The job of materials science is to develop the materials that we need to make all of the things that we rely on in our daily lives. These range from the materials used to make large scale objects, such as aeroplanes and buildings, right down to the smallest scales like the processors in the electronic devices we use every day. These materials are often complicated and need to be carefully designed with just the right properties needed to do their jobs for many decades and often in incredibly harsh conditions. There are many current challenges that require us to develop new, improved materials. We need to meet our net-zero climate goals and get better at designing products that can be fully recycled, for example. And there are some resources that we currently use in important materials for which we would like to find alternatives. These are difficult challenges and we need to overcome them quickly. But the way that materials scientists have worked to develop a new material in the past is too slow: it can take up to 20 years to develop a new material and we cannot wait that long. Fortunately, recent developments in the computer simulation of materials, in robotics and sensor technology, in our ability to exploit large volumes of data through machine learning and in techniques for quickly making and testing large numbers of different materials can help to speed things up. This idea, bringing digital technologies together to help us make better materials more quickly, is called "Materials 4.0". If we are going to take advantage of Materials 4.0 then we need to make sure that materials scientists have the necessary digital skills. These skills, things like data informatics, machine learning and advanced computer simulation, are not usually covered in depth in undergraduate university courses in science and engineering. So, the Henry Royce Institute, the UK's national institute for advanced materials, in partnership with the National Physical Laboratory, is proposing to set up a Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) that will take at least 70 science and engineering graduates and train them in the techniques of Materials 4.0. These students will work towards PhDs and become leaders in the field of Materials 4.0. They will undertake research projects in universities across the UK (Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds and Strathclyde), tackling a broad range of materials science challenges and developing new approaches in Materials 4.0. The need for these new approaches is widespread, throughout academia and in industry. In recognition of this, the training programme that we develop for the CDT will be made available more widely, in different forms, so that we can disseminate skills in Materials 4.0 to existing researchers in universities and industrial companies as quickly as possible. The training approach of the CDT will be to take our students from "Learners to Leaders" over the course of four years. Our students will be working across boundaries between materials science and computer / data science and between academia and industry. They will build new interfaces and help to develop a common language for communication. To strengthen our students' own learning and to disseminate their skills more widely, we will train our students as trainers so that the students are actively involved in designing and delivering training for fellow researchers and take the role of ambassadors for a cultural shift in materials science to modern ways of working.

Great Western Supercluster for Hydrogen Impact for Future Technologies (GW-SHIFT) is co-created by world-leading academic expertise (Universities of Bath, Exeter, Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, South Wales, Plymouth), innovative civic partners (Western Gateway, Great South West, West of England Combined Authority) and cutting-edge industries (Hydrogen South West, Airbus, GKN, Bristol Airport, easyJet, Bristol Port Company, National Composites Centre, Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, Johnson Matthey, etc.) to drive concentrated impact across the H2 ecosystem of South West England and South Wales. It will catalyse cross-sectoral, cross-regional and interdisciplinary opportunities for long-term impact. The ambition of GW-SHIFT is to grow from a nascent cluster to an established supercluster which is uniquely placed to lead the delivery of the green H2 economies needed to decarbonise the UK, driving joined-up impact that spans multiple sectors (maritime, road, rail, aerospace, chemicals) across the region's unique testbed of urban, rural, and coastal areas and resources. GW-SHIFT has been co-created by its academic, civic and industry partners with a shared vision to maximise the enormous potential of the region's H2 ecosystem. Its impact will power clean, inclusive growth across the region, maximising world-leading academic knowledge and H2 assets, and enabling key government strategies and targets for a low carbon H2 future. This includes Powering Up Britain and British Energy Strategy targets for 10GW H2 production capacity by 2030 and 100,000 new jobs, £13bn GVA by 2050. The creation of the supercluster directly addresses key regional strategies and action plans, including the Western Gateway's H2 vision and 'Powering a Greener, Fairer Future' strategy, Great South West's "Speed to the West," WECA's Climate and Ecological Strategy and Action Plan, the West of England Local Industrial Strategy and the Welsh Government's Hydrogen in Wales pathway. Success of the supercluster can deliver the region's targets for 17,000 new H2 jobs by 2050. GW-SHIFT will drive impact through its aims and objectives to: 1. Grow the GW-SHIFT supercluster of academic, civic and industry partners towards established and sustainable supercluster status via policy and theme conversations and academic-civic-industry secondments. 2. Deliver high impact co-created collaborative projects, with 20 short sprint projects and eight 1-2 year collaborative match-funded projects, leading to the development of new products, processes and techniques, new spin-out companies, significant follow-on funding, new jobs, and regional and national policy impacts. 3. Deliver place-based capacity building across the South-West of England and South Wales H2 ecosystem through entrepreneurial training to academic researchers (including early career), civic and industry staff, cross-mentoring programmes, and upskilling programmes to equip regional workforces for the opportunities of the future H2 economy. 4. Engage key stakeholders across the region (civic, industry, regulatory, public, schools, etc.) via public engagement, school outreach and curriculum development, wider academic, industry and policy engagement to raise awareness of the benefits and opportunities of a future H2 economy and to encourage public acceptability of hydrogen. The establishment of GW-SHIFT as a hydrogen supercluster for the South of England and South Wales will enable maximum impact from joined-up strategic advances in H2 production, storage and distribution, conversion, end-use applications (for mobility, heating, power), industrial feedstocks, and cross-cutting issues (economic, environmental, social and safety). It will be a critical enabler of a thriving low carbon hydrogen sector in the South-West and South Wales, with national and global applications, delivering energy security, skills, economic growth, supply chain development and driving Net Zero innovations.

