Training

  1. Proteum Phase - 2025 cohort

Proteum training is for the first 3-months of the programme.

Week 1 : Monday 29th September - Thursday 2nd October ‘Induction Week’ at The University of Manchester

All weeks from week 2 onwards:

  • Mondays - there is no CDT training - this is your doctoral project day - please arrange meetings with your supervisors and any project related activities for this day of the week.

  • Tuesdays - online sessions through Teams.

  • Wednesdays - arrive on campus ‘ready to learn’ for 1:00pm. Accommodation is provided for one night only (see the week entry below for location). Session will also be available online through Teams to those with permission to attend online.

  • Thursdays - (unless otherwise indicated) training session starts at 9am. Session will also be available online through Teams to those with permission to attend online.

  • Fridays - online sessions through Teams.

    Note: Travel - arrange your own return train ticket (standard class off peak return), with outward travel on Wednesday (arriving by 12 noon), and return travel on Thursday (departing after 1pm).

    Expenses - with itemised receipts you may claim for train travel, two lunches and one dinner from Fran. If your return tavel time is over 5 hours you may claim for dinner on the Thursday also. See expense claim information here.

Training Resources

Itinierary

Week 2 : 7th - 10th October ‘Fuel Cycles’ University of Manchester

  • Wednesday - Roscoe Building, Room 1.010 Google map

  • Accommodation : Holiday Inn Express, Manchester City Centre Arena Google Map Reservations for: Alex, Anthony, Eron, Frankie, Jack, Matt, Mo, Prajwal, Sam, Shiam, Shurie, Sonya - in your name, booked through KeyTravel at the University of of Manchester.

  • Thursday - Roscoe Building, Room 1.010 Google map

Week 3 : 14th - 17th October ‘Design Lifecycles’ University of Manchester - with launch io the cohort Design Project

  • Wednesday - Roscoe Building, Room 1.010 Google map

  • Accommodation - Holiday Inn Express, Manchester City Centre Arena Google Map Reservations for: Alex, Anthony, Eron, Frankie, Jack, Matt, Mo, Prajwal, Sam, Shiam, Shurie, Sonya.

  • Thursday - Nancy Rothwell Building, Room 3A.057 Google Map

    Cohort Design Project

    From October to July the cohort will work in teams to design the sub-system of a fusion energy power plant. This will involve a timetable of activites that the cohort will self-manage;

    • Week 3 - Project Launch, Design Brief issued to the cohort. Cohort teams (5 people max per team) formed.

    • Weeks 4 to 11 - Team Project sessions. Weekly coursework – one PowerPoint slide per team submitted to Canvas each Friday addressing the question : Has what you've learned this week influenced your approach to the design task? Teams should arrange at least one Design Project session each week to progress the project.

    • Week 12 - CDT Presentation & Peer Review 1. In-person session with the CDT Management Group where each team gives a 10 min presentation - and each student completes the peer review online form.

    • Week 16 - Industry Presentation - and in-person presentation to the CDT Industry Board.

    • Week 17 - White Paper Brief issued, Team project sessions continue to Week 30 (April)

    • April - CDT Symposium, Draft White Paper, Peer Review 2 - Presentation to the CDT Management Group (10 min PowerPoint by each team) and a draft White Paper submitted to Canvas

    • Week 42 (July) - Final Presentation, White Paper, Peer Review 3 - Cohort Presentation to industry board, White Paper submitted to Canvas

Week 4 : 21st - 24th October ‘Researcher Skills’ University of Sheffield

  • Wednesday -

    • lunch provided : Harry Brearley building, Portobello Street Google map for 12 noon (catered lunch and profile photos session) - followed by training in Pam Liversidge Building, Design Studio 1 Google Map.

    • dinner provided : Mowgli Street Food, 631 Ecclesall Road Google map at 6:30pm.

