Skill development in collaborative research projects: A comparison between PhD students in multi-actor research programs and in traditional trajectories

Abstract

The growing number of PhD students has spurred debates about the societal relevance of PhD training trajectories. The academic labour market does not provide enough jobs and many PhD graduates will have a career outside academia. It has been questioned whether current PhD training trajectories are still adequate and collaborative research projects are introduced as alternative trajectories. Such trajectories can support the development of a broader set of skills, but might have adverse effects on the development of academic skills. This article studies the effects of collaborative training trajectories on PhD skill development. We specifically focus on PhD students in multi-actor research programs (MARPs), an increasingly popular organizational form for facilitating transdisciplinary research activities. Using a survey among PhD students in MARPs and in traditional trajectories, we study the effects of a MARP on the development of four types of skills: (1) academic research skills, (2) academic communication skills, (3) translation and dissemination skills, and (4) transferable skills. Our findings suggest that collaborative training trajectories can indeed result in the development of a broader set of skills without negative effects on academic skill development. We conclude that collaborative research projects can be a viable alternative and identify three conditions for an optimal effect on PhD skill development.