DocEnhance aims to enhance transferable skills intelligence and integration into existing PhD programmes by i) involving the non-academic sector in developing a more employment and innovation-oriented curriculum for PhD programmes, ii) facilitating work-based learning and business-education partnerships through developing PhD courses, and iii) tracking of PhD graduate career paths. The major outputs of the project are a recommended transferable skills curriculum for PhD programmes, a novel course concept and material, and an open access career-tracking survey. The project will focus on transferable skills, as these skills facilitate the transition into employment and are widely applicable, regardless of scientific field and chosen career path. All project outputs will be provided as freely available Open Educational Resources through an online platform, the DocEnhance Platform. This platform will function as a comprehensive, user-friendly and equal access point for transferable skills intelligence and training in research education for researchers in all career stages, as well as a community and networking site, designed to live beyond the project lifetime.

DocEnhance builds on a large, diverse and experienced consortium, several existing EU-projects and other initiatives to achieve these ambitious goals. The External Advisory Board and the Industry Reference Group represent the major stakeholders and end users of the project outputs, and their involvement is ensured through a co-creation approach that includes project evaluation and validation events. All project outputs will be piloted among several European partner universities during the project for proof-of-concept, and a project partner from Africa and member university of the the World University Network represents the interests of non-European countries.

The overall goal of DocEnhance is to develop a diverse network of academic and non-academic actors in order to facilitate co-operation and innovation. The network will develop OERs in skills training, and thereby increase cost-efficiency, equality and harmonization of PhD education across Europe and beyond. The project will focus on transferable skills in order to achieve widest possible applicability and impact.