We welcome partnerships with organisations who want to develop future researchers and research-informed practitioners, along with accessing world-class research outputs.
Why sponsor an OU research degree?
Funding, or co-funding, a research student provides an opportunity for bespoke research projects to be undertaken by a student linked to an issue of relevance and value to your organisation or research agenda.
Funding for a professional doctorate – either a professional doctorate in education (EdD) or in health and social care (DHSC) – entails an organisation committing to fund an employee through their research degree. This provides an excellent opportunity for an employee to undertake research that develops their capability as a research-informed practitioner – and enables the organisation to benefit from the knowledge produced.
Benefits
If you choose to work with us to fund a research student you will be benefitting from working with people who are passionate about your subject area, about knowledge transfer and about improving practice for professionals and service users. Other benefits are:
- the development of your own organisation's research capability and capacity
- free access for your research student to the OU’s library which holds 15,000 ejournal titles
- their research being presented to a wide range of professional, academic and public audiences
- their research being published in one of the leading UK university open research repositories, open to the public to view and access information
- working with academic experts in innovative research fields.
Current sponsors
Leverhulme Trust
Shakespeare's Globe
Willen Hospice
World Vision
Public Health England
Global Challenges Research Fund
Sports Leaders
Royal Literary Fund
Shears Foundation
Midatech Pharma
Springer Publishing Company
Consorcio Regenero
Energy Institute
Imperial War Museums
Komcept Solutions Limited
Operation Wallacea Ltd