SPADS is part of the UK Government's TechFirst scheme, an initiative designed to support research in key frontier technology area which uplifts the stipend to £30,000 for students with home-fee status. FAQs Will I be paid the increased stipend for all four years of my PhD? Yes, if you are a home-fees student, starting the SPADS programme in 2026, you will receive the increased tax-free stipend for all four years (eight for part-time). Will students on partner-funded studentships be eligible for the £30,000 stipend? Yes, if you are a home-fees student, starting the SPADS programme in 2027, you will receive the increased tax-free stipend. I am an international-fees applicant, will I receive the £30,000 stipend? International-fee students will receive the standard SPADS tax-free stipend, which in 2026/7was £24,245, and represents an uplift to the UKRI standard. This is because the eligibility requirements for TechFirst increased level are set by UKRI and EPSRC with the UK Government, to grow the UK’s national capability in digital and technologies for defence and security as part of the UK’s modern industrial strategy. We appreciate that this is a difficult situation for international-fee students, who already have higher costs than UK students for PhD study. We stress that international students are very important to the CDT, which does not have the additional funding available to raise their stipend. How does this relate to TechExpert? TechFirst is the name for the new version of the TechExpert. It has a different stipend level which is set by the UK government. Will future cohorts starting in the years after 2027 receive the £30,000 stipend? At present we do not know if it will be available for future cohorts. Will TechFirst students have the same training experience as non-TechFirst students? All SPADS students gain their places with us on merit and will have the same taught and research experience, and the same networking and internship opportunities with our industrial and government partners. This is of critical importance to us all at CDT SPADS. In return for the funding uplift, TechExpert students will have to take part in up to 10 days each year of additional activities, e.g. outreach to promote tech careers and widening participation. This article was published on 2026-10-14
