The UK Japan Civil Nuclear Research Programme 2026 supports joint UK-Japan research into accelerating and advancing nuclear science, including decommissioning relevant to Fukushima and Sellafield. This programme aims to fund one to two collaborative projects that target key challenges in decommissioning legacy nuclear power plants and advancing nuclear capacity.

Overview

The programme is jointly funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). It represents the twelfth phase of the UK-Japan Civil Nuclear Research Programme and focuses on research that will help the UK achieve its ambition to ramp up nuclear capacity to up to 24GW by 2050 and become a clean energy superpower. Projects must address at least one of four priority fields: radioactive waste treatment, packaging, and storage; robotic and autonomous systems for decommissioning; fuel debris and materials; or decommissioning technology.

Funding and Benefits

• Total fund: £950,000
• Award range: £250,000 to £593,750 at 100% full economic cost (FEC)
• EPSRC funding: 80% of FEC, up to £475,000 per project
• Equipment: Items between £25,000 and £400,000 per item are fundable
• EPSRC will only fund the UK component of the research; Japanese partners will be funded by MEXT
• Projects may include travel and subsistence costs for the UK part only

Eligibility

• Applicants must be UK-based researchers employed by an organisation with standard UKRI eligibility
• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) individual eligibility rules apply
• International researchers may only apply as project co-lead (international) under the UKRI-RCN Money Follows Cooperation agreement
• Uninvited resubmissions of projects previously submitted to UKRI or any other funder will not be accepted
• Applications must include collaboration between UK-based and Japan-based researchers
• Equality, diversity and inclusion encouraged; support available for career breaks, caring responsibilities, flexible working, and disability access

Research Areas

Proposals must address issues in at least one of the following four fields, with sub-themes as identified:

• Radioactive waste treatment, packaging, and storage: waste characterisation, treatment and immobilisation, sludge and slurry treatment
• Robotic and autonomous systems for decommissioning: remote handling and inspection, radiation hardened detectors, integrated robotic systems, digital twins and artificial intelligence
• Fuel debris and materials: fuel debris characterisation and aging, modelling of fuel debris behaviours, characterisation of radioactive aerosols
• Decommissioning technology: monitoring, in situ repair, risk management, advanced data analysis and modelling

Projects must also align with the programme’s objectives and EPSRC’s engineering net zero priorities.

Application Process

• Applications must be submitted through the UKRI Funding Service (not Je-S).
• The UK partner submits to EPSRC; the Japanese partner submits to the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science (CLADS).
• The project lead is responsible for completing the application; only the lead research organisation can submit.
• Key application sections include: Vision and Approach (up to 12 sides of A4), Applicant and Team Capability, Ethics and RRI, Resources and Cost Justification, National Importance, Project Partners.
• A joint UK-Japan expert panel will assess proposals; UK applications undergo a panel with pre-panel comments and a written response opportunity. Japanese components are assessed by interview panel in Japan.
• Projects can only be funded if both the UK and Japan applications rank highly.

Deadline and Timeline

• Publication date: 16 June 2026
• Opening date: 30 June 2026, 9:00am UK time
• Closing date: 8 September 2026, 4:00pm UK time
• Project start date: 1 January 2027 (fixed)
• Project duration: up to 36 months, end no later than 31 December 2029

Contact Information

For questions related to this funding opportunity, contact energyanddecarbonisation@epsrc.ukri.org.

For system or submission queries, contact the UKRI Funding Service helpdesk:
Email: support@funding-service.ukri.org
Phone: 01793 547490 (Monday to Thursday 8:30am–5:00pm, Friday 8:30am–4:30pm)

Applicants should first contact their research office for support with costings and proposal writing.