Eligibility Criteria

• Master's degree (MA) in design, issued by a university or university of applied sciences
• Language skills: Advanced English skills (C1/C2) according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
• Candidates must show a demonstrable interest in the thematic research foci at the NID and HSLU
• Details on the admission criteria are provided in NID’s PhD Handbook and the programme ordinances.

Proposal
Candidates are required to submit, a research proposal in English that encompasses approximately 20’000 characters in length and reflects on the proposed research project. Required content:

• Overview of the broader field of study or general background, on the context of the research
• Literature review illustrating the context of the research, including a list of references and/or a bibliography
• Research problem and scope of the proposed project
• Rationale for and the significance of the study
• Research questions and objectives of the study
• Approach/methodology to be followed
• Candidate’s skills, knowledge and research or work experience relevant to the study
• The research project’s potential contribution to knowledge formation in the chosen field
• Presentation of how practice and research objectives relate to each other

In addition, the following information must be enclosed (in the same document):

• CV: 2 pages maximum or link to online profile
• Optional:
  o Portfolio: showcase of prior practice-based research and/or art/design practice (add download link to proposal)

All documents must be submitted in one PDF document (maximum size 5MB).

The NID will use anti-plagiarism software to verify the originality of the proposals submitted. 
For detailed information on the proposal, refer to the NID’s PhD Handbook.

Proposal Submission 
The proposal including all documents must be submitted online via the NID registration platform. The HSLU itself does not accept proposals. Questions regarding the submission of documents will be answered by the NID.

Other Documents
Additional documents are uploaded in a second step as a single PDF document (maximum size 10MB). These include diplomas, employment references, additional qualifications and the following documents:

• Birth certificate
• All (post-)graduation certificates (degrees/diplomas) as well as school reports/certificates including the mark sheets from the 10th school year onwards
• First and last page of valid passport
• Written confirmation of the current employer (if applicable) agreeing to the candidate’s participation participate in the doctoral programme (“NOC - no objection certificate”)
• Official certificate of equivalence from the Association of Indian Universities for the recognition of foreign educational qualifications. This document must be submitted to the NID by the end of the selection procedure. As this process may take longer, the certificate should be applied for as early as possible.