The UK composites industry faces an imperative to prioritise sustainability. The urgent need to reduce impact on the environment and ensure the availability of resources for future generations is critical to securing a prosperous and resilient future. Composite materials are crucial for delivering a Net-Zero future but pose several unique technical challenges. Sustainable Composites Engineering defines a holistic means of achieving environmental neutrality for composite products through production, service, and reuse. It incorporates the pursuit of more sustainable composite materials, with a mission of creating inherently sustainable composite solutions, able to perform in diverse environments, and made using new scientific advances, and new energy efficient, waste-free manufacturing procedures. Our proposed CDT in Innovation for Sustainable Composites Engineering will address the challenges by developing a workforce equipped with the skills to become leaders in the future sustainable economy and support UK industry competitiveness. Our CDT is jointly created by the Bristol Composites Institute, the University of Nottingham and the National Composites Centre (NCC). In addition to the EPSRC funding our CDT is also supported by industry and we have received 27 letters of support from companies in the UK Composites sector: Aerospace (Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Dowty, Leonardo, GKN), Defence (QinetiQ, AWE, BAE Systems), Automotive (Gordan Murray, JLR), Wind Energy (Vestas, EDF-Renewables), Marine (Tods), Rail (Network Rail), Oil and Gas (Magma Global), Hydrogen (Luxfer) alongside material suppliers (Hexcel, Solvay, iCOMAT, SHD), and specialist design and manufacturing companies (Pentaxia, Actuation Lab, LMAT, Molydyn), as well as RTOs (NPL, NCC). The total industrial commitment to our CDT is >£10M, with>£4M from NCC. From this it is clear that our CDT fits the Focus Area of Meeting a User Need. The CDT will provide a science-based framework for innovative, curiosity driven research and skills development to facilitate composites as the underpinning technology for a sustainable future. Critically, the CDT will offer an agile doctoral educational environment focused on advanced competencies and skills, tailored to industrial and commercial needs, providing academic excellence and encourage innovation. The ambitious goal of spanning Technology Readiness Levels (TRL 1-4) will be achieved by having a mix of university-based PhDs and industrially-based EngDs . Fundamental industrial sponsored research will be carried out by PhD students based at the Universities. The EngD students will spend 75% of their time in industry conducting a research project that is defined industry. Students will complete their doctoral studies in four years, the doctoral research will run concurrently with the taught component, so students are immersed in the research environment from the outset. The bespoke training programme demands the critical mass of a cohort. A specific role on our Management Board focuses on maximising cohort benefits to students. The cohort continuity across years will be ensured by a peer-to-peer mentoring programme, with all new students assigned a student mentor to support their studies, thereby creating an inclusive environment to provide students with a sense of place and ownership. Methods for developing and maintaining a cohort across multiple sites will be supported by our previous experience with the IDCs strategy and by: -A first year based in Bristol with students co-located to encourage interaction. -In-person workshops in year 2 credit bearing units and professional activities. -Peer-to-peer individual mentoring, as well as in DBT and credit-bearing workshops. -Annual welcome cohort integration event. -Annual conference and student-led networking. -Internal themed research seminars and group meetings -Student-led training and outreach activities.

