Industry Sponsorship is our primary model for companies to engage with the Fusion Engineering CDT.

You define a research challenge in collaboration with an academic supervisor, and we recruit a high-calibre STEM PhD or EngD researcher to deliver on it, while developing advanced technical skills aligned with your organisation.

This is a cost-effective, high-impact way to strengthen your research and development pipeline, access university expertise, and grow in-house capability.

What you gain as a sponsor

A tailored research project and a future-ready researcher.

• Targeted high-quality research in a project that directly aligns with your research and development priorities.
  Define a bespoke project, aligned to your strategic objectives and technical priorities.
• Access to leading university equipment and academic technical expertise.
  Benefit from the knowledge, equipment, and facilities of leading UK fusion research universities.
• A future specialist embedded in your context.
  The researcher can work closely with your team, spend time on-site, and potentially join your organisation at the end of the project.

Your investment

£17,500 + VAT per year over four years
(Total: £70,000 + VAT per project).

This is matched by approximately £140,000 of co-funding from the CDT through its training and research resources that add significant value to the project.

This 2:1 leverage ensures excellent return on investment, while keeping the financial commitment predictable and spread over four years.

Flexible options to enhance the partnership

You can customise the level of engagement:

• Industrial supervision – Help steer the research and ensure relevance throughout
• On-site placements – Host the student for part of the project duration
• Top-up stipend or budget – You can top up the stipend above the standard UKRI rate if you wish to, or you can top up the project budget if you expect to have enhanced facilities or materials access fees.

Each project is contracted individually with the host university to agree terms and conditions for project inputs, outputs and cost.

Where will the research take place?

Our students can be based at:

• Any of our four Hub Universities: Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield
• Or, any other UK university via our Community Studentship Scheme.

This flexibility allows us to bring together the right expertise, regardless of location, and co-supervise across institutions when needed.