  • Accommodation - Jonas Hotel, Endcliffe Crescent, Sheffield Google Map Resevations for all studdents except Sam and Matt *please note you will need to take the frequent 120 bus service from West Street to Fulwood Road, as it’s a 25 minute walk to Jonas]

  • Thursday - Broad Lane Building LT8 Google Map

Week 5 : 28th - 31st October ‘Law & Ethics’ University of Liverpool

  • Wednesday - Griffith Board Room, Harrison Hughes Building Google Map

  • Accommodation - Novotel, Paddington Village, Liverpool Google Map

  • Thursday - Griffith Board Room, Harrison Hughes Building Google Map

Week 6 : 4th - 7th November ‘Digital Engineering’ University of Sheffield

  • Wednesday - Pam Liversidge Building, Design Studio 1 Google Map

  • Accommodation - Jonas Hotel, Endcliffe Crescent, Sheffield Google Map

  • Thursday - Broad Lane Building LT8 Google Map

Week 7 : 11th - 14th November ‘Plasmas’ University of Birmingham

Week 8 : 18th - 21st November ‘Materials Engineering’ University of Birmingham

Week 9 : 25th - 28th November ‘Power Generation’ University of Liverpool

  • Wednesday - Griffith Board Room, Harrison Hughes Building Google Map

  • Accommodation - Premier Inn, Vernon Street Liverpool Google Map

  • Thursday - Griffith Board Room, Harrison Hughes Building Google Map

Week 10 : 2nd - 5th December ‘Experiments’ University of Sheffield

  • Wednesday - Harry Brearley Building, Portobello Street Google Map

  • Accommodation - Jonas Hotel, Endcliffe Crescent Google Map

  • Thursday- Faculty Boardroom, Mappin Building Google Map

Week 11 : 9th -12th December ‘Fusioneer Pathway’ University of Liverpool

  • Wednesday - Griffith Board Room, Harrison Hughes Building Google Map

  • Accommodation - Premier Inn, Vernon Street Liverpool Google Map

  • Thursday - Griffith Board Room, Harrison Hughes Building Google Map

Week 12 : Monday 15th & Tuesday 16th Decemeber - cohort visit to Heysham Power Station

  • Monday - the CDT will book train tickets for everyone to arrive into Morecambe for 6pm

  • Hotel TBC / cohort dinner provided - details TBC

  • Tuesday - arrive at Heysham Power Station for the tour (10am - 2pm), train travel home in the afternoon from Morecombe

Universities will be closed for Christmas from Wednesday 24th December to Friday 2nd Janaury - you do not need to book annual leave for absence during this period

Week 16 : 13th -15th January, UKAEA, Culham, Oxfordshire

  • Tuesday - Travel to Oxford AM, UKAEA facilities visit & Lunch PM, check in to hotel @ Oxford, cohort dinner provided

  • Wednesday - AM: Cohort visit to First Light Fusion, PM: lunch and Project poster session with flash presentation at UKAEA Culham, stay @ hotel @ Oxford, dinner provided

  • Thursday - AM: Cohort visit to Tokomak Energy , lunch and travel home PM

2. Deuterium Phase - 2025 cohort

This is a blend of training and doctoral research, from January to June (approximately). Your tasks in this period are;

  1. CDT Design Project - The cohort design project runs from October to July. Students will work in teams to design a fusion energy plant sub-system, with the aim of writing a white paper.

  2. Identify and complete existing courses or training in technical areas that will support your doctoral project. This might be attending lectures for courses that are run in semester 2. A budget request for any costs associated with this training must be submitted to the CDT Manager for approval.

  3. Complete a preliminary literature review for your project area to help you understand and frame current state-of-the-art, and hence your research question.

  4. Prepare a preliminary research plan.

  5. Prepare for the CDT Progress Review. This is a CDT Mini-Symposium, held in April, where you will give a 15-minute presentation to the cohort and a CDT panel with the following points;

    1. Your project aims and objectives.

    2. Training you have completed/identified in the Deuterium Phase.

    3. Your 6-month research plan.

    4. Project risks with contingency arrangements.

3. Tritium Phase - 2025 cohort

This is from 1st July onwards of Year 1 of the programme, and represents the usual research phase of a doctoral project, which will likely include specific ongoing technical training.

From this point, you should focus on preparing for your first annual progression milestone. The annual progression points for doctoral candidates are known by different terms (transfer reports, confirmation reviews, annual reviews) but it is important that you plan for being ready to submit for your first annual review by the end of your first year (September). Your first annual progress review will be arranged and assessed by your home university. You will submit a report, and have a viva examination, to confirm your suitability for doctoral level study. As this process is university-specific, please see below for some links to further guidance.

  • University of Manchester - Guidance here

  • Univeristy of Sheffield - Guidance here

  • University of Liverpool - Guidance here

  • University of Birmingham - Guidance here