New STOR-i PhD cohort at Lancaster University set to receive TechExpert funding boost
A new UK government pilot will increase PhD stipends for selected technology researchers in England, with Lancaster University’s STOR-i Centre for Doctoral Training among the first programs confirmed for the scheme.
A cohort of PhD candidates joining Lancaster University’s STOR-i Centre for Doctoral Training in the 2026–27 academic year will receive enhanced stipend funding through a new UK government pilot aimed at boosting advanced technology skills.
The initiative, known as TechExpert, forms part of the government’s wider TechFirst skills program and will provide up to £10,000 in additional funding to eligible doctoral researchers working in priority technology areas. In practice, this will raise annual stipends for participating students to as much as £31,000.
The scheme is restricted to home-fee status students and is being rolled out across a limited number of selected doctoral programs in England.
STOR-i is a four-year Centre for Doctoral Training focused on Statistics and Operational Research, jointly delivered by Lancaster University’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics and Department of Management Science. The program trains researchers whose work underpins data science, AI, optimization, and large-scale decision-making across industry and the public sector.
Funded by the UK Research and Innovation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, STOR-i combines academic research with applied projects, often developed in partnership with external organizations. The center was established in 2010 and has positioned itself at the intersection of mathematical theory and real-world implementation.
Its inclusion in the TechExpert pilot reflects the government’s focus on strengthening doctoral training in areas seen as critical to national technology capability.
Funding tied to engagement beyond doctoral research
The additional funding comes with requirements that extend beyond traditional PhD study. Students receiving the TechExpert uplift will be expected to take part in widening participation activity, engage with the wider TechFirst program, and attend cohort networking events, delivered virtually and potentially in person.
The structure suggests the pilot is designed not only to improve financial support for PhD candidates, but also to connect doctoral researchers more directly with national skills, outreach, and workforce objectives.
TechExpert is delivered by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, working alongside the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Natural Environment Research Council, on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
The pilot aims to support around 500 PhD candidates nationally and is positioned as a way to accelerate innovation while strengthening the UK’s long-term research base in strategic technology sectors.
Commenting on STOR-i’s inclusion in the pilot, Dr. Anna-Lena Sachs, Deputy Director at STOR-i, says: “We are very excited that STOR-i has been selected to be part of the TechExpert pilot to train the next generation of leaders in Statistics and Operational Research for the AI age.”
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