DTP 2224 Newcastle University

Newcastle University will use EPSRC funding to train a new cohort of doctoral researchers across engineering and physical sciences. This grant does not fund a specific research project. Instead, it supports a Doctoral Training Partnership, which provides structured postgraduate training—including PhD studentships—for early-career scientists and engineers. The core problem it addresses is the national need for a skilled research workforce capable of tackling complex scientific and technological challenges. Without sustained investment in training, the UK risks losing its capacity to innovate in fields that underpin economic growth and public services. If successful, this partnership will produce researchers who go on to work in academia, industry, and government. Their expertise could improve systems people rarely think about—energy grids, manufacturing processes, medical devices, or digital infrastructure. The training also builds transferable skills in data analysis, project management, and communication, which benefit sectors beyond research. This is primarily a capacity-building initiative rather than a curiosity-driven investigation. It does not aim for a specific discovery. But the researchers it trains will be the ones who make future breakthroughs—much as past doctoral programmes produced the engineers behind modern computing, medical imaging, and renewable energy technologies.