Over the next few decades, quantum computing (QC) will transform the way we design new materials, plan complex logistics and solve a wide range of problems that conventional computers cannot address. The Hub for Quantum Computing via Integrated and Interconnected Implementations (QCI3) brings together >50 investigators across 20 universities to address key challenges, and deliver applications across diverse areas of engineering and science. We will work with 27 industrial partners, the National Quantum Computing Centre, the National Physical Laboratory, academia, regulators, Government and the wider community to achieve our goals. The Hub will focus on where collaborative academic research can make transformative progress across three interconnected themes: (T1) developing integrated quantum computers, (T2) connecting quantum computers, and (T3) developing applications for them. Objectives for each are outlined below. (T1) Developing integrated quantum computing systems, with a goal of creating quantum processors that will show real utility for specific problem examples. Objectives: OB1.1: Demonstrate quantum advantage in analogue platforms with neutral atoms and photons OB1.2: Make neutral atom quantum simulation platforms available in the cloud OB1.3: Develop new applications for these and other near-term systems (T2) A key challenge of building the million qubit machines of the future is that of 'wiring' together the quantum processors that will create such a machine. The Hub will develop technologies that help achieve this and develop models to understand how such machines will scale. Objectives : OB2.1: Develop interconnect technologies for quantum processors OB2.2: Demonstrate blind computing and multi-component networks with trapped ion quantum computers OB2.3: Demonstrate transduction and networking of superconducting processors (T3) Developing applications in science and engineering, including materials design, chemistry and fluid dynamics. Objectives: OB3.1: Develop new methods for materials and chemical system modelling and design, fluid dynamics, and quantum machine learning OB3.2: Identify the nearest routes to quantum advantage for these application areas OB3.3: Develop implementations of these algorithms on T1 and T2 Hardware These will be supported by work in overarching tools (T4) that can be used across the themes of the Hub, including error correction, digital twins, verification and software stack optimisation. Skills and training Hub partners will work with end-users, our students and researchers, and partners across the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme (UKNQTP) to ensure members of the Hub have the skills they need. Specific objectives include: Provide training in innovation, commercialisation and IP, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) to Hub partners Provide reports and training to end-users, working in partnership with the NQCC and others Continue to provide advocacy and advice to policy makers, through work in such areas as RRI Exploitation and Engagement: The Hub will build on the strong engagement activities of the UK programme, further developing the technology pipeline. We will play a key role in strengthening and expanding the UK ecosystem through events, networking and education. Specific goals are to: Broaden the partnership of the Hub, bringing new academic, government and industrial partners into the Hub network Contribute to regulation and governance through programmes of work in standards and RRI, and close collaboration with UKNQTP partners Support the generation and protection of intellectual property within the Hub, and its exploitation Develop Hub and cross-Hub outreach initiatives, working with the RRI team, to help ensure the potential of quantum computing for societal benefit can be realised

The EPSRC CDT in Net Zero Aviation in partnership with Industry will collaboratively train the innovators and researchers needed to find the novel, disruptive solutions to decarbonise aviation and deliver the UK's Jet Zero and ATI's Destination Zero strategies. The CDT will also establish the UK as an international hub for technology, innovation and education for Net Zero Aviation, attracting foreign and domestic investment as well as strengthening the position of existing UK companies. The CDT in Net Zero Aviation is fully aligned with and will directly contribute to EPSRC's "Frontiers in Engineering and Technology" and "Engineering Net Zero" priority areas. The resulting skills, knowledge, methods and tools will be decisive in selecting, integrating, evaluating, maturing and de-risking the technologies required to decarbonise aviation. A systems engineering approach will be developed and delivered in close collaboration with industry to successfully integrate theoretical, computational and experimental methods while forging cross theme collaborations that combine science, technology and engineering solutions with environmental and socio-economic aspects. Decarbonising aviation can bring major opportunities for new business models and services that also requires a new policy and legislative frameworks. A tailored, aviation focused training programme addressing commercialisation and route to market for the Net Zero technologies, operations and infrastructure will be delivered increasing transport and employment sustainability and accessibility while improving transport connectivity and resilience. Over the next decade innovative solutions are needed to tackle the decarbonisation challenges. This can be only achieved by training doctoral Innovation and Research Leaders in Net Zero Aviation, able to grasp the technology from scientific fundamentals through to applied engineering while understanding the associated science, economics and social factors as well as aviation's unique operational realities, business practices and needs. Capturing the interdependencies and interactions of these disciplines a transdisciplinary programme is offered. These ambitious targets can only be realised through a cohort-based approach and a consortium involving the most suitable partners. Under the guidance of the consortium's leadership team, students will develop the required ethos and skills to bridge traditional disciplinary boundaries and provide innovative and collaborative solutions. Peer to peer learning and exposure to an appropriate mix of disciplines and specialities will provide the opportunity for individuals and interdisciplinary teams to collaborate with each other and ensure that the graduates of the CDT will be able to continually explore and further develop opportunities within, as well as outside, their selected area of research. Societal aspects that include public engagement, awareness, acceptance and influencing consumer behaviour will be at the heart of the training, research and outreach activities of the CDT. Integration of such multidisciplinary topics requires long term thinking and awareness of "global" issues that go beyond discipline and application specific solutions. As such the following transdisciplinary Training and Research Themes will be covered: 1. Aviation Zero emission technologies: sustainable aviation fuels, hydrogen and electrification 2. Ultra-efficient future aircraft, propulsion systems, aerodynamic and structural synergies 3. Aerospace materials & manufacturing, circular economy and sustainable life cycle 4. Green Aviation Operations and Infrastructure 5. Cross cutting disciplines: Commercialisation, Social, Economic and Environmental aspects 75 students across the UK, from diverse backgrounds and communities will be recruited.