Dr Sibimol Luke, Chair of the UK-HyRES Early Career Researcher Committee and Research Fellow at University College London, has received the Bartlett Early Career Researchers (ECR) Award 2026 in the Community category, recognising her contributions to the UK-HyRES Early Career Researcher Network.

The Bartlett ECR Awards celebrate the outstanding contributions of early-career researchers across research, teaching, equality, diversity and inclusion, outreach, communication, and community. The Community Award recognises exceptional contributions to communities inside or outside UCL, including volunteering, championing good practice, and supporting networks and communities of practice.

Sibimol’s award highlights the value of the UK-HyRES ECR Network in supporting collaboration, skills development, and career development among early-career researchers working across hydrogen, alternative liquid fuels, and related low-carbon energy research.

This award also reflects the strength of the UK-HyRES ECR community and the opportunities for more early-career researchers to help shape its future. UK-HyRES welcomes expressions of interest from ECRs who would like to get involved, contribute ideas, and support the next phase of network activity.

A highly competitive first round of the UK-HyRES and Henry Royce Institute SPRINT funding programme will award up to £50,000 per project to early-career researchers across the UK, with the Henry Royce Institute (Royce) and UK Hydrogen Research and Innovation Network (UK-HyRES) jointly backing 15 projects from a field of 86 applications.

The Henry Royce Institute, the UK’s national institute for advanced materials research and innovation, will fund nine of the successful projects through its Royce Hydrogen Accelerator (RHA), while UK-HyRES will back a further eight. Each award provides up to £50,000 (at 80% FEC) to advance cutting-edge research spanning hydrogen production, storage, distribution and use, as well as ammonia and alternative liquid fuels.

Proposals were evaluated on research quality and impact, the strength of partnerships, and clear plans for mentoring, delivery, and future development into larger-scale initiatives.

A powerful partnership across research networks

Professor Rachael Rothman, Co-Director and Environmental Theme Lead at UK-HyRES, said the partnership reflects a shared commitment to advancing both hydrogen innovation and the next generation of research talent.

“The Henry Royce Institute and UK-HyRES share common goals in advancing the materials necessary for widespread adoption of hydrogen, as well as supporting the research leaders of the future to develop their careers.

“It was fantastic to see the quality of applications to our joint early-career researcher SPRINT call, and I am very excited to see how the projects and researchers themselves develop over the coming months.

“This kind of joint initiative, where successful projects can draw on the networks and expertise of both organisations, is really important to help find clean energy solutions, and I’m looking forward to further collaboration with the Royce Hydrogen Initiative going forward.”

Bob Sorrell, CEO of the Royce Hydrogen Accelerator, further emphasised the importance of cross-network collaboration in accelerating hydrogen materials research and supporting emerging research talent. 

“This first SPRINT funding competition has shown the value of bringing our national hydrogen networks together around a shared challenge. By working in partnership with UK-HyRES, the Royce Hydrogen Accelerator has helped support a genuinely exciting portfolio of projects that reflect both the strength of the UK’s emerging hydrogen research talent and the scale of opportunity in this field.

“The quality of responses to the call reflects not only the calibre of the ideas coming forward, but also the importance of creating collaborative routes for early-stage research to develop into larger-scale opportunities. Through the Royce Hydrogen Accelerator, we are helping to ensure that the UK has a pipeline of compelling, de-risked hydrogen materials opportunities that are ready to scale with the right investment, moving promising research closer to real-world application and strengthening the technologies and partnerships needed to deliver a clean energy future.”

Strong responses from the research community

The inaugural SPRINT call attracted significant interest, with a total of 86 applications submitted from across the UK, underscoring both the depth of emerging talent in the hydrogen sector and the significance of the funding opportunity on offer. The awards span a wide range of disciplines, including materials science, electrochemistry, bioengineering, combustion, and systems design, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of hydrogen research.

Expanding the reach of the network, the programme brought new institutional involvement, including the University of Nottingham and Queen Mary University of London, bringing the total number of participating universities from 17 to 19.

Supporting transformative research careers

A defining feature of the SPRINT programme is its focus on researcher development alongside scientific innovation.

