Enhancing academic training at higher levels is an important step towards our goal of broadening and deepening the talent pool of scientists and engineers working to bring fusion energy to the grid.
The UK Atomic Energy Authority’s (UKAEA) new Fusion Opportunities in Skills, Training, Education and Research (FOSTER) programme is seeking to partner with universities across the UK to enhance and embed fusion content into Master’s level teaching programmes. This could be through new fusion-specific modules or courses, enhanced delivery of existing courses to increase student numbers, or vocational routes such as higher-level apprenticeships. This should also focus on supporting academic institutions in their growth, with the staff, the knowledge, and the skills to build on these provisions in the future – all while targeting at least 400 new students trained through these partnerships.
FOSTER aims to work bilaterally with universities who have made, or seek to make, fusion a significant part of their growth strategies, and are willing to match or exceed the level of investment to create an impactful new or enhanced provision which is appealing to prospective students in the short, medium and long-term.
The intention of the FOSTER programme is to provide matched support in a flexible manner that meets the needs of universities which are proposing partnerships. Such proposals may include support for new academic/staff positions, projects to be undertaken by the university, studentships, or any other form of support that the university deems appropriate to achieve agreed goals.
“UKAEA’s FOSTER programme will be supporting all levels of education and development in the next few years, and these new university partnerships are a key element of our strategy to better align higher level training for fusion in the UK with our perceived demand,” commented FOSTER Programme Director, Nick Walkden.
“The nuances and complexities of putting fusion energy onto the grid will need bright and diverse minds, both at UKAEA and across the entire sector, in areas as diverse as plasma physics, artificial intelligence, tritium breeding and management, materials science, regulation, and programme management. The UK’s university landscape is world class, and we need our universities to embrace the challenge and work collaboratively with us to expand, enhance and embed fusion within their course provision, especially for post-graduates. This is why the partnerships project is a key element of the FOSTER programme.”
FOSTER’s mission is to train the estimated 2,200 people who will be needed across the fusion sector over the next five years, working with the private sector to increase the number of apprentices and graduates, universities to increase the number of postgraduates and PhDs, and international partners to increase post-doctoral training opportunities within fusion.
Eduardo Garciadiego-Ortega, Senior Research Scientist, UKAEA, teaching students at the University of Bath.
To find out more contact the FOSTER programme via fusionskills@ukaea.uk
Photo captions
Header image: An operator demonstrating remote handling technology, one example of the skillsets needed to bring fusion energy to the grid.
Body image: Eduardo Garciadiego-Ortega, Senior Research Scientist, UKAEA, teaching students at the University of Bath.
