Grant Details

https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/doctoral-focal-award-nuclear-skills/

Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant aims to establish doctoral focal awards (previously centers for doctoral training) to educate the next generation of researchers in critical nuclear skills. It specifically targets academic institutions and research organizations in the UK capable of delivering high-quality, cohort-based doctoral programs for UK-domiciled students. This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant focused on bolstering the UK's civil and defence nuclear capabilities.

Financial Structure

Total Funding
  • Up to £45,000,000 funding is expected from the UK government for this opportunity, subject to a current government spending review.
Funding Rate
  • UKRI will fund 100% of eligible costs.
Eligible Costs Costs that will be funded by UKRI include:
  • Studentship costs: Equivalent to 32 students over four cohorts. This includes:
    • Tuition fees: Cannot be higher than charged for home-funded students on similar programs. All students must be eligible for home fee status.
    • Stipends: Must be at least UKRI minimum rates. Enhanced stipends are encouraged and can be requested if justified.
    • Support for students from non-academic settings: Stipends or contributions to salaries (applicants encouraged to contact EPSRC to discuss if proposing salary contributions).
  • Research Training Support Grant (RTSG): Covers individual student costs such as travel, consumables, facility access directly linked to research, or specialized training (e.g., summer schools).
  • Leadership and management costs.
  • Start-up costs for new focal awards.
  • Development of training that is part of the cohort training package (e.g., courses for the whole cohort).
  • Support for diversity and mobility of career paths (accommodating different career stages, employed individuals seeking doctoral education).
  • Wider career development experience for students.
  • Innovative student recruitment activities (attracting UK home students, widening participation).
Ineligible Costs Costs that will not be funded by UKRI include:
  • Equipment over £25,000 in value (including VAT). Smaller items can be included under RTSG or other costs.
  • Costs associated with student supervision.
  • Estates and indirect costs.
Matching Fund Requirements and Leverage
  • This grant has significant co-investment expectations, requiring a clear plan to maximize leverage over the award's lifetime.
  • The expected funding balance across focal awards is:
    • 40% from UK government investment
    • 40% from project partners
    • 20% from organizations hosting students
  • This balance does not need to be achieved at the point of application but applicants need a clear plan to work towards it.
  • Contributions from project partners can be in cash or in-kind, including:
    • Funding for additional or co-funded studentships.
    • Hosting, work experience, or placements for students outside academia.
    • Training for students and/or staff.
    • Access to facilities or equipment.
    • Commitment to cover facility/training access costs not otherwise provided.
    • Strategic links to stakeholders.
    • Supporting employees into doctoral study.
Budgeting Details
  • All costs (stipends, fees) should be calculated at October 2025 rates, with no allowance for inflation over the funding period. UKRI will include an allowance for fee and stipend indexation at the final funding stage.
  • Applicants are expected to support more than the minimum 40 students with additional support from non-UKRI sources.
Financial Guarantees
  • For audit purposes, formal collaboration agreements are required if an award is made, ensuring project partners' commitment.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Eligibility To apply as a Project Lead (the main applicant organization), you must be based at an organization eligible to receive UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding. Eligible types include:
  • Higher education institutions
  • Research council institutes
  • Eligible independent research organizations
  • Catapult centres
  • Public sector research establishments (PSREs)
Only one organization can be the Project Lead per application, but you can be a collaborating organization or Project Partner on multiple applications. The Project Lead must provide the principal base for a minimum of one student per year of intake. An organization with doctoral research degree awarding powers must be part of your consortium, even if not the lead. Project Co-leads These are additional research organizations that will host students throughout the training program. They must also be eligible for UKRI funding. The grant encourages the inclusion of Research Technical Professionals, Research Software Engineers, and Professional Research and Investment Strategy Managers as Project Co-leads if they are integral to the award's development and management. Project Partners Organizations not eligible for UKRI funding (e.g., certain businesses) can act as Project Partners. UKRI-eligible organizations that will not host students may also join as Project Partners. Partners can include:
  • Universities not leading or co-leading
  • Businesses of all scales
  • Public sector organizations (including government at all levels)
  • Third sector organizations
  • Other key stakeholders across research and innovation
There's no limit to the number of organizations in a consortium, but each must make meaningful contributions. An organization cannot act as both a Project Lead (or Co-lead) and a Project Partner in the same application. Student Eligibility Students supported by this funding must be eligible for 'home fee status' in the UK. This is crucial as the objective is to train individuals eligible to work in the UK nuclear sector and obtain Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance upon completion of their doctorate.