Each project includes clear plans for mentoring, skills development, and career progression, ensuring that awardees gain not only funding but also the support needed to establish independence and build long-term research trajectories.

Sibimol Luke, Chair of the ECR Network at UK-HyRES, reflected on the importance of this support:

“As an early-career researcher myself, I know how transformative this kind of support can be. Funding like this is often a real turning point for an ECR, building momentum at a critical career stage and enabling researchers to grow in confidence and independence.

“I’m really pleased to see UK-HyRES continuing to provide dedicated funding for ECRs and supporting them to establish their own place within academic research.”

One of the funded researchers, Luke Woodliffe, added, “I’m very grateful to UK-HyRES for the SPRINT award. It’s a wonderful opportunity for early-career researchers such as myself to gain experience in managing our own research project, and to experiment with some exciting novel science!”

Linlin Yang, Research Assistant at the University of Oxford and another of the successful SPRINT awardees, also commented, “I am very pleased to receive SPRINT funding to support my research on ammonia combustion and its contribution to the UK’s decarbonisation efforts. It is a privilege to contribute at a time when practical low-carbon solutions are urgently needed.

“This award is particularly meaningful for early-career researchers, as it enables independent research, strengthens expertise in zero-carbon technologies, and supports long-term career development.”

Next steps for the SPRINT programme

Funded projects are scheduled to begin between April and June 2026, with all research to be completed by 31 December 2026.

As these projects get underway, they will contribute not only to advancing hydrogen technologies but also to shaping the next generation of research leaders in the UK.

With strong demand, a high calibre of applications, and a growing network of collaborators, the SPRINT initiative represents an important step in strengthening the UK’s hydrogen innovation ecosystem, supporting both scientific excellence and the people driving it forward.

Developing expertise across the hydrogen value chain

UK-HyRES-funded projects include:

• Defect-Tuned Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO) in Hydrogen Charged Environment, Open New Path for Hydrogen Valves – Sepideh Aliasghari, University of Manchester
• Living Semiconductors for Green Hydrogen: Biosynthesis and Self-Regeneration of Nanoparticles at Engineered Bio-Abiotic Interfaces – Lin Su, Queen Mary University London
• Tracking Electrochemical Degradation in PEM Water Electrolysers – Connor Sherwin, University of Oxford
• Next-Generation Green Methanol: Enhancing Biogas Conversion through Solid Oxide Cells – Shu Wang, University of St Andrews
• Nanoconfined Reactive Hydrides for Advanced Solid-State Hydrogen Storage – Luke Woodliffe, University of Nottingham
• Energy-Efficient Hydrogen Purification: Engineering Nanopores in Atomically Thin Membrane – Shiqi Huang, University of Bath
• Enabling Zero-Carbon Ammonia Engines through Multiple Spark Ignition – Linlin Yang, University of Oxford
• HySPIN: Spin-Isomer and Adsorption Interactions in Hydrogen Systems – Rajan Jagpal, University of Bath

Royce-funded projects include:

• Hydro-Oxy: Delivering Technical-Grade Catalyst Bodies for Sustainable Chemical Synthesis – Richard Lewis, Cardiff University
• Hydrogen-Compatible In-operando Fibre-Optic Temperature Monitoring MgH₂ Solid-State Hydrogen Storage – Hongnan Zhang, University of Bristol
• From Natural Gas to Ammonia: Enabling High Ammonia Combustion in a Radiant Wall Burner – Jordan Davies, Cardiff University
• Novel Poly(ionic Liquid) Anion Exchange Membranes for Green Hydrogen Production – Josh J. Bailey, Queen’s University Belfast
• Engineered Membrane with Microfluidic Structures to Manage Electrolyte Transport in Zero-Gap Water Electrolyser – Vinothkannan Mohanraj, Coventry University
• AQUASTOR-Aqua-Ammonia Storage Tank for On-Demand Ammonia and Hydrogen Release – Ramin Mehdipour, University of Nottingham
• Developing Sustainable Anode Materials for PEM Water Electrolysis – Yang Li, University of Oxford

Find out more about the call

Delivering a hydrogen-powered energy transition isn’t just about breakthrough technologies or about system-level planning in isolation. It’s about how the two evolve together.

