Projects and Case Studies
Projects and Case Studies are the primary opportunities available to students through the platform. They allow students to explore research topics, collaborate with or , and submit for opportunities that match their interests.
Although they are presented similarly throughout the platform, projects and case Sstudies originate from different sources and serve slightly different purposes.
Projects vs Case Studies
Projects
Projects are created and managed by supervisors.
A project represents a research opportunity proposed by an individual supervisor and is linked directly to that supervisor's profile.
Projects are typically focused on academic research topics and may be offered by professors, researchers or PhD candidates.
Case Studies
Case Studies are created and managed by associations on behalf of companies.
A case study represents a challenge, research question or collaboration opportunity provided by a company. Each case study is linked to a company profile and is managed through the association responsible for that company.
Case studies may contain additional information relevant to commercial collaborations, such as revenue sharing arrangements.
Browsing Opportunities
All authenticated users can browse available projects and case studies through their respective overview pages.
Each opportunity contains descriptive information intended to help students determine whether the topic matches their interests and background.
The search functionality supports searching by:
- Title
- Description
- Tags
Tags can be used to quickly locate opportunities in specific subject areas.
See also:
Opportunity Information
Both projects and case studies contain similar information.
Title
The name of the opportunity.
Description
A detailed explanation of the topic, objectives and expectations.
Descriptions support Markdown formatting, allowing creators to structure content using:
- Headings
- Lists
- Emphasis
- Tables
- Code blocks
- Quotations
- LaTeX formulas
This makes it possible to create rich and detailed opportunity descriptions.
Time Estimate
An estimate of the expected workload or duration.
Tags
Tags are used to categorize opportunities and improve discoverability.
Multiple tags may be attached to a project or case study.
Creation and Update Dates
Both opportunity types display:
- Creation date
- Last update date
These timestamps help users determine whether information is current.
Project Information
In addition to the shared fields, projects contain supervisor-specific information.
Supervisor
Every project is linked to a supervisor profile.
The project detail page displays:
- Supervisor name
- Link to the supervisor profile
If the supervisor is a PhD student, the profile also displays the supervising academic staff member.
This allows students to understand the supervision structure before applying.
Case Study Information
Case studies contain several fields that do not exist for projects.
Company
Every case study belongs to a company.
The case study detail page contains a direct link to the company profile.
Students can use this information to learn more about the organization behind the opportunity.
Logo
Case studies may include a company or opportunity logo.
This logo is displayed on the case study detail page.
Revenue Split Notes
Case studies may contain revenue-related information supplied by the managing association.
This field can be used to communicate:
- Revenue sharing arrangements
- Commercial agreements
- Additional financial considerations
The contents of this section depend entirely on the case study creator.
Thesis Opportunities
Projects and case studies can be marked as thesis opportunities through tags.
An opportunity is considered a thesis opportunity when it contains the Thesis tag.
This designation is used by the coordinator functionality to determine which applications are relevant for academic oversight.
See also:
Applying
Eligible students may apply directly from an opportunity page.
When applications are enabled, an "Apply" button is displayed on the project or case study detail page.
Applications are submitted through the application system and are linked directly to the selected opportunity.
The application process is described separately in:
Best Practices
When creating projects or case studies:
- Use a clear and descriptive title
- Provide sufficient background information
- Include realistic time estimates
- Apply relevant tags
- Keep descriptions up to date
- Clearly communicate expectations and requirements
Well-structured opportunities are easier for students to discover and generally result in higher-quality applications.