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 supervisors › or companies › , and submit applications › 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:

Tags ›

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.

Is Open

Whether the project or case study allows applications or is just for viewing.

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.

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:

Programme Coordinators ›

Tags ›

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:

Applications ›

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.

Attachments

Projects and case studies may include file attachments that provide additional context, supporting materials or reference documents.

Attachments are displayed separately from the main description and can be downloaded directly from the opportunity page.

Supported Files

Attachments may consist of any file type supported by the platform, including:

  • Images
  • PDF documents
  • Microsoft Word documents
  • Microsoft PowerPoint presentations
  • Microsoft Excel spreadsheets
  • Archives and supplementary files

This allows creators to provide materials that would be difficult or impractical to include directly within the opportunity description.

Attachment Information

Each attachment displays:

  • File name
  • Upload date

Attachments can be opened or downloaded directly from the opportunity page.

Referencing Attachments

Attachments may be referenced from within the opportunity description using their attachment identifier.

Attachment identifiers are displayed in the attachment list and can be used to create references to supporting material elsewhere on the page.

This allows creators to direct readers to relevant files when describing specific requirements, datasets, figures or supplementary documentation.

Typical Uses

Attachments are commonly used for:

  • Research proposals
  • Project briefs
  • Company documentation
  • Technical specifications
  • Datasets
  • Literature references
  • Presentation slides
  • Supporting images and diagrams

Providing supporting files can help applicants better understand the opportunity before submitting an application.

Managing Attachments

Attachments are managed by the owner of the opportunity.

For projects, attachments may be managed by the supervising researcher.

For case studies, attachments may be managed by authorized representatives of the responsible association.

Attachments can be added during creation or editing of an opportunity and may be removed when they are no longer required.

Best Practices

When adding attachments:

  • Use descriptive file names
  • Remove outdated files when possible
  • Ensure uploaded documents are relevant to the opportunity
  • Reference important files within the description
  • Avoid uploading duplicate materials
  • Keep supporting documentation up to date

Well-organized attachments make opportunities easier to understand and reduce uncertainty for prospective applicants.