A PhD by Research into the Evolution of the Life Sciences Industry, Without Giving Up Your Job?
Professor Brian D Smith
Supporting strategists in the life sciences industry
Are you an experienced executive in the pharma, medtech or related industries? Would you like to do a PhD, researching the evolution of our sector, at a good UK business school, supervised by a world-recognised authority on the subject? This article is a FAQ for those who want to understand and accelerate the evolution of our industry.
Some Information about a PhD with the Life Sciences Cohort at Hertfordshire Business School
Thank you for your interest in our work. This document will answer your initial questions about doing your PhD with us. If after reading it you would like to take the idea further, we would be delighted to hear from you. And if you decide that a PhD with us is not right for you, please share with us your reasons for that decision too. Please read on and you will find our contact details at the end of this document.
Is the University of Hertfordshire a good place to do a PhD?
The University of Hertfordshire is large UK University with a 60-year heritage. In addition to teaching, we’re strongly research-oriented with an international reputation for producing rigorous findings and publications.. We are organised into 10 schools, ranging from Computer Science to Humanities and from Medical Sciences to Law. In this document, we’re talking about Hertfordshire Business School and, in particular, our stream of research into marketing, strategy and related topics in the life sciences sector, by which we mean industries such as pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology and related markets. Our goal is that this research sub-group will become a world-recognised centre of thought leadership. We will create the new management knowledge that the industry needs in order to adapt to its challenging future. We currently have 3 PhD candidates who are very advanced in their work and, as they approach completion, we are seeking to recruit a small number of new, part-time doctoral candidates who will do research in this area and gain an internationally-recognised PhD. If you think that might appeal to you, please read on.
What would the PhD Involve?
In simple terms, doing a PhD with us will involve the following stages:
1) We would begin with identifying an important management issue in which you are fervently interested. Typically, this would come from your direct experience in the industry. We would discuss the issue with you and develop it into a suitable research topic. As a rule of thumb, a suitable research topic must meet three criteria; it must be researchable, it must excite you and it must, when completed, make a genuine, significant contribution to both academic knowledge and to practice.
2) We then ask you to research and write a literature review paper on the topic, of about 6,000 words, which summarises and critically evaluates what is already known about your topic. We will guide you in how to do this and will help you to prepare the paper, which will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. The paper will be your work and you will be the primary author but of course the Hertfordshire Business School academics that help you will be named as co-authors. Even if you choose not to progress further with us, this guided writing process will be a rewarding and relevant experience that enhances your expertise.
3) Once your paper is written and submitted, you will be invited to apply for enrolment on the PhD programme. This involves completing a research proposal, which you will develop with our guidance based on your review paper. If you are accepted, then you will then spend the next 3-5 years researching the topic part-time whilst continuing in your current job. Exactly how long it takes will depend on how much time you can commit to it but please do not underestimate the task. A PhD is a huge amount of work and a life-changing experience. It is unlikely to take less than 3 years. The detailed schedule of your work will vary with the research topic but, in very broad terms, it will usually consist of three main phases, each of which will take you between 12 and 18 months:
a) Completing your literature review, developing your research questions and designing your research. In this stage, you will further develop your understanding of the prior research in your field and identify researchable gaps in the existing knowledge. You will be expected to develop robust research questions and plan a research programme to answer those questions. You will be guided on this journey by your lead supervisor and a panel of co-supervisors. You will also be expected to attend relevant research training days run by the university. This stage will be completed when you pass a formal assessment, usually performed by an objective member of HBS faculty who is not on your supervisory board.
b) Executing your research. In this stage, you will get ethics approval for your work and then carry out your research. This will be in two stages beginning with a small pilot stage which will lead, after a review and approval, to the main part of the research. You will continue to be supervised and guided by your panel of co-supervisors. You will also be expected to attend relevant research training days run by the university. This stage will be completed when you pass a formal assessment, usually performed by an objective member of HBS faculty who is not on your supervisory board or an external academic familiar with your field.
c) Completing and writing up your research. In this stage, you will complete your research and then write up your thesis, again under the guidance of your supervisory panel and again attending any relevant research training days run by the university. This stage will be completed when you submit your thesis and defend it at a viva voce, at which the panel will be led by an external academic familiar with your field.
During this time, you will be supervised by Professor Brian D Smith, an experienced academic who has spent almost 40 years working in and researching the pharmaceutical and medical technology sectors. You will also have the support of other members of the business school’s faculty whose expertise is relevant to your research. Importantly, as part of the life sciences PhD cohort, you will share your ideas and draft writing with a peer group who understand the industry and who will form an invaluable sounding board for your thinking. And of course, you will be supported with all the facilities of our research centre, including an excellent library and a variety of research methodology training options.
What sort of person should, and should not, apply?
We are very discerning about who we select for the programme, for two reasons. Firstly, we’re only interested in producing very good research that is both academically rigorous and practically useful. That requires the very brightest people with strong industry backgrounds. Secondly, we do not want candidates who will not complete the long, demanding programme. That requires people who are exceptionally motivated and self-reliant.
As a guide, you will make a good candidate if:
- You already have a good academic record, probably a master’s degree in another subject.
- You are currently employed in the industry with at least 10 years experience.
- You have a burning desire to learn and contribute to knowledge.
- You are willing and able to commit a large part of your life for the next few years to the PhD.
- You want to do management research to the very highest standards.
Similarly, you will probably not be suitable for the programme if:
- You simply want the “badge” of a PhD.
- You have a strong opinion about your topic that you want to prove is correct.
- You simply want to do a market research project for your company.
- You are not able to commit the necessary time and energy for the next few years.
- You are not willing to do research to the standard required by good, peer-reviewed journals.
If, after reading those criteria, you’re still interested then please read on.
What will the PhD cost in time and money?
It is important to understand that these studentships are unpaid and self-funded. In other words, there is no grant available to you and you will have to pay a fee to the university, to cover the support costs, as well as providing for your own living expenses, including travel and accommodation, for the duration of the programme. For this reason, we expect that the candidates will be employed so that either their employers or they themselves can meet those costs. The current annual fees for the part-time PhD are ￡2,345. Note that there are no fees payable until you have applied and enrolled onto the programme, so the first phase of your research, preparing the review paper, involves no fees.
As well as the financial costs, you should also recognise the significant time costs of the programme. We’re very aware that good candidates are likely to be time-poor. We will not waste your valuable time and we will use remote working as much as possible. However, you will probably still need to visit Hertfordshire Business School regularly for two purposes:
· Once a quarter, you will be expected to meet for face-to-face supervisory meetings and to share your progress with your cohort.
· You will be expected to spend 3-5 days per year attending training programmes.
Apart from these fixed commitments, your time commitment to the programme can be fitted around your work. It is hard to say how much time per week the PhD will consume, as that depends much on individual working style and, in any case, fluctuates. On average over the PhD, we estimate that you will need to allow between 10 and 15 hours a week for your research.
Where can further information be found?
You can find out more about the University of Hertfordshire at:
You can find out more about Hertfordshire Business School at:
Finally, if you would like to talk about becoming part of our thought-leading research group then please email Professor Brian D Smith, who will be delighted to set up an informal meeting or telephone call.