Grainger Engineering partnering with UIDP to integrate industry research into Ph.D. training

The I-PhD program will help students prepare for industry careers while making it more affordable for companies to work with students.

The goal ... is to bring together the resources of universities, companies, and UIDP to help prepare the next generation of research leaders while building university-industry partnerships. 

In Fall 2026, UIDP, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering partnerships between academia and industry, is kicking off a program that will help support industry research conducted as part of doctoral studies. The Grainger College of Engineering is one of the inaugural university partners.

Daniel J. Bodony, the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs in Grainger Engineering, is leading the college’s participation. 

The goal of the new UIDP Industry-Integrated PhD (I-PhD) Scholars Program is to bring together the resources of universities, companies, and UIDP to help prepare the next generation of research leaders while building university-industry partnerships.

With the help of funds from the National Science Foundation, UIDP will underwrite part of the cost of supporting the Ph.D. students who participate, so that the universities and companies do not need to cover the full cost themselves.

Industry-academia research partnerships

Naturally, it has long been routine for Grainger Engineering faculty and students to work with companies on research problems.

“It gives us very specific and focused efforts to have our Ph.D. graduates become employees and leaders at these companies.”

Daniel Bodony, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs, The Grainger College of Engineering

“What is new is the underwriting by a third party,” Bodony said. “Companies are sometimes hesitant to approach us because they feel that the cumulative cost of a Ph.D. student is more than they’re willing to support. [I-PhD] lowers the barrier of entry for companies to consider Ph.D.-level funding for multiple years.”

Bodony added that I-PhD can also broaden existing partnerships by helping industry partners stretch their dollars. “If a company can support four [students] now, they can see that becoming six or eight students.”

He said that the BP energy company — a “great partner” that already has a strong research relationship with Illinois through chemical engineering and materials science projects in the BP International Centre for Advanced Materials — will be the first company to work with Illinois engineering students through I-PhD.

Other companies interested in participating will need to work with the U. of I. to submit a joint proposal to UIDP.

“We would absolutely welcome additional companies coming forward,” Bodony said.

He thinks one benefit of the program will be strengthening of the pipeline to successful industry careers for the students who participate.

“It gives us very specific and focused efforts to have our Ph.D. graduates become employees and leaders at these companies,” he said. “It’s not a requirement that they become an employee, but it would be a positive outcome.”

One element of the I-PhD experience that will go beyond typical industry internships is an industry-preparedness certificate program. Its goal is to help students develop “soft skills” in areas like management and regulatory awareness that would enable them to take on leadership positions, not only research scientist roles, in future industry careers.

Alumni in high places

Bodony noted that when alumni rise high in industry, it’s a big win for the U. of I. too.

“Having alumni in senior leadership positions at companies is vastly beneficial to the alumni base, advancement, future sponsored research, and future corporate engagements,” he said.