Application Process

Key Dates and Deadlines
  • Publication Date: 24 July 2025
  • Opening Date: 25 July 2025, 9:00 AM UK time
  • Mandatory Intent to Submit Deadline: 12 September 2025, 4:00 PM UK time
  • Full Application Closing Date: 23 October 2025, 4:00 PM UK time
  • Expert Sift Panel: Week commencing 24 November 2025
  • Invite to Interview Decision Communication: Week commencing 1 December 2025
  • Interviews: Week commencing 12 January 2026 (expected to be in-person in Swindon, UK)
  • Outcome Communication: By the end of January 2026
  • Project Start Date: No earlier than 1 April 2026 and no later than 1 October 2026
Application Platform and Process
  • Applications must be submitted via the new UKRI Funding Service. The Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system cannot be used.
  • Organizations must be registered with the UKRI Funding Service. If not, allow at least 10 working days for registration (email: support@funding-service.ukri.org).
  • The Project Lead is responsible for completing the application, but all core team members and project partners are expected to contribute.
  • Only the lead research organization can submit the application to UKRI.
  • Applications are typically completed by answering questions in text boxes. You can save and return to your application. Some sections may require PDF uploads.
  • You must send the completed application to your research office for checking before they submit it to UKRI.
  • Once submitted, applications cannot be changed or returned for amendment.
Required Documentation and Materials
  • Mandatory Intent to Submit: Completed via Citizen Space by the deadline.
  • Full Application Form: Submitted through the UKRI Funding Service, addressing specific questions with word limits:
    • Summary (550 words)
    • Core team details (roles)
    • Vision (500 words)
    • Approach (1,500 words)
    • Positive Culture and Environment (750 words)
    • Capability to Deliver (750 words)
    • Partnerships and Governance (750 words)
    • Project Partners details (name, address, contact, type of contribution, monetary value).
    • Costs (500 words) - utilizing a required costings template (XLS, 23KB).
    • Ethics and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) (500 words)
    • Facilities (500 words, if applicable)
  • Project Partner Letters/Emails of Support: A single PDF containing support letters/emails from each named partner. Each letter/email should confirm commitment, explain value/relevance/benefits, describe additional value, and be no more than two A4 sides. State 'attachment supplied' in the text box.
  • Visuals: Permitted if relevant and convey important information. Must have descriptive captions/legends and be in specified image formats (JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP) under 5MB. No sentences/paragraphs/tables/excessive quantities of images.
  • References: Can be included within word counts; use discretion, prioritize pertinent ones. Hyperlinks only for direct reference information.
Types of Support Offered This grant primarily offers funding for doctoral training, including student stipends, tuition fees, and specific program costs. It also implicitly supports capacity building in the nuclear sector, research and development through doctoral projects, and networking opportunities with industry and government stakeholders. Reporting and Post-Award Requirements
  • The grant duration is 90 months (7.5 years).
  • Progress tracking and reporting will be required, especially concerning the achievement of the 40:40:20 funding balance from partners over the award's lifetime.
  • Successful applicants will need to develop detailed plans for embedding responsible research and innovation (RRI), environmental sustainability, equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and student wellbeing.
  • For audit purposes, formal collaboration agreements must be put in place with project partners if an award is made.
Application Assistance Availability
  • General UKRI Funding Service helpdesk: Email support@funding-service.ukri.org or phone 01793 547490.
  • Specific funding opportunity questions: Email [email protected] (include 'EPSRC Doctoral focal award in nuclear skills' in subject).
  • Internal institutional deadlines: Applicants should be aware of and follow their organization's internal deadlines.
  • Disability and accessibility support: UKRI offers support during the application and assessment process.
Resubmission Policies
  • Not explicitly stated, but the process allows for a 14-day response period to reviewer comments if an application progresses to a panel meeting. This suggests a chance to address feedback, but not a full resubmission of a rejected proposal within the same round.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be assessed through an expert sift panel and an interview stage, based on the following criteria:
  • Vision (Word limit: 500)
    • Clarity and Contribution: A clear vision and objectives that contribute positively to the funding opportunity's scope and deliver high-quality doctoral education with tracking measures.
    • Impact: Positive outcomes and impact for society and the economy, with clear strategies for highly skilled, employable doctoral graduates.
    • Alignment: How the vision aligns with and contributes to wider UK strategies and priorities (e.g., government spending review, Industrial Strategy, Strategic Defence Review), particularly in developing sovereign nuclear capability for today's and future fuel cycles (uranics, advanced nuclear technologies).
  • Approach (Word limit: 1,500)
    • Delivery: How the proposed doctoral training program will deliver the vision and meet specific requirements (e.g., supporting four student cohorts of at least 10 students over four years).
    • Holistic Education: Integration of in-depth subject knowledge, research and methodological skills, and broader skills development (e.g., project management, entrepreneurship, commercialisation).
    • High-Quality Research: Support for students to understand and conduct high-quality research.
    • Global Competitiveness: Preparation of globally competitive researchers adaptable to various sectors and interdisciplinary, collaborative, challenge-led environments.
    • Innovation: Innovative approaches to doctoral study, including support for students based in non-academic organizations or through Engineering Doctorates.
  • Positive Culture and Environment (Word limit: 750)
    • Inclusivity and Support: Creation and maintenance of an inclusive and supportive culture for all students and staff, addressing diverse needs and promoting wellbeing, including supervisor training.
    • EDI Championing: Embedding Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) across all aspects (supervision, training design, flexible student support).
  • Capability to Deliver (Word limit: 750)
    • Capacity: Evidence of appropriate research and pastoral capacity to support the planned number of studentships.
    • Track Record: Well-evidenced track record of experience and skills in leading, delivering the proposed vision, training program, and managing its scale.
    • Research Culture: Contribution to a positive research culture and wider community.
    • Doctoral Training Experience: Demonstrated success in supporting the training and development of others, especially previous involvement in doctoral training.
  • Partnerships and Governance (Word limit: 750)
    • Commitment: Evidence of partners' commitment to effective two-way engagement and positive contribution to the program, with clear benefits for students (e.g., placements, training, facility access, co-funding).
    • Governance Structure: Established, clear, and effective governance and risk management structure appropriate for the program's size and complexity, ensuring continuity, continuous improvement, monitoring, evaluation, legal compliance, and ethical value creation.
    • Leverage Plan: A clear plan to maximize leverage from existing and new collaborations over the award's lifetime to achieve the expected 40% UK government investment, 40% from project partners, and 20% from hosting organizations funding balance.
  • Resources and Cost Justification (Word limit: 500)
    • Overall Value and Breakdown: A single, overall grant value with a cost breakdown across funding headings (RTSG, other costs, staff management).
    • Costing Approach: Justification for costing research/training associated with individual studentships, program-wide initiatives, and management costs. Enhanced stipends must be justified.
    • Co-funder Contributions: Description of co-funder contributions (cash and in-kind).
    • Resource Optimization: Demonstration that resources are comprehensive, appropriate, justified, and represent optimal use to achieve intended outcomes and maximize impact.
  • Ethics and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) (Word limit: 500)
    • Identification and Management: Identification and evaluation of relevant ethical or RRI implications and issues, and how they will be managed.
  • Facilities (Word limit: 500)
    • Access Agreement: If facility use is required, confirmation of prior agreement from the facility. Provide name, proposed usage/costs, and agreement confirmation.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance
  • Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS): It is expected that students and their supervisors may need to provide details for BPSS. BPSS is the recognized standard for pre-employment screening for individuals with access to government assets. It involves checks on Identity, Right to Work in the UK, Employment History, and Criminal Record (unspent convictions). While not a formal security clearance, it underpins the national security vetting process.
  • Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I): Applicants must comply with UKRI's TR&I principles and demonstrate how their proposed projects will meet these expectations. This includes identifying potential risks related to international collaboration and outlining control measures to mitigate them. Relevant UK legislation mentioned includes:
    • UK National Security and Investment Act (2021): Applies to transactions in 17 key economic areas, potentially impacting research organizations.
    • Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS): Required for international students/researchers in subjects where knowledge could be used for advanced military technology or weapons of mass destruction.
    • Strategic Export Controls: Applies to exporting/transferring goods, software, or technology.
    • Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS): Requires registration of arrangements for political influence activities directed by a foreign power.
    • Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023.
  • Subsidy Control Act 2022: Applicants must ensure compliance with this act, especially when proposing more innovative funding options like contributing to student salaries in non-academic settings.
Ethical Standards and Requirements
  • Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI): Successful applicants are required to develop detailed plans and processes to embed RRI, environmental sustainability, equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and trusted research approaches.
  • Student Wellbeing: Strong commitment to supporting student wellbeing to the highest standard.
  • Ethical Implications: Applicants must identify and evaluate ethical or RRI implications of the proposed work and explain how they will manage these considerations.
Intellectual Property Policies
  • Not explicitly detailed in the provided text. However, as it's a UKRI grant for doctoral training, standard UKRI IP policies, which generally support the commercialization and impact of research while acknowledging funder interests, would typically apply.
Risk Management Expectations
  • The 'Partnerships and governance' section requires evidence of an established, clear, and effective governance and risk management structure appropriate for the program's size and complexity, ensuring continuity and legal duties are met.
Unique Aspects and Strategic Opportunities
  • National Strategic Importance: Directly addresses the UK government's critical need to quadruple the number of nuclear fission PhDs to support the National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills, vital for national security, future energy systems, and economic prosperity.
  • Cohort-based Training: Emphasis on a strong cohort approach to doctoral education, including peer-to-peer learning and collective research challenges.
  • Interdisciplinary Focus: Encouragement to engage with diverse organizations for a truly interdisciplinary training environment.
  • Industry Integration: Strong expectation for co-creation and co-delivery with industry and other stakeholders, including significant co-investment and opportunities for student engagement (joint supervision, industrial placements, co-working mobility).
  • Diversity and Inclusion: Explicit commitment to achieving equality of opportunity, encouraging diverse researchers, and supporting flexible working patterns (e.g., career breaks, caring responsibilities).
  • Leverage Model: The specific 40:40:20 funding balance expectation (UK government, project partners, hosting organizations) is a key strategic element for long-term sustainability and shared investment.
  • Focus on 'Home' Students: Explicitly designed to support students eligible for home fee status, aligning with national workforce development goals.

Grant Details

nuclear skills doctoral training ukri epsrc nerc stfc phd uk civil nuclear defence nuclear energy advanced reactors smr amr nuclear waste management radiation protection decommissioning nuclear safety security chemistry physics metallurgy materials science robotics data science engineering science research funding cohort learning university partnerships industry collaboration government funding talent development workforce development stem education research and innovation public sector higher education uk government priorities industrial strategy strategic defence clean energy sustainability equality diversity inclusion trusted research national security
Doctoral focal award: nuclear skills – UKRI
OPP970
UKRI Funding Opportunity: Doctoral focal award: nuclear skills
UNIVERSITY PUBLIC OTHER STARTUP SME ENTERPRISE NGO
GB
ENERGY MANUFACTURING DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION
OTHER
OTHER
FUNDING TRAINING_EDUCATION RESEARCH_DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY_BUILDING NETWORKING
True
45000000.00
None
None
GBP
100.00
Oct. 23, 2025, 4 p.m.
November 2025 - January 2026