UK-HyRES and HI-ACT are both EPSRC-funded hydrogen research hubs. At first glance, they may seem similar, but their roles are deliberately distinct. UK-HyRES focuses on low technology readiness level, fundamental research, while HI-ACT undertakes research which can accelerate progress in hydrogen systems integration.

Positioned at opposite ends of the hydrogen spectrum, the two hubs are nonetheless strategically aligned. They work in close partnership to ensure that hydrogen innovation doesn’t just advance but works in the real world.

Here, the head of each hub, Professor Chris Brace, Director and Principal Investigator of UK-HyRES and Professor Sara Walker, Director and Principal Investigator of HI-ACT, share their visions for the alignment of the two hubs and

Sara began the conversation to clarify where both hubs sit in the hydrogen value chain: “HI-ACT looks at the overall energy system, often from a national or international, top-down perspective. UK-HyRES, by contrast, works at the device level, more bottom-up. But we meet at the interface: what functionality devices offer to the system, and what the system needs from those devices.” 

A two-way feedback loop

At the heart of the collaboration is a simple but powerful idea: hydrogen innovation must be bidirectional. Advances in technology shape what’s possible at system level. At the same time, system-level challenges define what technologies are actually needed.

Chris expands on this, highlighting both the opportunity, and the complexity, of working across scales: “The term ‘system’ is often used in different ways, which can lead to confusion. At one level, it refers to specific engineering elements, like a manufacturing plant, an electrolyser, or a vehicle. At another, it describes the larger networks these elements form, such as a national energy system or transport network. Being clear about these definitions is important, especially when working across disciplines”.

He continues by drawing the connection between these layers: “What becomes clear is that these layers are closely interconnected. Improvements at the device or engineering level, like increasing the efficiency of electrolysers, can have significant impacts on the performance of the wider energy system. At the same time, challenges identified at the national or network level can highlight where breakthroughs are needed in materials, components, or technologies”.

This interplay is where progress happens: “Progress depends on strengthening this two-way relationship. Advances at the small scale can unlock system-wide benefits, while large-scale challenges can guide and motivate fundamental research. This kind of bidirectional thinking is essential for driving innovation in complex energy systems.”

Why collaboration is essential

The energy transition is only as strong as its weakest link. From materials and devices, through infrastructure and systems, to policy, safety, and public acceptance, each layer must work together.

This is why UK-HyRES also focuses on four cross-cutting themes, economics, environment, society, and safety. These areas move beyond device-level research to explore the conditions needed for hydrogen technologies to be adopted at scale, from cost and infrastructure to environmental impact, public trust, and risk. This work provides a natural bridge to HI-ACT’s system-level perspective, where these factors are considered within the context of a fully integrated energy system.

Chris is clear about what’s at stake: “Unless you’re pushing across the full picture, you’re not going to achieve the energy transition we’d like to see. Any weak point in that chain will get in the way of adoption.”

This is why UK-HyRES and HI-ACT are deliberately aligned, not just in ambition, but in structure. The two hubs share a Strategic Advisory Board, bringing together expertise from industry, regulation, and energy systems. This group doesn’t just review progress; it helps shape what comes next.

Sara explains how this strengthens their impact: “We’re collectively thinking about the next steps, not just in research, but in policy and deployment, because hydrogen isn’t a one-off transition. It requires a coordinated national approach. The joint advisory board also act as ambassadors for both hubs, amplifying news and initiatives through their own channels.”

Turning insight into opportunity

While still early in their programmes, the hubs are already building the foundations for joint impact.

One emerging area is nuclear-enabled hydrogen production, exploring how nuclear energy can support more efficient hydrogen generation.

Sara highlights the current gap: “While there are already system-level assessments of using nuclear power for hydrogen production, they often don’t fully reflect future technology breakthroughs. At the same time, those breakthroughs need clear direction, driven by national priorities and opportunities.”

