UK-HyRES has awarded more than £4.27m in flexible funding to support pioneering hydrogen research, helping to accelerate innovation and strengthen the UK’s hydrogen research community.
The funding forms part of the UK-HyRES Flexible Funding programme, which has been established to support new collaborations, develop research capability and enable innovative projects that address key challenges across the hydrogen value chain. Since launching, the programme has supported a diverse portfolio of projects spanning fundamental research through to application-focused innovation.
The latest Early Career Researcher (ECR) Fellowship call has awarded £843k (100% FEC) to three outstanding researchers, enabling them to develop ambitious projects that will advance hydrogen technologies while supporting the next generation of research leaders.
Professor Chris Brace, Director of UK-HyRES, said: “The Fellowship Funding is a vital investment in both people and ideas. By supporting talented Early Career Researchers, we’re helping to develop the next generation of hydrogen research leaders while accelerating innovative solutions to some of the sector’s most pressing challenges. These projects demonstrate the breadth of expertise across the UK, from improving hydrogen storage and safety to enabling new applications that will support the transition to a low-carbon future. We look forward to seeing the impact these Fellowships will have on both the research community and the wider hydrogen ecosystem.”
The successful Fellows are:
Dr Luke Woodliffe, University of Nottingham
Project: Magnetic Induction Heating for Rapid, Safe and Energy-Efficient Hydrogen Storage
Dr Woodliffe’s fellowship will investigate new approaches to hydrogen storage using magnetic induction heating, supporting advances in hydrogen end use, alternative liquid fuels and environmental and economic sustainability.
Dr George Neville, University of Bath
Project: CryoSpect: Fluorescent polymer coatings for real-time monitoring and management of liquid hydrogen systems
This project will develop innovative sensing technologies to improve the monitoring, management and safety of liquid hydrogen systems, contributing to safer hydrogen storage and distribution while supporting environmental sustainability.
Jordan Davies, Cardiff University
Project: Simplified integrated system for ammonia-fired boilers enabling rural commercial readiness
This fellowship will explore integrated ammonia-fired boiler systems designed to support rural deployment, addressing challenges around storage and distribution while improving safety and commercial viability.
The ECR Fellowships build on the success of previous UK-HyRES flexible funding calls. The first Flexible Funding call awarded £2.94m, while the recent Royce SPRINT call awarded a further £493k, bringing the programme’s total investment to more than £4.27m (100% FEC) across 21 funded projects.
Together, these investments demonstrate UK-HyRES’ commitment to supporting innovative research, developing future research leaders and accelerating the technologies needed to enable a safe, sustainable and commercially viable hydrogen economy.
The next UK-HyRES Fellowship Funding call is expected to open in September, with further details to be published on the UK-HyRES website.