UKAEA Fusion Industrial Visiting Academic Scheme (IVAS)

Organisation Eligibility:

•     The administrative host organisation must be a UK-based University and will submit the application and administer the successful grant. They will also provide the ‘Academic Lead’ to coordinate the relationship and maximise outcomes with the Industrial Visiting Academic.

•    The Industrial Visiting Academic must be working for a UK registered company in an area related to fusion energy.

•     Employees within the UK Atomic Energy Authority Group are not eligible to apply for this scheme.

Person Eligibility:

• The Academic Lead must have a position within the host university for the full three-year duration of the grant.

• The Industrial Visiting Academic role is open to all fusion industry professionals working within the UK with a permanent contract (or a contract that goes beyond the length of the grant).

• Proposed Industrial Visiting Academic must have the legal right to work and remain in the UK for the full three-year duration of the grant.

• UKAEA will not apply for visas or work permits.

• The Industrial Visiting Academic can only be named on one application.

Early Career Professionals

We welcome and encourage applications from individuals at earlier stages of their career. Five of the ten grant awards will be reserved for early career professionals subject to a minimum application threshold being met.

Typically, early career professionals are within 8 years since last academic qualification. However, if you have unique circumstances you would like to discuss please email fusionskills@ukaea.uk.

Sanctions 

UK Atomic Energy Authority will not fund you, provide any financial benefit to any individual or entities directly or indirectly involved with yourselves, which could expose UK Atomic Energy Authority or any direct or indirect beneficiary of funding from UK Atomic Energy Authority to UK Sanctions. This includes, any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any entity as lead, partner, associated person or sub-contractor related to these countries, administrations and terrorist groups.

Application and Award Conditions

• Academic Lead and the Industrial Visiting Academic Lead can only be named on one application.

• Maximum of one position per university department will be awarded (though multiple applications can be submitted).

• Industrial visiting academic will hold the role for a fixed three-year term.

• No limit on the number of applications involving the same industrial organisation, but UKAEA will take a portfolio management view.

• Applications forming new relationships will be considered favourably.

Duration 

Grants are for three academic years with a minimum commitment of 15 days interaction per academic year.

 Grants must align with the start of the 2026 academic year.

Funding available 

 There is £10,000 available per year for three years. This is a fixed spend profile.

 The grant can fund:

• The industrial visiting academic time

• The academic lead time

• Travel and subsistence

The grant cannot fund:

• Research at the university or in an industrial context

• Routine teaching and learning

• Equipment

• PhD supervision

• Administrative tasks not relevant to the grant

• Estates and indirect costs

Commitment Requirements

• Visiting academics must spend at least 15 days per academic year at the university (in person or virtually).

• The 15 days each academic year are non-transferable between academic years, there must be a minimum of 15 days for each year.

• A day is a typical 8 hour working day.

• Dates are fully flexible within the academic year.

• UKAEA may withdraw support if the minimum threshold is not met within an academic year.

Submission Requirements

Each application must:

• Include a named Industry Visiting Academic.

• Be submitted by the university partner with a named Academic Lead.

Diversity and Inclusion

UKAEA and the FOSTER programme are committed to enhancing diversity and access within the fusion sector.

Applications are welcomed from:

• Underrepresented groups in the sector.

• Early career staff seeking a development opportunity.

• Partnerships with post-92 universities.

Scope

The Fusion Industrial Visiting Academic Scheme provides funding to support industry professionals to work with universities to enhance student learning and strengthen pipelines into the fusion industry.  

The scheme aims to harness the knowledge and experience of the Industrial Visiting Academic to:

1. Promote stronger collaboration between UK industry and universities.

2. Provide teaching and learning on relevant scientific and engineering degree programmes by bringing industrial experience into the academic environment.

3. Expose students to real-life industrial context and scenarios, increasing awareness of careers opportunities in fusion.

4. Align degree programme strategies to industry need; promoting innovation and practical knowledge exchange.

5. Inspire the next generation of fusion scientists and engineers. 

Permitted use of funds

The grant can be used for all elements of teaching including, but not limited to, curriculum development, lecturing, tutorials, mentoring, marking and development of innovative teaching and learning such as flipped classrooms and problem-based learning.

The grant cannot be used for research activities, equipment or PhD supervision.

We welcome applications purely related to aspects of fusion energy, as well as applications that develop and enhance skills that employers in the fusion industry believe current graduates could benefit from such as practical experience, leadership and management, communication and business acumen.

