Joint Interdisciplinary Project

The Joint Interdisciplinary Project aims to prepare students to contribute to impactful technological solutions for industrial/governmental R&D and support one or more of the Global Sustainable Development Goals or ToPsectoren in the Netherlands.
Interdisciplinary and Intercultural teams of students work for a dedicated ten weeks on a complex problem to realise an innovative and viable (primarily)technical solution.

Team deliverables include a report, prototype, concept model and a business case to instigate continued developments. A company coach and JIP staff provide team guidance.
Along the way, the companies and TU Delft offer students academic and industry expertise. The projects demand sound engineering, working knowledge and experience with interdisciplinary and systems theory, as well as knowledge and mindsets of innovation and entrepreneurial behaviour.
The project brief is provided by renowned companies like Airbus, Embraer, Huisman,VanOord, Royal Haskoning DHV, Tahmo, Nationale Politie, Erasmus MC, and KLM.

Students will meet (online) during the module and discuss their project with professionals, the company, and academia. The JIP core team will also guide the team process. The module includes three review sessions:

Problem statement review

The teams are required to present the scope of their problem in the form of a two-page report. The main activity during this review is the team presentation of the academic staff, company coaches, JIP core staff and teams within the same cluster. The formative and 360-degree feedback means giving a head start in the execution of the project. The input is based on a rubric addressing interdisciplinary teamwork, scientific and technical rigour, responsible /ethical engineering, innovation and communication skills.

Midterm review

The teams present multiple solution concepts in a four-page report and a presentation to the academic staff, company coaches, JIP staff and students within the same cluster. Teams should demonstrate that the feedback based on the rubric has been considered and incorporated into the work leading up to the mid-term review. However, the Midterm review uses the same criteria as the problem definition, re-evaluated at a deeper level.
In addition to the review sessions, the JIP team monitors individual growth. The monitoring is done by reviewing a team blog, which shows the team's progress to peers in JIP and beyond. The team blog is meant to get feedback and keep track of the decisions students have made while working together concerning the project and team process. The individual process is realised by a 360-degree team feedback tool and team sessions to jointly evaluate the team process and improve the individual professional and collaborative attitude. (4 Team blogs/4 Personal Reflection blogs/ 4 times 360-degree team feedback)

Summative assessment on the module level

Final review

The presentation is behind closed doors and is open for academic staff, JIP staff and the company coach(es).

Note: the grade for the project report/presentation/prototype/model/design (80% of the final grade) will only be given if the two earlier reports (the two-pager on the problem statement review and the four-pager of the midterm review) are handed in as well.

• The items are assessed according to a rubric addressing interdisciplinary teamwork, scientific and technical rigour, responsible /ethical engineering, innovation and communication skills.

• The assessors (company, academic and Jip staff) will score the rubric independently, after which a final grade is calibrated and discussed with the entire committee.

• The Problem def/mid-term reviews and the growth that has occurred during the process are incorporated in the final grade. The committee consists of minimally the company coach, one academic staff member with expertise on the topic, 1 academic chair, and 1 Jip staff. Often, an additional expert from the field and an academic staff member are added.

• The minimum grade for the summative assessment is =/> 5.8.

• Process grade is 20%

• The team blog/personal blog is evaluated according to a rubric on interdisciplinary teamwork, professional development, academic attitude, and personal leadership. The deliverables are subject to a knockout system.
  Meaning the grade is insufficient if not delivered. Students cannot finalise the project without handing in the obligatory work.