Opportunity: RAICo Fellows

The Robotics and AI Collaboration (RAICo) is offering innovation awards to early career researchers across the UK in the field of nuclear robotics or related technologies.

The grant is designed to support researchers in developing promising technologies that can be applied to real-world nuclear decommissioning and fusion engineering challenges in support of RAICo’s Purpose.

RAICo is a collaboration between the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, UK Atomic Energy Authority, Sellafield Ltd, AWE and The University of Manchester that aims to lead the development and deployment of robotics technology to address challenges in nuclear decommissioning and fusion engineering. RAICo is based in the RAICo1 facility, located in Whitehaven, Cumbria.

Overview

RAICo will appoint up to five RAICo Fellows who have innovative projects that offer the potential to address onsite challenges at Sellafield, Culham (UKAEA), or elsewhere across the NDA estate. Each Fellow will be appointed for approximately 9-months, awarded a grant of up to £10,000, which can be used to support travel and consumables. Work must be completed by 31 March 2026.

As part of the award, RAICo will provide links to challenge owners at their sites and will support the Fellows with commercialisation training. Fellows will be required to spend at least one month in this period at the RAICo1 facility in Whitehaven, Cumbria, where they can test their technologies in environments that replicate those across the nuclear decommissioning estate.

Award Winners

We will select award winners who:

• Have developed technology that has the potential to be of benefit in the decommissioning of nuclear facilities at sites including Sellafield, Culham, Dounreay and Magnox facilities.
• Aspire to develop their research and technologies to solve real-world problems.
• Will benefit from the package of support that will be provided to further develop their technology and career development.

Eligibility

To be considered for an award, applicants must:

• Be employed, for the duration of the award, by a UK university or other UK research-focused organisation, or be a UK resident with the right to work in the UK for the duration of the award.
• Completed a PhD in robotics or a related field within the past 5 years (or equivalent if returning to work after a career break).
• Be able to commit to spending a minimum of one month, between 1 July 2025 and 31 March 2026, at the RAICo1 facility in Cumbria. This commitment may be fulfilled through multiple visits if necessary.
• Be willing to undertake regular visits to RAICo1 or other relevant nuclear decommissioning sites throughout the 9-month award period (typically one visit per month).

Award

RAICo Fellows will receive:

• Up to £10,000 that can be used to support travel and subsistence costs to visit RAICo1 and other UK nuclear facilities, attend training courses, pay for consumables that are required to develop robotic solutions as part of the proposed project and support the costs of an individual’s time.
• Support with establishing relationships with engineers and scientists at relevant nuclear decommissioning sites in the UK.
• An assigned mentor from the RAICo partnership.
• A bespoke package of training and skills development.

Application

Applications must be submitted to reel@manchester.ac.uk before Friday 13 June 2025:

Application form

Guidance

Further information

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