Assessment process

Your application will be assessed using the following process, noting that all elements of your application form will be shared with the assessors

Eligibility criteria

At the point of the application submission, each will be assessed on the following eligibility criteria 

• The University and the Industrial Visiting Academic organisation are eligible under the scheme requirements

• The Academic Lead and Industrial Visiting Academic are eligible under the scheme requirements

•  The application is supported by the employer of the Industrial Visiting Academic

• The application must meet the aims and criteria of the scheme

Applications which do not meet these criteria will be rejected with feedback on why it could not proceed. 

 Expert Panel

 The applications will be divided into two groups, Early Career Researcher (ECR) and standard. The applications within each group will be assessed against the assessment criteria by a panel of UK Atomic Energy Authority staff. The panel will agree scores and rank your applications, against the assessment criteria, alongside other eligible applications within the ECR or standard application group, after which the panel will make a funding recommendation. Five of the ten grant awards will be reserved for early career professionals subject to a minimum application threshold being met.

The UK Atomic Energy Authority FOSTER (skills) programme will approve the final funding decision. This decision is final and not subject to appeal.

Portfolio balancing

The panel will provide a recommendation to the funding team with a view to creating a balanced portfolio from the highest quality applications. In balancing, the panel and the funding team will consider the following:

• Development of new relationships

• Geographic coverage, to ensure awards are located across the UK

• Areas of teaching

 Due Diligence

Successful applications are subject to further due diligence. The purpose of this due diligence exercise includes, but is not limited to, confirmation of the satisfactory financial standing of the applicant. You will be asked to confirm whether the university is under special monitoring measures by the Office for Students.

Timescale

We aim to complete the assessment process and communicate grant outcomes by end of May 2026. It is expected that the industrial visiting academic will commence their position at the start of the 2026/27 academic year.

Feedback

Written feedback will be provided where possible for unsuccessful applications.

Using generative artificial intelligence (AI) in peer review 

Assessors are not permitted to use generative AI tools to develop their assessment. Using these tools can potentially compromise the confidentiality of the ideas that applicants have entrusted to UK Authority Energy Authority.

Assessment areas

The assessment areas we will use are:

• Vision

• Industry Visiting Academic capability to deliver

• Work Plan

• Host University Support

• Cost and resource justification

• Impact

Find details of assessment questions and criteria under the ‘Application questions’ heading in the ‘How to apply’ section.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted via the Find a Grant application form by the university partner with input from the named Industrial Visiting Academic. Submission confirms that the industrial and academic partner have formally agreed to support the application.

Deadline

Applications for this opportunity will close at 16:00 on Thursday 26th March 2026. Applications received after this time will not be considered.

 Generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Use of generative AI tools to prepare funding applications is permitted, however, caution should be applied

 Processing personal data

UK Atomic Energy Authority will need to collect some personal information to process your application, which will be collected via Find a Grant platform. We will need to share the application (including personal information that it contains) with DESNZ as our delivery partner. 

We will handle the personal data in line with UK Data Protection Legislation and manage it securely. For more information please read the UKAEA privacy notice

Sensitive information

If you need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email fusionskills@ukaea.uk. Include in the subject line: Fusion Industrial Visiting Academic Scheme - Sensitive Information.

Typical examples of confidential information include:

• Individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave)

• Declaration of interest

• Additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the application

• Conflict of interest for UKAEA to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection

 Publication of outcomes

If your application is successful, we will publish the university and industry partner on the UKAEA website after acceptance.

 Application questions and criteria 

 Non assessed: Due diligence information

•  Criminal Convictions Disclosure

Indicate if, within the past five years you, your organisation or any other person who has powers of representation, decision or control in the organisation has been convicted anywhere in the world of any of the offences below:

o   Participation in criminal organisation

o   Corruption

o   Fraud

o   Terrorist offences or offences linked to terrorist activities

o   Money laundering or terrorist financing

o   Child labour or other forms of trafficking in human beings

• Tax and Social Security Compliance

Has it been established, for your organisation by a judicial or administrative decision having final and binding effect in accordance with the legal provisions of any part of the United Kingdom or the legal provisions of the country in which the organisation is established (if outside the UK), that the organisation is in breach of obligations related to the payment of tax or social security contributions?

