£1 billion package will create 65 Centres for Doctoral Training in AI and Quantum

• £1 billion will fund 65 new training centres in universities across the UK
• Will train more than 4,000 students to become pioneers in AI and quantum to help grow the economy

Thousands of UK students will be trained to be the next Alan Turing as part of a landmark investment in science degrees announced by the Science Secretary in a speech today.

A £1 billion package will create 65 Centres for Doctoral Training – spanning universities from Edinburgh to Bristol. They will pick out more than 4,000 of the brightest and best science students over the next 10 years to hold on to our best talents.

The majority of opportunities will be led from outside the South-East of England, with more than 350 places for students in Glasgow, over 300 in Edinburgh, over 250 in Bristol and over 150 in Sheffield and Manchester respectively – giving more UK students the chance to fulfil their ambitions closer to home.

Centres will lead on specific areas of strategic importance to the UK, which build on our country’s existing strengths and create opportunities for the growth, jobs and innovations that benefit us all – including progress in the five critical technologies of AI, engineering biology, future telecommunications, semiconductors, and quantum.

Examples of universities supported include:

• King’s College London, training researchers to revolutionise personalised surgery through advanced engineering such as micro-surgical robots and chemical techniques which allow for surgery ‘without the knife’.
• Cardiff University leading research to improve the design, manufacture and environmental sustainability of semiconductors, which are crucial to current and future technologies such as 6G wireless, and electric vehicles.
• University of Manchester, working to speed up development of new materials which can be produced at scale and help the UK meet its net zero goals
• University of Edinburgh, backed by the Ministry of Defence, is working on sensing, processing and AI for defence and security.

Science and Technology Secretary, Michelle Donelan, said:

“As innovators across the world break new ground faster than ever, it is vital that government, business and academia invests in ambitious UK talent, giving them the tools to pioneer new discoveries that benefit all our lives while creating new jobs and growing the economy.

“By targeting critical technologies including artificial intelligence and future telecoms, we are supporting world class universities across the UK to build the skills base we need to unleash the potential of future tech and maintain our country’s reputation as a hub of cutting-edge research and development.”

This is part of the wider Government plan to keep building a stronger economy where hard work is rewarded, ambition and aspiration are celebrated, and young people get the skills they need to succeed in life.

More than £500m of the funding will come from central Government and research agencies including the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and a further £420m from hundreds of businesses in areas as diverse as aerospace, communications, energy, manufacturing and pharmaceuticals; charities and £170m from UK universities.

Recent examples of successful projects from CDTs include in-car technology that could help drivers see through obstacles blocking hazards – such as a truck blocking a road sign – and improvements to the way drugs are delivered to the brain using a non-invasive and targeted ultrasound technology combined with tiny bubbles.