UKAEA (FOSTER) Fusion Sector Access Bursaries Cohort 2
These bursaries are delivered by the FOSTER programme at UKAEA, which looks to create a pool of fusion-ready individuals able to join the growing fusion sector. The high-level project strategy to “implement a mechanism to provide bursaries to support the studies of students from under-represented backgrounds on courses
- Funding
- See official notice
- Deadline
- November 10, 2026
- Status
- OPEN
- Category
- Small Business & Startups
- Opens
- October 13, 2026
- Directory link check
- October 24, 2026
About this opportunity
These bursaries are delivered by the FOSTER programme at UKAEA, which looks to create a pool of fusion-ready individuals able to join the growing fusion sector. The high-level project strategy to “implement a mechanism to provide bursaries to support the studies of students from under-represented backgrounds on courses with relevant taught fusion material” aligns with the wider programme goals of widening the talent pool and encouraging greater diversity into the fusion sector. The Fusion Sector Access Bursaries project has three objectives: Sustain the provision of master’s courses providing a minimum of 40-credits of fusion-specific content, to help bridge the gap between undergraduate and PhD level education. Widen participation in fusion-specific master’s training, by enabling under-represented students to take up the training, who otherwise would not have due to either financial or perceived barriers. Act as an incentive for more people to enter master’s level fusion training, thus increasing the talent pool available to the UK fusion workforce. There is currently a limited offering at educational level 7 dedicated to the fusion industry, meaning that the pipeline of talent at this level is insufficient to meet the anticipated growth of the sector. It is therefore vital to grow new provision at this level, and ensure that students are aware and able to take up these opportunities – the bursaries intend to break down barriers which prevent some students from taking up these training provisions. Underpinning all fusion research and delivery is a need for innovation, which is bolstered by recruiting diverse individuals with a range of perspectives into the fusion sector. Grant awards will include four bursaries, at £10,000 each, for a total of £40,000 per university . Up to four universities with eligible courses can each administer the four bursaries to eligible home students, with eligibility determined by FOSTER, to support their living costs. A total of £160,000 is available through this grant award, with £40,000 being available for any individual university. Grant payments will be made in arrears, following submission of the applicable evidence: Confirmation of student name, enrolment, criteria eligibility , and remittance of payment made(1st Grant claim payment to be paid by end of November 2027) Confirmation of active student participation (i.e attendance, supervisor letter), remittance of payment made(2nd Grant claim payment to be paid beginning of March 2028) Confirmation of student course completion (student transcript) and final expenditure statement(close of grant) (3rd grant claim payment by end of July 2028) **All payments are subject to successful submission and verification of the required evidence. UK host institutions must maintain robust anti-fraud policies and controls to ensure proper use of grant funds. ·
Eligibility recorded
The UKAEA (FOSTER) Fusion Sector Access Bursaries are aimed at providing living cost support to home students enrolled in fusion masters courses for Academic Year 2027-2028, helping to tackle financial barriers students may face when enrolling in fusion masters training. A core objective of these bursaries is to widen participation in the fusion sector, and therefore the students who meet the widening participation criteria (see eligibility below) must be prioritised. The bursaries will be issued to host universities, who will in-turn be responsible for the recruitment and eligibility assessment of students (per UKAEA-stipulated eligibility). Students must be recruited by close of August 2027, and any unutilised bursaries will be withdrawn (UKAEA may chose to re-allocate at their discretion). If the student withdraws, UKAEA reserves the right to reclaim the applicable grant value from the university. Host organisation eligibility · UK-based University · Host a masters (level 7) course which contains a minimum of 40 credits of fusion-specific content. o Note – the 40 credits must be reached via taught material. Fusion-specific masters projects are complimentary/desirable, but cannot make up part of the 40 credits. · The university cannot be in receipt of furher student scholarship/bursary support from the FOSTER programme for the eligible course in Academic Year 2027-2028. Student eligibility Students will be eligible for a bursary if they are a UK (home) student, and they meet at least one of the following widening participation criteria: Home postcode before undertaking a first (undergraduate) degree scores between 1-3 on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation ( Index for Multiple Deprivation ) Have refugee status issued by the UK Home Office Have been previously eligible for free school meals Have once been a care leaver, spending three months or more in local authority care Have a disability Be from an ethnic minority background Be a military veteran or child of a military family Bereaved of or estranged from both parents and under the age of 25 Have caring responsibilities Have dependent children Are the first in the family to go to Higher Education Identify as a woman or non-binary The university is responsible for verifying the eligibility of the student. The university will be required to confirm this to UKAEA but will not need to confirm which of the eligibility categories are applicable to the student or pass on any evidence of eligibility related to the student. Additional Information For a course to be eligible under the Fusion Bursaries Scheme, it must deliver a minimum of 40 CATS of fusion-specific learning. One CAT is equivalent to 10 hours of notional learning time (i.e. a combination of taught lectures, problem sheets, self-directed revision etc). Fusion-specific learning is defined as learning (either taught or self-directed) which directly addresses fusion science and technology, using examples specific to a fusion device (or any fusion approach) and explicitly referencing the relevance and application of the learning to fusion industry. Examples include: Material properties in a fusion environment Hydrogen-specific chemistry Isotope separation technology Plasma physics Modelling of fusion-specific applications Fusion power-plant systems integration Fusion technology approaches (MCF, ICF, etc.) Superconducting magnets for plasma confinement AI applications for fusion-model and power-plant control Radiological waste-management for fusion-relevant materials Risk management for integrated systems/fusion power plants Magnetohydrodynamics Thermodynamics of a fusion power plant Sanctions UK Atomic Energy Authority will not fund you, provide any financial benefit to any individual or entities directly or indirectly involved with yourselves, which could expose UK Atomic Energy Authority or any direct or indirect beneficiary of funding from UK Atomic Energy Authority to UK Sanctions . This includes, any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any entity as lead, partner, associated person or sub-contractor related to these countries , administrations and terrorist groups. Equality, diversity and inclusion We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all grant applicants. ·
Recorded geography: United Kingdom
Applicant types
Focus areas
Small Business & Startups
Directory verification note
Automatically synchronized from UK Find a Grant. Source identifier: foster-fusion-sector-access-bursaries-1. Confirm details on the official page.