PhD bursary call 2026
About This Opportunity
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority United Kingdom: PhD bursary call 2026. Services contract, governance & public sector. Submission deadline Aug 2026.
This is a services contract in the governance and public administration sector, with a focus on Scientific Research. Located in United Kingdom, Europe, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums, with an estimated budget of GBP 750,000. Proposals must be submitted before August 31, 2026.
Published through UK FTS - Find a Tender Service, a national government procurement portal. Public procurement tenders follow the country's national bidding regulations and may have specific eligibility and documentation requirements for services in the governance and public administration sector. Service contracts are typically evaluated on both technical quality and price, and may require bidders to demonstrate relevant experience and qualified personnel. This is an advance notice — the formal tender is expected to be published shortly. Interested parties can use this time to prepare documentation and identify potential partners.
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 £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.
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. £21,805 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.
Data provenance
This notice is sourced from UK FTS - Find a Tender Service and was originally published on April 22, 2026. Last refreshed 5 days ago. Reference: 036766-2026. BidsFactory mirrors official procurement notices and links back to the source for full legal text.
About Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has issued 119 procurement notices on BidsFactory, including 7 currently open and 100 awarded contracts. Activity concentrates in Education & Training, Governance & Public Administration, and Information & Communication Technology. All notices are published for United Kingdom. Notices are distributed via UK Contracts Finder and UK FTS - Find a Tender Service. Most recent publication: June 26, 2026.
Frequently asked questions about this tender
Where will the contract be performed?
The contract is for delivery in United Kingdom. Foreign bidders should review local registration, taxation, and any in-country presence requirements before submitting.
How can I submit a bid?
Visit UK FTS - Find a Tender Service to access the full notice, required documents, and submission instructions. Quote reference 036766-2026 when communicating with the contracting authority.
When does this tender close?
The submission deadline is August 31, 2026. You have 66 days left to prepare and submit your proposal to the contracting authority.
Who is the contracting authority?
This notice was issued by Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in United Kingdom. The authority is responsible for evaluating bids, awarding the contract, and managing performance.
What type of contract is this?
This is a Services contract in the Governance & Public Administration sector. The classification helps bidders match the opportunity to their qualifications and registered scope of supply.
What is the estimated budget?
The estimated contract value is £750,000 - £750,000. Bidders should ensure their proposals are consistent with this range and account for any local taxes and contract execution costs.
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