Bridging that gap requires closer integration. Chris builds on this: “Without this integration, solutions remain simplistic, such as using nuclear electricity solely for electrolysis. A more joined-up approach, like combining electricity with waste heat from nuclear plants, could significantly improve efficiency. Realising this potential depends on close collaboration between nuclear and hydrogen experts to design more effective, interconnected systems.”

Defining success

For both hubs, success goes beyond academic outputs.

Sara outlines what she would like to see come out of an effective collaboration between the two hubs: “Success would mean a policy, regulatory, and industrial landscape that fully recognises hydrogen’s role in the energy transition, supported by high-quality research that provides a strong evidence base for decision-making.”

Chris adds a complimentary perspective: “Just as importantly, I would like to see clear alignment between national priorities and technological innovation: tangible examples where system-level needs and emerging technologies actively reinforce one another, turning opportunity into real-world progress”.

Navigating the unknowns

Hydrogen’s potential is clear, but significant uncertainties remain.

Sara points to the global context: “Regardless of geopolitics, energy security and resilience of energy systems is going to continue to be high on the agenda. We need to ensure we’re not replacing one supply chain weakness with another, and that we’re thinking about hydrogen supply chains just as carefully as we do for oil and gas today.”

At the same time, technological and system challenges must be addressed in parallel. Chris explains: “Can solutions meet the required performance, cost, and timescales? Can infrastructure roll out quickly enough to support adoption? There’s uncertainty on both sides, technological readiness and system readiness, and both have to progress together.”

He illustrates this with a practical example:
“Take hydrogen flight. There’s an enormous amount of work to be done before we see passenger aircraft powered by hydrogen. We’re looking at a 10-year horizon, and even then, questions remain around affordability and infrastructure. The challenges are evenly split between technology and system readiness.”

Investing in the next generation

Beyond research and systems, both hubs share another priority: people.

From early career researchers to established leaders, building a connected, collaborative community is essential for long-term impact.

Sara emphasises the importance of this investment: “We’re supporting the people who will deliver this transition over the next 30–40 years. It’s about helping them understand not just what they’re researching, but why it matters in the bigger picture.” 

A model for the future

UK-HyRES and HI-ACT are not just working alongside each other, they are testing a new way of doing research.

One where:

• Discovery and deployment are co-designed
• Technology and systems evolve together
• And collaboration spans the full hydrogen value chain

Each hub has a distinct role. But their real strength lies in the connection between them, because that interface is where meaningful progress happens.

Because in the end, the energy transition won’t be delivered by breakthroughs alone. It will be delivered by how well those breakthroughs fit into the systems that power our world.

That’s the shared space where UK-HyRES and HI-ACT operate.

Chaewon Kim, a PhD student at University of Portsmouth under the supervision of Professor Chris Jones, has announced that her research, titled “Emerging Hydrogen Spot Indices: Price Taker or Maker?”, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Environmental Management.

Chaewon expressed deep gratitude for the guidance and support of her three supervisors, whose interdisciplinary expertise in accounting, finance, economics, psychology, and engineering, combined with strong methodological rigour, contributed significantly to the success of the publication.

Following this achievement, Chaewon is now preparing to advance her second research topic, with the initial draft scheduled for submission in 2026.

The IMechE Engineering a Hydrogen Economy 2026 conference was held in Birmingham on 29-30 April.

Paul Dodds (University College London), the Economics theme lead in UK-HyRES, gave an invited plenary presentation on “The economics of hydrogen production”. UCL have been examining whether hydrogen production could be designed to support a UK renewable electricity system and reduce energy bills.

Paul presented technoeconomic assessments of a range of hydrogen technologies. He explained the challenge of coping with the many cost uncertainties. He showed that electricity arbitrage appears to reduce the cost of producing hydrogen, but not by much. On the other hand, given the increase in gas prices in recent years, it now appears that green hydrogen will become competitive with production from natural gas in the future.

On Wednesday 6th May, the 13th Annual Engineering PhD Symposium took place at the University of Warwick.

The symposium highlights the wide range of innovative research being carried out across the School of Engineering, while fostering knowledge sharing and collaboration between disciplines.

