University of York secures major doctoral funding to power UK bioeconomic growth

Posted on Monday 26 January 2026

The UKRI funding will help support several significant doctoral programmes as well as reinforce and drive innovation across the sectors as part of a £40 million national investment programme. 

The funding, made available through UKRI’s Doctoral Landscape Awards (DLAs), Industrial Doctoral Landscape Awards (IDLAs) and Doctoral Focal Awards (DFAs), will support researchers in environmental technology, engineering, biology and bioscience and create opportunities for regional and national collaboration. 

Designed to link academia and industry, these new doctoral training programmes will directly contribute towards the country’s priorities in the bioeconomy, especially in the north of England.

The programmes also target investment in areas that reflect the world-leading biosciences research, partnerships, and training environments at the University, including:

• Bio-Boost: Led by University of York and Newcastle University, together with UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR), Bio-Boost aims to transform wastewater treatment by using biological science, digital technologies and engineering solutions. Bio-Boost will train 21 doctoral graduates with the skills, vision, and entrepreneurial mindset to drive innovation across the public, private, and third sectors.
• BioProcess: Led by the University of Manchester and co-developed with AstraZeneca, the BioProcess programme will be delivered through a consortium involving York and the University of Bristol, together with both national and international industry partners. Students of the programme will be given placement opportunities in order to gain the technical and theoretical skills needed to contribute to the growing UK bioeconomy.
• Plant BioDesign: In partnership with the Universities of Cambridge, Bristol and the John Innes Centre, Plant BioDesign focuses on how to engineer plant systems as part of a sustainable bioeconomy. The initiative will enable postgraduate researchers to work on projects involving clean and sustainable industrial processes and how to improve environmental sustainability with the help of plant systems.
• Yorkshire BioScience Doctoral Training Partnership: A  regional collaboration between nine universities in Yorkshire and Teesside, the Yorkshire BioScience Doctoral Training Partnership (YBDTP) offers interdisciplinary doctoral projects aimed at driving the UK bioeconomy. The partnership enables national and regional networking, collective innovation and skills for roles in both academia, industry and policy. 
• The Unilever Industrial Doctoral Landscape Award: Led by King’s College London together with Unilever, the award will allow York postgraduate research students to access training in cutting-edge biomedical technologies. The studentships will engage with Unilever’s Home Care Divisions, Beauty and Wellbeing and Personal Care as well as their Centre of Excellence in Safety, Environmental and Regulatory Sciences. 

Professor Sarah Thompson, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of York, said:

“This investment is a powerful endorsement and a testament to York’s commitment to developing talented researchers who can make a difference in the world. It demonstrates how York continues to help drive economic growth both locally and nationally, ensuring that our research benefits society and the UK economy.” 

Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith, Executive Chair of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) said: “Through these investments, UKRI is strengthening the UK’s leadership in critical technologies while creating meaningful opportunities for businesses, researchers and regions across the country.”