- £7.8 million investment in fusion energy research and
training, with further university collaborations in the pipeline
- Developing the next generation of fusion energy specialists
with advancements in level 7 (master's degree) training
- Widening participation helps to grow fusion expertise,
teaching and capabilities
- Scholarships will help remove financial barriers for students
from a range of backgrounds
The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), the University of York
and the University of Edinburgh, will invest £7.8 million over
the next five years to advance fusion energy research and
post-graduate training.
The funding will be distributed through UKAEA's Fusion
Opportunities in Skills, Training, Education and Research
(FOSTER) Programme, which aims to develop the next generation of
fusion energy specialists.
This investment will create new opportunities across
collaborating universities for students to access level 7
(master's degree) qualifications in fusion and relevant fields,
supporting the FOSTER Programme's mission to build a diverse
fusion skills ecosystem.
Nick Walkden, Head of Fusion Skills Operation and Delivery at
UKAEA, said:
The UK academic landscape has long been a global leader in fusion
education and training at master's degree level. These new
collaborations leverage existing strengths and allow us to build
new provision at this level to meet the future demands of the
fusion sector as it continues to grow and drive towards delivery
of a fusion pilot plant.
The University of York aims to grow its fusion training provision
by supporting teaching positions that will deliver new master's
degree programmes. This provision will increase the number of
students receiving training in fusion technology and increase
research opportunities for undergraduate and PhD students.
The University will provide complementary activities to grow the
established Fusion Industry School, and create a new massively
open online course (MOOC) that will be available to the public.
This will enable people with an interest in fusion to access
relevant educational opportunities and discover the potential of
working in the UK fusion sector.
Professor Erik Wagenaars, Director of the York Plasma Institute,
said:
Our strengths across fusion and plasma science enable this
growth; our inclusive research and teaching culture is key to
expanding impact across science, and the emerging engineering and
technology that will make fusion happen.
The University of Edinburgh aims to apply its expertise in
theoretical physics to the challenge of developing and containing
fusion plasmas by creating a new Centre for Plasma Theory,
bringing together the School of Mathematics and the School of
Physics and Astronomy. The University will also develop a fusion
stream within existing MSc programmes.
Scholarships to widen access to fusion training will be made
available, helping to remove financial barriers for students from
a range of backgrounds. The Centre for Plasma Theory will also be
a focal point for cross-discipline training and wider engagement
activities, preparing young people for fusion careers and helping
to increase the UK's scientific and industrial capacity.
Dr Moritz Linkmann, Director of Graduate School in Mathematics at
the University of Edinburgh:
Speaking on behalf of both the School of Mathematics and the
School of Physics and Astronomy, we are very excited to enter
this new collaboration with UKAEA. It will enable us to develop
expertise specific to the sector across disciplines that will
inspire and be reflected in our teaching and our research.
The FOSTER Programme aims to build a fusion skills ecosystem with
international reach that can train, develop and grow the next
generation of fusion experts who will deliver fusion energy to
the grid. To do this, it looks to address skills gaps, remove
barriers to entry and improve training across all levels of
education from primary school through to PhD.
Enhancing and expanding level 7 post-graduate provision is one of
the key objectives of the programme. The delivery of
fusion-specific teaching will continue to grow as more
universities collaborate with UKAEA through this and other FOSTER
initiatives in the future.
