Planning

PhD bursary call 2026

NUCLEAR DECOMMISSIONING AUTHORITY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

22 Apr 2026 at 15:01

UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is in the planning stage of a procurement process for the "PhD bursary call 2026" aimed at furthering research and development within the civil nuclear decommissioning industry. This open procedure procurement process involves a financial commitment of up to £750,000, with a submission deadline for proposals on 31st August 2026. Located in Cumbria, the NDA is seeking applications from UK academic institutions for research projects that will lead to the award of a PhD. The initiative is intended to support the NDA's mission to ensure safe and sustainable decommissioning solutions while fostering the development of key skills and technologies needed across the NDA estate.

This tender presents substantial opportunities for universities and research institutes focused on nuclear technology, decommissioning research, and skills development. Businesses and academic organisations with expertise in research and development services, particularly those looking to engage in early-stage technology development and knowledge transfer, are well-positioned to compete. The call for applications encourages collaboration between academic and industrial communities, providing a chance for growth within the nuclear sector. The stipend offered is aligned with UKRI standards, ensuring competitive compensation for postgraduate researchers involved in these projects, further enticing institutions to participate in this valuable initiative.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

PhD bursary call 2026

Notice Description

The NDA is requesting applications to its bursary call, to support the NDA mission to deliver safe, sustainable and publicly acceptable solutions to the challenge of decommissioning and clean-up of the UK's civil nuclear legacy. The NDA's goals from the call are as follows: *Maintain and develop the key skills that will be required to help us carry out the mission over the coming decades *Provide fundamental understanding of technologies and processes across the NDA estate *Develop early-stage technologies (TRL 1 - 3) *Encourage two-way knowledge transfer between the academic and industrial communities working on nuclear decommissioning What is not covered under the call is R&D focused on site-specific challenges such as improving the efficiency of an existing plant or process or on training resource in a specific capability. Those research areas are the responsibility of the individual subsidiaries and SLCs. Applicants are advised to seek advice on the structure and content of their proposal prior to submission. Contact details can be found at the end of this document. The call is open to UK academic institutions for projects that will lead to the award of a PhD. This year, up to PS750,000 is available from the NDA PhD bursary to support projects that will lead to the award of a PhD. Universities and Research Institutes are invited to make proposals up to a value of PS155,000 per project under the thematic areas outlined below. NDA recognise that increases in the cost of living have impacted postgraduate researchers. In line with the recent UKRI announcement, NDA expect students funded through the NDA PhD bursary call to receive a stipend that is at least equivalent to those paid by UKRI as of 1/10/26, i.e. PS21,805 FTE. NDA will not object to a stipend increase for the purposes of ensuring the stipend is competitive with your departmental guidance. Further detail will be available on how to apply from https://ndaphdbursary.co.uk/ via the NDA's University Interactions partner, The UK National Nuclear Laboratory.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0688ef
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036766-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

CPV Codes

73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£750,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£750,000 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
22 Apr 20262 days ago
Submission Deadline
31 Aug 20265 months to go
Future Notice Date
1 May 20261 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Aug 2026 - 31 Aug 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
2027-04-01

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NUCLEAR DECOMMISSIONING AUTHORITY
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CUMBRIA
Postcode
CA24 3HU
Post Town
Carlisle
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD1 Cumbria
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD13 Cumberland
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Cumberland
Electoral Ward
Egremont North and St Bees
Westminster Constituency
Whitehaven and Workington

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts. 

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