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.
The University of Sheffield, together with six leading UK universities and 22 industry partners, has secured £9.6 million from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to launch SATURN-2, a major expansion of the national nuclear doctoral training pipeline that will help deliver the skills required for the UK’s clean energy, security and defence ambitions.
SATURN-2 (Skills and Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear) builds on the success of the original SATURN Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT), doubling its size and introducing expanded training pathways across the entire nuclear fuel cycle. The programme will recruit around 50 PhD/EngD students per year for the next four years, delivering just under half of the 500 high skill nuclear doctoral graduates the UK is estimated to need by 2030.
The programme brings together seven universities: The University of Manchester (lead), The University of Liverpool, Lancaster University, The University of Strathclyde, The University of Sheffield, The University of Leeds, and Bangor University. These universities represent more than 70% of the UK’s nuclear academic community and deliver expertise across the entire nuclear fuel cycle.
Backed by £8 million of industrial co‑investment and £4 million from university partners, SATURN-2 represents one of the most significant UK investments in advanced nuclear skills in over a decade.
The programme also maintains a strong regional base across the North West, North Wales and Scotland, home to the UK’s most concentrated cluster of nuclear industry, research facilities and workforce.
University of Sheffield researchers will contribute expertise in radioactive waste management, geological disposal, nuclear materials, actinide handling/processing, thermal hydraulics, advanced manufacturing, robotics, digital tools and modelling, process safety, and materials for nuclear fusion.
Professor Brant Walkley said "This significant investment in our new Doctoral Focal Award in Nuclear Skills highlights the strength of The University of Sheffield and the SATURN-2 consortium in this area, and the confidence that DESNZ, MOD, and UKRI have in our ability to help train and develop the nuclear sector's future leaders.
“The University of Sheffield is a world leader in science and engineering underpinning nuclear fission, and an institution that I am proud to be part of. I look forward to supporting the next generation of scientists and engineers who will benefit from SATURN-2, and go on to lead the UK's nuclear renaissance."
Meeting critical UK skills needs
The UK Government’s Strategic Defence Review and National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills highlight an urgent shortage of high skill nuclear scientists and engineers, with an estimated 120,000 workers needed by the 2030s, including a rapidly depleting cohort of subject matter experts.
SATURN-2 directly addresses this challenge by training specialists across:
- Nuclear fuel manufacture and performance
- Reactor science, engineering and operations
- Decommissioning and waste management
- Fusion‑fission interfaces
- Digital engineering, robotics and AI in nuclear contexts
Students will benefit from an enriched training programme including a three‑month residential bootcamp, specialist modules across the partner institutions, international experiences at leading laboratories, and secondments into industry, national labs and government agencies.
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.”
A proven pipeline into the nuclear workforce
Over 15 years of predecessor CDTs, Nuclear First, Next Generation Nuclear, GREEN and SATURN, the consortium has trained more than 300 doctoral researchers, with exceptionally strong career outcomes.
High‑level destination data shows that:
75% of graduates now work directly in the nuclear industry
18% progressed into education or academia
5% are employed in nuclear‑relevant government roles
These figures demonstrate the CDT’s sustained role as the UK’s most effective route for producing nuclear subject matter experts.
Exceptional industrial engagement
SATURN-2 is supported by 22 industry partners spanning the civil, defence and advanced nuclear sectors, including Rolls Royce, BAE Systems, Sellafield Ltd, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, AWE, EDF, UK NNL, Urenco, Framatome, AtkinsRéalis and Rapiscan.
Industrial partners have committed:
48 co‑funded studentships
~£4 million of in‑kind support (supervision, placements, facilities, equipment, training)
Industry demand for SATURN trained researchers continues to rise, demonstrating trust in the consortium’s ability to deliver highly employable graduates ready for the most complex national nuclear challenges.