This year, UK-HyRES PhD student Melisha presented her ongoing research, “The Development of Electrocatalyst Materials for Green Ammonia Synthesis”, and was awarded the People’s Choice Poster Prize.

Professor Mi Tian at the University of Bath has been awarded funding through the British Council Going Global Partnerships Programme – Springboard 2025 (France, Germany, Spain). The programme aims to foster new collaborations between UK research institutions and partners in Spain, Germany, and France.

The funded project, carried out in collaboration with the University of Alicante, Spain, will explore clathrate hydrates as a potential platform for next-generation large scale hydrogen and carbon storage solutions. The research will investigate how these unique crystalline materials can be used to enable safer and more efficient storage of hydrogen and carbon-based gases, supporting the development of low-carbon energy systems.

The collaboration will bring together expertise in materials science, hydrogen storage, and energy systems to advance fundamental understanding and identify new opportunities for sustainable energy technologies. The Springboard programme also aims to strengthen long-term international research partnerships and support the development of future joint research initiatives between the UK and European partners.

Joan Cordiner, Safety Theme Lead at UK-HyRES, has been confirmed as IChemE’s next deputy president, following the close of nominations for Trustee roles ahead of the Institution’s AGM in June.

Her election places her in line to serve as IChemE president for the 2027/28 term, following on from current deputy president Ollie Folayan.

Cordiner moved into academia in 2020 after a career spanning more than 30 years in industry with ICI, AstraZeneca and Syngenta, where she held senior roles including technology manager and global risk manager for manufacturing. She is currently head of the School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering and professor of Process Engineering and External Engagement at the University of Sheffield.

The Nominations Committee reviewed all applications against the Trustee role specifications and confirmed that each candidate met the requirements for their respective positions.

One eligible nomination was received for each of the roles due to become vacant at the AGM, meaning no ballot will be required.

The following candidates will be formally elected at the meeting:

• Wadoud Hazineh – vice-president (Member Engagement)
• Iqbal Essa – ordinary member
• Mary Stewart – ordinary member

All will take up their roles following the AGM, which will be held virtually on 9 June.

Cordiner’s appointment as deputy president will create a casual vacancy in the role of vice-president (Learned Society), which will be addressed by the Board of Trustees in due course.

Hydrogen in Society: Understanding the Social Acceptance of Hydrogen Futures

Submission deadline: Thursday, 31 December 2026

The pace of societal transition away from a reliance on fossil fuels towards lower-carbon options in many parts of the world is accelerating. Many national governments consider hydrogen and affiliated alternative liquid fuels (i.e., ammonia) to be a crucial component of a secure, equitable, low-carbon energy system. Indeed, the concept of the ‘hydrogen economy’ envisions hydrogen as a clean, versatile energy carrier that can support decarbonisation across the energy system, although particularly in hard-to-treat sectors, such as heavy industries (e.g., steelmaking) and long-haul transportation (e.g., shipping). Many governing administrations are now pursuing roadmaps towards more hydrogen-reliant futures, raising questions about societal readiness. For example, the need to produce, transport, store and use large amounts of hydrogen necessitates economic restructuring; the introduction of new policies, planning and governance structures; the deployment of new technologies and infrastructures; workforce development (incl. new roles and upskilling); supply chain evolution, among other things. Crucially, without appropriate societal backing, the ‘building blocks’ of this transition could face significant and potentially prohibitive hurdles. This is particularly true for Westernised democracies, where the attitudes and actions of societal actors are known to shape the ‘real world’ success of both innovative and established industrial scale technologies and policies.

While often considered in simplistic terms, social acceptance refers to a complex multi-actor and multi-level concept. Understanding the nature and determinants of social acceptance (or perhaps more accurately, ‘acceptances’), how it manifests (e.g., as tolerance, support, opposition) and the implications it has for decision-makers (e.g., in policy, planning, communications) thus remains an important topic. This is particularly true for hydrogen, where the potential societal impacts of a hydrogen transition are manifold, but where systematic academic study of societal perspectives is still emergent.

