PhD bursary call 2026

{
  "id": "036766-2026",
  "tag": [
    "planning"
  ],
  "date": "2026-04-22T16:01:17+01:00",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-0688ef",
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-PPON-PVDH-2346-PXDL",
    "name": "Nuclear Decommissioning Authority"
  },
  "tender": {
    "id": "C23919",
    "lots": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "value": {
          "amount": 750000,
          "currency": "GBP",
          "amountGross": 900000
        },
        "status": "planned",
        "contractPeriod": {
          "endDate": "2029-08-31T23:59:59+01:00",
          "startDate": "2026-09-01T00:00:00+01:00"
        }
      }
    ],
    "items": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "relatedLot": "1",
        "additionalClassifications": [
          {
            "id": "73000000",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "Research and development services and related consultancy services"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "title": "PhD bursary call 2026",
    "value": {
      "amount": 750000,
      "currency": "GBP",
      "amountGross": 900000
    },
    "status": "planned",
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "2023/54",
      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents",
      "scheme": "UKPGA"
    },
    "recurrence": {
      "dates": [
        {
          "startDate": "2027-04-01T23:59:59+01:00"
        }
      ]
    },
    "awardPeriod": {
      "endDate": "2026-09-01T23:59:59+01:00"
    },
    "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. \nThe NDA’s goals from the call are as follows:\n•Maintain and develop the key skills that will be required to help us carry out the mission over the coming decades\n•Provide fundamental understanding of technologies and processes across the NDA estate\n•Develop early-stage technologies (TRL 1 – 3)\n•Encourage two-way knowledge transfer between the academic and industrial communities working on nuclear decommissioning\nWhat 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.\nApplicants 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.\nThe call is open to UK academic institutions for projects that will lead to the award of a PhD.  \nThis year, up to £750,000 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 £155,000 per project under the thematic areas outlined below. \nNDA 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. £21,805 FTE. NDA will not object to a stipend increase for the purposes of ensuring the stipend is competitive with your departmental guidance.\nFurther 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.",
    "tenderPeriod": {
      "endDate": "2026-08-31T12:00:00+01:00"
    },
    "communication": {
      "futureNoticeDate": "2026-05-01T23:59:59+01:00"
    },
    "enquiryPeriod": {
      "endDate": "2026-08-12T12:00:00+01:00"
    },
    "hasRecurrence": true,
    "aboveThreshold": true,
    "submissionTerms": {
      "languages": [
        "en"
      ],
      "electronicSubmissionPolicy": "notAllowed"
    },
    "procurementMethod": "open",
    "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
    "submissionMethodDetails": "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.",
    "procurementMethodDetails": "Open procedure"
  },
  "parties": [
    {
      "id": "GB-PPON-PVDH-2346-PXDL",
      "name": "Nuclear Decommissioning Authority",
      "roles": [
        "buyer"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "UKD11",
        "country": "GB",
        "locality": "Cumbria",
        "postalCode": "CA24 3HU",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "Herdus House Westlakes Science and Technology Park Moor Row"
      },
      "details": {
        "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/nuclear-decommissioning-authority",
        "classifications": [
          {
            "id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
            "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
            "description": "Public authority - central government"
          }
        ]
      },
      "identifier": {
        "id": "PVDH-2346-PXDL",
        "scheme": "GB-PPON"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "name": "Maddie Jones",
        "email": "madeline.jones@nda.gov.uk"
      }
    }
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "planning": {
    "documents": [
      {
        "id": "036766-2026",
        "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036766-2026",
        "format": "text/html",
        "noticeType": "UK3",
        "description": "Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender",
        "documentType": "plannedProcurementNotice",
        "datePublished": "2026-04-22T16:01:17+01:00"
      }
    ]
  },
  "initiationType": "tender"
}