A groundbreaking doctoral programme shaping the UK’s fusion energy future through industry-driven engineering research and training.
The Fusion Engineering Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) represents a bold and strategic response to one of the 21st century’s most complex and urgent technological challenges: the realisation of commercial fusion energy. Conceived by a powerhouse consortium led by Professor Lee Margetts at the University of Manchester in partnership with the universities of Sheffield, Birmingham, and Liverpool, this initiative is delivering an innovative Doctoral Training Partnership tailored to establish the first generation of ‘Fusioneers.’ Awarded £9.5m funding by the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s FOSTER programme, The Fusion Engineering CDT aims to equip over 150 doctoral candidates with the knowledge, tools, and industrial acumen to deliver the STEP fusion power plant by 2040 – and to transform the UK into a global leader in fusion engineering.
For prospective doctoral candidates, The Fusion Engineering CDT is more than just a training programme: it is a career-defining opportunity to participate in a national mission. And for companies tackling engineering challenges in energy, manufacturing, robotics, or advanced materials, it offers a unique gateway to embed industrial problems into impactful research with direct translational potential.
Engineering talent to power the fusion transition
Unlike traditional PhD routes, The Fusion Engineering CDT will prioritise the Doctor of Engineering (EngD) model, aligning student projects with immediate industrial needs. EngD students – known as ‘research engineers’ – will work on real-world challenges, frequently co-located with their sponsoring companies, ensuring that doctoral research delivers measurable impact on fusion component development, safety systems, digital twins, and more.
While PhD options remain for blue skies research, the emphasis on EngD reflects a crucial reality: fusion’s timeline is urgent. The STEP facility must deliver power by 2040, and research that lags by decades won’t meet the UK’s strategic needs. The Fusion Engineering CDT is therefore purpose-built to compress the innovation-to-implementation cycle by embedding students in the heart of industry.
A unique national partnership model
At the heart of the CDT is a hub-and-spoke model that combines the critical mass of expertise in the hub universities with the flexibility and inclusiveness of UK-wide associate partners. At least 20% of the funded studentships will be made available to associate universities – extending the programme’s reach and creating an open innovation network that responds dynamically to emerging fusion industry challenges. This decentralised yet coordinated model ensures that research projects can be matched to regional industrial capabilities.
From cradle to grave: Full lifecycle fusion engineering
The Fusion Engineering CDT distinguishes itself by offering training across the entire fusion plant lifecycle: design, build, operate, maintain, and decommission. This cradle-to-grave perspective acknowledges that fusion energy is not just a physics problem – it is a multidisciplinary engineering megaproject.
Students will receive a three-tiered training experience:
- Protium (core): Cohort-based learning on fusion fundamentals, digital engineering, safety, manufacturing, and artificial intelligence.
- Deuterium (taught specialisms): University-delivered technical courses aligned to project needs.
- Tritium (self-directed): Independent training in tools, methods, and technologies bespoke to the individual project.
Deep industrial integration
The CDT has already attracted support from over 30 industrial partners, including international leaders like Tokamak Energy, Kyoto Fusioneering, Nvidia and Microsoft. These partners are not just funders–they are co-designers of research questions, co-deliverers of training, and co-supervisors of students.
For companies, this means:
- Access to cutting-edge doctoral research targeted at your engineering problems.
- Talent pipeline development with bespoke training embedded in your operations.
- The chance to influence national training curricula in a strategic growth sector.
Importantly, flexible engagement options are available for SMEs like nTtau Digital and Rideosystems, ensuring the programme is accessible to the entire innovation ecosystem.
A future-proof, inclusive model
Recognising the vital role of inclusion and professional development, the CDT embeds equality, diversity, and wellbeing at its core. From anonymised recruitment and mental health training to CPD tracking and leadership development, the programme supports candidates not just academically, but professionally and personally.
The vision is to produce doctoral candidates who graduate not just as technical experts, but as future leaders of a commercially viable, safe, and sustainable fusion sector.
An invitation to collaborate
Whether you are a doctoral applicant with a passion for engineering the future of energy, or an industrial partner seeking to solve tomorrow’s engineering challenges today, The Fusion Engineering CDT offers an unprecedented opportunity to contribute to the UK’s fusion mission.
Applications from prospective students and expressions of interest from new industrial collaborators are warmly welcomed. Together, we will take the first step toward delivering clean, limitless energy through engineering excellence.
Please note, this article will also appear in the 23rd edition of our quarterly publication.