Environmental Psychology Research is calling for submissions of original studies (incl. systematic reviews) into the social acceptance of hydrogen and alternative liquid fuels (ammonia). Submissions can relate to any aspect of the hydrogen supply chain (incl. production, transportation, storage, and use) as well as wider aspects of the ‘hydrogen economy’ (e.g., policy, governance, regulation, investment, communications). For publication in Environmental Psychology Research, submissions must contain a psychological dimension; however, interdisciplinary contributions will be considered.

Note: This Special Issue is affiliated with the well-attended UK-HyRES / TARG:ET symposium on the social acceptance of hydrogen held at the University of Portsmouth (UK) on Thursday, 30th April 2026. You need not have attended this symposium to submit to this Special Issue.

Topics about social acceptance of hydrogen include but are not limited to:

• Public acceptance of hydrogen technologies or policies at the socio-political, community or household level
• Stakeholder perceptions and acceptance of the hydrogen transition (including implications for planning and investment decisions, etc.)
• Policy challenges relating to the hydrogen transition (including implications for and acceptance among societal actors)
• Hydrogen as part of a socio-technical system
• Communication, engagement and education challenges as they relate to the hydrogen transition
• The determinants of attitudes towards hydrogen technologies (e.g. Risk perception, trust and safety)
• Place-based factors (identity, attachment, distributive fairness and equity) and how they shape acceptance of hydrogen projects
• Adoption and use of hydrogen technologies (including user-experience)

Guest Editors:

The UK-HyRES Early Career Researcher (ECR) industrial visit took place across several locations in Surrey on April 27, 2026. The visit aimed to bridge the gap between academia and industry in the pursuit of sustainable hydrogen and alternative liquid technologies. It provided ECRs with the opportunity to deepen their industrial knowledge while fostering collaboration with new industry partners.

Ceres Power, Redhill

The day began at Ceres Power, an Imperial College London spin-off that has grown into the UK’s largest Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) company. Dr Jeffery De Vero, Senior Scientist, opened with a presentation on the company’s ongoing work, sparking discussions on the global supply and demand for SOFCs and the need for global collaboration when commercialising hydrogen technologies. This was followed by a tour of the manufacturing facilities, offering key insights into cell processing, stacking, and the importance of scalability in research. The session concluded with a networking lunch and a Q&A focused on the transition from academia to industry and the challenges of maintaining an R&D focus within spin-out companies.

Metrobus Crawley Depot

The second stop was the Metrobus Crawley Depot, home to one of the UK’s largest fleets of hydrogen-powered buses. The site features an Air Products refuelling station—the second largest globally—capable of refuelling a hydrogen-powered bus in just 6–8 minutes. Hector Wilson, Hydrogen Mobility Operation Lead for Air Products, provided an in-depth tour of the facility, covering the full lifecycle from hydrogen procurement and processing to storage and distribution. This sparked vital discussions regarding physical safety when dealing with hydrogen at such large levels. As well as this policy and the infrastructure investment required to support the transition to hydrogen vehicles, there was also a large group discussion. The visit concluded with a ride on one of the hydrogen buses.

Prof Qiong Cai’s lab, University of Surrey

The afternoon moved to the University of Surrey’s Stag Hill campus to visit Professor Qiong Cai, lead of the UK-HyRES “End Use” theme. The ECRs toured multiple labs, her team showcased their SOEC rig, lab-scale AEM electrolyser facilities and their new energy lab containing a NH₃/NO_x reactor rig.

Rhizo PTX, Surrey Research Park

The final stop was the University of Surrey’s Innovation Park to meet Dr Ash Stott, Dr Ben Kyffin, and Will Richards at Rhizo PTX. As a startup focused on producing green ammonia for the chemical and energy industries, Rhizo PTX provided a unique perspective on the entrepreneurial journey. The co-founders shared their experiences moving from academia to the startup world, focusing on how to pitch ideas to investors and the specific challenges of the hydrogen sector.

Conclusion

Overall, the visit successfully addressed both technical and non-technical themes. It underscored the vital intersection between research and industry, highlighting the necessity of collaboration in developing holistic, sustainable energy technologies for the future.