•  Regulatory Breaches and Insolvency Status

Indicate if, within the past three years, anywhere in the world any of the following situations have applied to you, your organisation or any other person who has powers of representation, decision, or control in the organisation:

o   Breach of environmental regulations

o   Breach of social obligations

o   Breach of labour laws

o   Bankrupt or is the subject of insolvency or winding-up proceedings, where the organisation's assets are being administered by a liquidator or by the court, where it is in an arrangement with creditors, where its business activities are suspended or it is in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure under the laws and regulations of any State.

o   Entered into agreements with other organisations aimed at distorting competition.

•    University Monitoring Status

If your organisation is a university, indicate if the university is under special monitoring measures by the Office for Students.

• Industrial Partner Due Diligence

Summarise briefly how the University will verify the suitability of the Industry Partner and Visiting Academic, including the checks it will undertake as part of its internal vetting and due diligence process.

 Non assessed: Summary information

·       Summary

Word limit: 200 words

In plain English, provide a summary of your application. We will make this summary publicly available on external facing websites if successful, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information.

• Are you an Early Career Researcher?

Word limit: 200 wordsExplain why you believe you are an early career researcher, noting that typically you would be considered an early career researcher 8 years since your last academic qualification.

The answer to this question will determine if your application will be ranked alongside ECR applications or standard applications.

Non assessed: Contact information 

• Academic Lead

Provide the Academic Lead name, department and email address. This will be used for correspondence regarding the application

• University Contact

Provide name, department and email address of the person accountable for the grant if successful within your organisation, this should be a contact from your research office or equivalent

• Industrial Visiting Academic

Provide the Industrial Visiting Academic name, department and email address. This will be used for correspondence regarding the application

Assessed Questions 

Responses to the application questions will be scored 1 – 5 in each area. 

·       Vision: What are you hoping to achieve with the industrial visiting academic scheme? 

Word count: 500 words

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Explain how your proposed work:

• •  Aligns with the scheme objective

  • Will promote and create new engagement between the visiting academic and the host university

  • Has the potential to enhance student learning and strengthen pipelines into the fusion industry.

·       Industrial Visiting Academics capability to deliver- Why are they the right individual to successfully deliver the proposed work?

     Word count: 250 words 

What the assessors are looking for in your response

       Evidence of how they:

o   Have the relevant experience to deliver the work

o   If ‘early career researcher’, how they will use this opportunity to develop their career

o   Upload CV (maximum 1 page)

·       Work plan- Describe the Industrial Visiting Academics activities and outputs during the grant

Word count: 500 words

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Explain how your plan:

o   Is effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives

• Confirmation of the Host University support of proposal and the choice of Industrial Visiting Academic

Word count: 1 page PDF upload 

What the assessors are looking for in your response

 o  Evidence of the support and alignment to department objectives 

The letter must be signed by head of the department (or equivalent), dated and on headed paper.  

·       Letter from Industrial Organisation

Word count: 1 page PDF upload

What the assessors are looking for in your response:

Confirmation the Industrial Visiting Academic Employer:

o   Agree for the Industrial Visiting Academic to participate in this grant over the full three-year duration

o   Are a UK registered organisation with primary operations in the UK

This must be signed by the organisations HR department (or equivalent), dated and on headed paper. 

·       Cost and resource justification 

Word count: 500 words

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Justification of the applications requested resources:

o   Specify how much funding is required for the three years (maximum £10,000 per year)

o   Give an accurate fully justified breakdown of the costs (use the template provided ) – note that funds cannot be used to cover costs beyond this scheme.

o   Confirmation that suitable arrangements have been made between the university and the industrial visiting academic regarding the funding

·       Impact- What is the expected impact of the proposed work?

 Word count: 250 words

What the assessors are looking for in your response

 Describe the expected impact with reference to

• •  Value added

  • Student reach

  • Widening participation

  • Legacy impact

Related content

FOSTER: Fusion Opportunities in Skills, Training, Education and Research | UKAEA Fusion Energy

 Webinar for potential applicants

We will hold a webinar on 24th February 2026. This will provide more information about the funding opportunity and a chance to ask questions.

Registration information will be added here shortly.

 A link to the question-and-answer webinar will be shared here after the webinar.

 Contact details

For questions related to this specific funding opportunity please contact fusionskills@ukaea.uk. Please also contact us if you are an industry professional or a university without a partner and we will forward your details as appropriate.

Updates

None currently.