Access our expertise

Types of collaboration

Our academics,researchers and PhD students work at the forefront of new research and technology,generating knowledge that has practical and commercial applications across our research areas. There are a number of ways in which we can support you in problem solving or carrying out specific research in an area of interest to your business.

Collaboration type	Description	Typical costs	Typical company contribution
Consultancy	Bespoke consultancy provided by a recognised expert in her/his field.	Variable	Company pays commerical rate
Knowledge Transfer Partnership	Collaborative project for a company seeking to improve effectiveness and productivity by accessing new knowledge and expertise. A high calibre graduate (KTP Associate) works in your company jointly supervised by yourselves and an academic team. Projects can run from six months to three years.	£65k per annum	50% large companies, 33% SMEs, plus VAT
Knowledge Exchange Voucher	A straightforward route for both large and small businesses to benefit from University know-how. Projects can be long or short-term.	£5-10k	25% plus VAT and expenses
Studentship	A PhD student,under the supervision of an OU academic,researching a topic that is of importance to the company. The student usually spending some time at the company’s premises.	£18k per annum (plus consumables)	50%
Internship	Benefit from an OU PhD student working short term in your organisation. Placements can help fill skills gaps and provide effective solutions to one-off specialist project needs.	£3k	50%