Collaboration with students

NTNU has a strong position in the Norwegian job market. Many employers start seeking out our students long before they graduate.There are many opportunities for short- and long-term projects, and for recruiting current students who become the company's new employees. Academic collaboration is a good way to get to know students and academic environments.

Collaborating on academic projects

Do you have an unsolved challenge? Do you have a professional development project that has never been given the priority it deserves?  Does your business need new impulses and fresh expert input? You could find a solution through academic collaboration between a student, a member of the academic staff and your business.

The aim of academic collaboration is solving a challenge relevant to a particular subject. The ultimate goal must be new knowledge for all the parties involved. You will get to know the student and his or her skills, which could create a foundation for future recruitment. Students gain valuable experience through projects of interest to their discipline in a real-life work environment.

There are no direct costs associated with academic collaboration.

Requirements for academic collaboration

• Formulating the project outline. The employer must have a clear idea of the issues that need to be solved, so that the academic staff can assess whether they are relevant to students in the discipline
• Find the right level of knowledge. Projects vary in duration and scope. These factors will determine which students might be suitable for the task. A bachelor's thesis or project assignment could be the solution for a small-scale challenge. A larger project might call for one or more master's students for 6-12 months.
• Time frames for the project. Students choose assignments for fixed periods during their studies. For example, most students choose the topic for their master's thesis in April or May of the second to last year of their studies, and submit the thesis before the summer of the next year.
• Clarify rights. Unless otherwise agreed, the student holds the copyright to his/her thesis or project assignment, and can freely share the results. Read more about intellectual property rights in relation to academic work in the standard agreement for academic collaboration.

NTNU Bridge – connecting employers and students

NTNU Bridge links students with the working world for partnerships on assignments, internships and jobs. By registering as an employer, you can find students with the educational background you need. You can also advertise assignments and share information about events. This is easy and free of charge. Publish the assignments that you want to solve, and we will help you to get in touch with the relevant academic environment.

Here's how to use NTNU Bridge:

• Create a profile
• Publish the announcement, organize events and search for students with a relevant background
• NTNU Bridge helps you to get in touch with the relevant academic environment for your assignments
• NTNU Bridge assists at the start-up meeting and practical clarifications as needed

Scholarships for student collaboration

For a student, even small expenses may seem daunting for participating in projects. Fortunately, various opportunities are available for covering expenses related to practice and academic collaboration with students. The most common is support for travel and accommodation.

• For collaboration in the Trondheim region, students may receive up to NOK 4,000 to cover expenses for travel, accommodation, laboratory rental, etc.
• VRI Trøndelag (in Norwegian) can grant up to NOK 6000 in support for student collaboration in the county of Sør-Trøndelag outside the Trondheim region.
• The Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund can provide funding for travel both in Norway and abroad related to programmes of study.