The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded Georgia Tech a five-year Innovations in Graduate Education grant to study how flexible funding models, including industry-funded research and internships, shape the educational experience of STEM Ph.D. students. The project also explores how models of industry engagement influence how faculty members shape their research priorities, mentorship practices, and grant-seeking behavior. The findings will provide a blueprint for implementing scalable practices that reshape how universities support graduate students and foster stronger connections between academia and the workforce.

Grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory and Self-Determination Theory, the research project uses a mixed-methods design that combines surveys, interviews, and longitudinal tracking to examine four primary components:

• Ph.D. student experience and outcomes. Examining how industry funding models shape Ph.D. students’ financial security, research engagement, career development, and experiences of research environment compared with students supported by traditional federal, state, and other funding sources.
• Faculty impacts. Investigating how industry funding influences faculty members’ research agendas, mentorship approaches, and funding strategies.
• Industry partnership engagement. Exploring how industry collaborators engage with Ph.D. students through research partnerships and internships, including the benefits and challenges.
• Institutional policy and implementation. Identifying the institutional policies and practices that support or hinder flexible funding models, and how they can be adjusted to expand opportunities for industry-engaged research projects and internships for graduate students.