Dr Bartomeu Monserrat, the Gianna Angelopoulos Lecturer in Computational Materials Science, has been awarded a Future Leaders Fellowship by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The award of £1.5 million will support the development of novel quantum materials for next-generation green technologies over the next four years.

Dr Monserrat’s team uses supercomputers to solve the equations of quantum mechanics in order to design new materials with exotic and useful properties. As part of this award, they will investigate topological materials, with the potential to remove heat waste in modern electronics, and a range of semiconductors that hold promise to dramatically increase the efficiency of solar cells. “The Future Leaders Fellowship will allow us to make important steps towards a technology solution to the current environmental crisis, and enable the UK to reach its net zero 2050 target”, said Dr Monserrat.

The Future Leaders Fellowship scheme aims to develop the next generation of world-class research and innovation leaders in academia and business. The awards were announced on September 9 by Science Minister Amanda Solloway, and will support nearly 100 future research and innovation leaders with a total of £113 million.