Imperial to lead nuclear training programme backed by £65.6m government investment

Imperial College London will lead a major new doctoral training programme to develop the next generation of nuclear engineers and scientists as part of a £65.6 million government investment in nuclear doctoral training announced today.

The programme, called DRIVERS (Developing Researchers with an Interdisciplinary Vision for Engineering Reactor Systems), will train more than 80 PhD researchers over the next seven years in areas including reactor physics, thermal hydraulics and through-life structural integrity of advanced reactor components.

The investment forms part of the UK Government’s Nuclear Skills Plan, which aims to address critical skills shortages and expand the UK’s nuclear workforce by training more than 500 doctoral researchers across seven national programmes.

Funded through the UK’s Nuclear Doctoral Focal Awards and delivered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Imperial will lead the DRIVERS consortium alongside Bangor University, the University of Bristol, the University of Manchester and Swansea University.

From large-scale power stations to emerging small modular and advanced modular reactors, the UK’s ambitions for energy security, net zero and national defence depend on a highly skilled nuclear workforce.

Professor Mary Ryan, Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise) at Imperial College London, said:

“This investment reflects the strategic importance of nuclear capability to the UK’s future energy system. Imperial brings together deep expertise across nuclear engineering, materials science and the wider energy space, and through programmes like DRIVERS we are working closely with strategic industry partners and leading universities to develop the highly skilled engineers and researchers needed to support innovation across the nuclear sector.”

Building future nuclear capability

The DRIVERS programme will train doctoral researchers in the integrated design and assessment of nuclear reactor systems, combining deep technical expertise with interdisciplinary training in digital tools, systems thinking and collaborative innovation.

Doctoral researchers will also have opportunities to work closely with industry partners and international collaborators, including organisations in France, the United States and Australia, ensuring graduates gain a global perspective on nuclear engineering challenges.

Partnerships to develop future nuclear leaders

By bringing together universities, industry partners and international collaborators, the programme aims to accelerate innovation in nuclear system design, improve safety and performance, and support the cost-effective development of future nuclear technologies.

Alongside advanced technical training, the programme will place a strong emphasis on leadership development, digital fluency, communication skills and equality, diversity and inclusion.

Professor Robin Grimes, BCH Steele Chair in Energy Materials, Department of Materials at Imperial College London, said:

“DRIVERS represents a major strategic national investment in the UK’s nuclear capability and will play a key role in developing the expertise required to deliver the country’s long-term civil and defence nuclear ambitions.”

Recruitment for the programme will begin in 2026, with the first cohort of doctoral researchers expected to start in the 2026/27 academic year. 

For more information about the programme, please contact Dr Jonathan Tate, Centre Manager, Nuclear Energy, Centre for Nuclear Engineering, Imperial College London (j.tate@imperial.ac.uk)