The University of Cambridge will help train industry-ready nuclear scientists as part of two UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Doctoral Focal Awards in Nuclear Skills.
The PANDA and PLANET programme highlight Cambridge’s strength in nuclear reactor physics and design. We are delighted that these programmes will allow us to further expand research in areas of clear national importance.
Dr Paul Cosgrove
The funding for doctoral students is being provided by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Ministry of Defence as part of the Nuclear Skills Plan, which brings together government, industry and education providers to deliver the skilled workforce and 24,000 additional jobs required in the nuclear sector by 2030.
PANDA
As part of the Programme for Accelerating Nuclear Development and Applications (PANDA), led by Bangor University, 10 PhD studentships are expected to be secured at Cambridge, shared between the Department of Engineering and the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology over four years, as part of a £24 million programme training up to 100 PhD students.
PANDA is accepting applications for fully funded PhD opportunities, across a broad range of disciplines to start in October 2026. Find out more.
The £9 million awarded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Ministry of Defence and UKRI will be matched by support from major nuclear organisations, including Rolls-Royce Submarines, the UK Atomic Energy Authority and TWI.
PANDA will be delivered by Bangor University in partnership with the United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory and the Universities of Cambridge (led by Dr Paul Cosgrove and Dr Nathaniel Read), Bristol, Birmingham, Derby, Manchester and Imperial College London. Together, these partners will support a new generation of researchers equipped to meet the UK’s future nuclear and clean‑energy needs, including a specific focus on defence.
Alongside advanced nuclear science and engineering, PANDA students will receive training in project management, budgeting, regulatory awareness, communication and broader leadership skills. This holistic approach ensures graduates are fully prepared for employment in a rapidly expanding sector that requires both technical excellence and professional capability.
PLANET
As part of the Physics-Led Applications for Nuclear Engineering and Technology (PLANET) programme, led by the University of York, 16 PhD studentships are expected to be secured at Cambridge, shared between the Department of Engineering and the Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics over four years. This is part of an £8 million initiative to train at least 80 industry-ready nuclear scientists, serving as a key part of a national drive to quadruple the number of nuclear specialists in the UK.
Recruitment for PLANET opens in 2026, with the first researchers joining for the 2026/27 academic year. Prospective PhD students can register their interest and receive further details by completing this short form.
Match-funded by industry, PLANET will equip students and researchers to work in fields vital to national security, clean energy and healthcare.
In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, the partnership consists of three Nuclear Physics research groups at the Universities of York, Surrey and Edinburgh and two Nuclear Engineering groups at the Universities of Cambridge (led by Professor Geoff Parks, Dr Valeria Raffuzzi and Dr Paul Cosgrove) and Lancaster. The partnership is designed to close the historical gap between fundamental science and real-world energy solutions.
By partnering with UK national laboratories and private industry, the programme will ensure that every PhD project is co-created with real-world applications in mind. Through access to world-leading infrastructure – including the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and the nToF and ISOLDE facilities at CERN – students will develop the skills and hands-on training needed to build and monitor nuclear systems.
Dr Paul Cosgrove, Research Associate in the Nuclear Energy Group at the Department of Engineering, said: “The PANDA and PLANET programme highlight Cambridge’s strength in nuclear reactor physics and design. We are delighted that these programmes will allow us to further expand research in areas of clear national importance, working closely with colleagues at York, Bangor and other partner universities, with the support of industry collaborators including EDF Energy and Rolls-Royce.
“These programmes also provide an excellent opportunity to strengthen nuclear research and collaboration across Cambridge through studentships shared with the Departments of Physics and Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology.”
Professor Colm Durkan, Head of the Department of Engineering, said: “Nuclear technologies are becoming increasingly important in the UK, so I am very pleased that we are able to be part of these exciting new collaborative programmes, and help to train the next generation of nuclear engineers.”
Professor Charlotte Deane, Executive Chair at UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, said: “The UK’s nuclear sector is central to our national security, clean energy ambitions and economic future. Meeting those challenges demands a new generation of researchers and innovators with the technical expertise to make a real difference.
“UKRI Doctoral Focal Awards are a proven way to develop that talent. They bring together academic excellence, industry partnerships and cohort-based learning to give doctoral students the skills and experience to make an immediate impact in the nuclear workforce.
“These new nuclear focal awards, developed in partnership with government, will continue building the research base that the UK’s national security and clean energy future depends on.”
Adapted from press releases issued by the UK Government, Bangor University and the University of York.
