During the first 8 months of the programme, students attend a high quality series of technical lecture modules, delivered by experts in the field to give the best possible platform for their substantial research project.
More about Your First year - the taught course programme
Following registration at their host university, students will begin the programme by studying a range of technical fusion modules designed to equip them for PhD-level research. Many of these modules take place at York, and all students will be based at the York Plasma Institute to begin with (Materials Strand students for 3 weeks, and Plasma Strand students for 6-9 months), but there is also a number of intensive one-week modules based at the other universities of the CDT. (Please note that the modules offered may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff). Travel and subsistence funds are provided for attending the different week-long courses.
In addition to the extensive body of taught courses offered, we host Frontiers of Fusion and Interfaces, an annual workshop. “Frontiers” features fascinating talks by well-known and internationally-respected external speakers. It’s an exciting week, as students from all cohorts (and their supervisors) gather for a scientific meeting exploring a range of fusion issues and how they link to related fields, such as fission, advanced instrumentation, technological plasmas, and more.
Students are then based at their own university for their 3-year research project, which will be at the international forefront of the field, and can involve extended periods at one of our associated government labs (or can even be based there).
More about the Collaboratory Research Project
An innovative feature of the Fusion CDT is the “Collaboratory” project. This is a short research placement, typically 8-12 weeks, that provides a broadening collaborative experience for the student, whether it is at an international laboratory, a UK company or indeed a Government organisation working on, for example, scientific policy.
Students have available up to £4,000 to fund their collaboratory project, which is usually delivered in the second year of study. The whole project is student-led, but with the guidance of their supervisor. It involves planning; providing a written proposal to justify the project; delivering the project, and then reporting to fellow students both by a scientific presentation and a paper.