STFC Durham Physics 2023 DTP

The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funds doctoral training partnerships to support postgraduate students across a range of scientific disciplines. This grant provides the framework for training the next generation of physicists at Durham University, supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). The core problem it addresses is the need for a skilled scientific workforce. Without sustained investment in doctoral training, the UK risks losing its capacity to conduct fundamental research in physics and to apply that knowledge in areas that depend on advanced scientific expertise. If this training succeeds, it will produce researchers capable of advancing our understanding of the universe—from particle physics to astrophysics. While the immediate output is skilled people rather than a specific product, these scientists often go on to work in fields that quietly underpin modern life: improving satellite navigation systems, developing new materials for energy grids, or refining medical imaging technologies. The work is primarily curiosity-driven, building the human capital needed for future discoveries that cannot yet be predicted.