Studentship funding provides the baseline support for a successful PhD project. PhD studentships within PLANET provide four years of funding. Each year, the student will receive a tax-free stipend. The initial stipend is £26k/year from September 2026 and will rise with inflation. The PLANET stipend is set at just over £4k/year more than standard UKRI PhD stipends in recognition of the importance of PhD-level skills training to the UK nuclear industry. In addition to the stipend, studentships will cover the associated fees. 

The studentship funds will also provide the financial support required for the student to participate in the training component of the PhD through visits to the other university centres. Funding will support, if relevant to the project, experimental work at national and international facilities. The studentship will also fund attendance at national and international conferences and workshops. 

Depending on the project, studentships will be supported by a mix of funding from the research councils (UKRI), industrial partners and the university consortium.