industry R&D professionals
- Industry HR professionals
- University administrators
- University professional development program leaders
- University faculty members
- Current STEM PhD students
- Recent STEM PhD graduates working in industry
When
Dec. 3, 2026
8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. EST
Where
800 Maine Ave. SW, Suite 800
Washington, D.C., 20024
Questions?
Related Opportunity
Interested in joining the broader conversation? Learn more and register for the UIDP Foundations for Industry Research Experiences Certificate virtual town hall here.
*Virtual town hall registration is separate from Certificate Summit nominations. To nominate yourself or a colleague for the UIDP Certificate Design Summit, use the nomination button above.
The UIDP I-PhD Scholars Program is supported by a transformative investment of more than $47 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) through Award #2624416.