An expert team formed by the PMB analyzed and evaluated different systems for public funding of doctoral studies in EU countries, and, in particular, the existing experiences in the region. The focus was on the research part of the studies. The analysis encompasses acute problems related to the status of doctoral students, including teaching assistantship, health insurance, lodging, etc. An initial Working Group was appointed at the Project Management Board Meeting at Crete, September 20th, 2014. This Working Group made a detailed analysis of the current status of funding doctoral studies in EU countries. This duty was, however, faced with essential obstacles consisting of the fact that there are many different and very specific ways of funding doctoral studies in different EU countries and at different universities. Comparisons with the actual situation in Serbia were done selectively, after choosing the cases with parallelisms with the situation in Serbia, opening new ways for further improvements (see the book “Doctoral Studies in Serbia” and the book “From Doctoral Studies to Doctoral Schools“).