£65.6 million Doctoral Focal Award to strengthen UK nuclear skills, energy security and sovereign defence capability

Today the government has announced a £65.6 million investment for a bespoke nuclear Doctoral Focal Award. This collaboration between the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Ministry of Defence is a key part of the Nuclear Skills Plan’s aim to quadruple the number of nuclear fission doctoral students to address high-level skills.

Today the government has announced a £65.6 million investment for a bespoke nuclear Doctoral Focal Award. This collaboration between the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Ministry of Defence is a key part of the Nuclear Skills Plan’s aim to quadruple the number of nuclear fission doctoral students to address high-level skills shortages across civil and defence programmes.

Delivered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and match funded by industry, the investment will deliver up to 6 new doctoral training programmes and expand the existing SATURN Centre for Doctoral Training, training more than 500 doctoral students at universities across the country, from Prifysgol Bangor University in North Wales to the University of Glasgow in Scotland to Imperial College London, over the next 4 academic intakes.

The UK faces acute shortages in the highly skilled nuclear specialists needed to advance Small Modular Reactors, Sizewell C and the Advanced Nuclear Framework, as well as sustaining the Continuous at Sea Deterrent (CASD) and delivering the UK contribution to AUKUS. By investing in doctoral students now, we are ensuring that the UK has the expertise to accelerate the construction of critical nuclear infrastructure whilst maintaining stringent safety and environmental standards, situating the UK as a leader in innovation across the civil and defence nuclear sectors, supporting national growth, security, and net zero goals.

Recruitment will begin in 2026, with the first cohorts starting in the 2026/27 academic year. For more information on specific courses, including how to apply, contact the relevant lead university.

List of funded Centres for Doctoral Training

RAPTOR (Radiation Protection, Nuclear Safety and Environmental Sustainability)

Lead university: University of Liverpool

Universities: University of Manchester; University of Suffolk; University of Surrey.

Research focus: Radiation protection; environmental impact assessment and radioactive waste management; nuclear safety and security; social value and societal impact.

STAND-UP (Skills and Training driving Availability of National Defence assets - UPskilling for innovation driven impact)

Lead university: University of Strathclyde

Supporting universities: Lancaster University; University of Birmingham; University of Cumbria; University of Derby; University of Nottingham; University of Surrey.

Research focus: Whole lifecycle delivery of UK's defence nuclear programme.

SATURN (Skills And Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear)

Lead university: University of Manchester

Supporting universities: Prifysgol Bangor University; Lancaster University; University of Leeds; University of Liverpool; University of Sheffield; University of Strathclyde.

Research focus: Fission lifecycle.

DRIVERS (Developing Researchers with an Interdisciplinary Vision for Engineering Reactor Systems)

Lead university: Imperial College London

Supporting universities: Bangor University; Swansea University; University of Bristol; University of Manchester.

Research focus: Reactor physics; thermal hydraulics; through-life structural integrity of advanced reactor components; digital tools to accelerate innovation in reactor design and operation.

PLANET (Physics-led applications for nuclear technology)

Lead university: University of York

Supporting universities: Lancaster University; University of Cambridge; University of Edinburgh; University of Surrey.

Research focus: Nuclear physics including fuel performance, safety, reactor challenges, waste, storage and disposal, and AI in applied nuclear physics.

PANDA (Programme for Accelerating Nuclear Development and Applications)

Lead university: Prifysgol Bangor University

Supporting universities: Imperial College London; University of Birmingham; University of Bristol; University of Cambridge; University of Derby; University of Manchester; UK National Nuclear Laboratory.

Research focus: Fuel performance; fuel cycle; nuclear materials and manufacturing; reactor and system design (including advanced and small modular).

SCANS (Skills Centre for Advancing Nuclear Systems)

Lead university: University of Glasgow

Supporting universities: SUERC: Centre for the Isotope Sciences; Edinburgh University; Heriot-Watt University.

Research focus: Fuel cycle; isotope science; systems and sustainability; advanced reactor design; waste minimisation; commissioning and decommissioning; environmental stewardship.

Source Link: https://nuclearskillsplan.com/65-6-million-doctoral-focal-award-to-strengthen-uk-nuclear-skills-energy-security-and-sovereign-defence-capability/