Skills and training
We are training the next generation of nuclear scientists and engineering through our EPSRC-funded centres for doctoral training (CDTs), as well as delivering continuing professional development (CPD) to early to mid-career engineers and scientists in the nuclear industry.
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Nuclear Fusion Power
We co-deliver the EPSRC-funded fusion power CDT – a collaboration between the universities of York, Durham, Liverpool, Manchester, Oxford and Sheffield, who together with non-academic partners train cohorts of PhD students in plasma physics, materials science, advanced instrumentation and related technologies.
The CDT hosts a two week Fusion Industry School, which provides industry professionals with an overview of the current progress and challenges through an interactive programme of lectures from world-leading experts in fusion science and technology.
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Skills and Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear (SATURN)
We co-deliver the EPSRC-funded SATURN CDT – a partnership between the universities of Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Lancaster, Sheffield and Strathclyde, who train PhD students in environmental and geological sciences, nuclear forensics, detector technology, risk and reliability analysis, fracture mechanics, nuclear materials and new reactor technologies in collaboration with industry partners including Rolls Royce, NNL, Jacobs, Sellafield, AWE and UKAEA.
The CDT also offers a bespoke taught program, leadership courses and hands-on opportunities including operating a nuclear reactor at the National Tsing-Hua University in Taiwan or McMaster University in Canada.
Skills and Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear (SATURN-2)
We are a partner in the Skills and Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear (SATURN-2) programme, a new doctoral training initiative running alongside the successful SATURN CDT. The programme will train large cohorts of PhD researchers to meet growing demand across the nuclear sector and will welcome its first cohort in October 2026.
Delivered through a partnership of leading UK universities, SATURN-2 combines academic excellence with exposure to real-world nuclear challenges. At Liverpool, our researchers contribute expertise in reactor physics, digital engineering, nuclear materials and advanced characterisation, equipping doctoral researchers with the skills needed to support the safe operation of existing reactors and the development of next-generation nuclear systems.
Doctoral Focal Award in Radiation Protection, Nuclear Safety and Environmental Sustainability (RAPTOR)
We lead the Doctoral Focal Award (DFA) in Radiation Protection, Nuclear Safety and Environmental Sustainability (RAPTOR), a major new doctoral training programme funded through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). RAPTOR will train up to 80 doctoral researchers to address critical challenges in radiation protection, environmental sustainability and nuclear safety, supporting the UK’s ambitions in energy security, net zero and national resilience.
RAPTOR is delivered through a collaborative partnership with the University of Manchester’s Dalton Nuclear Institute, the University of Suffolk and the University of Surrey, supported by a broad network of industry and government organisations. The programme brings together expertise from across disciplines to ensure research is closely aligned with real-world nuclear challenges.
Nuclear sector CPD programmes
We have a long standing partnership with the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) that delivers a CPD programme in Science and Technology Leadership to early to mid-career engineers and scientists who are working in industry, equipping them with the tools they need to succeed in the next phase of their career.
Over 30 delegates from ten nuclear sector organisations have benefitted from the leadership programme which also forms a key element for staff progression within NNL.