Three new Future Leaders Fellowships for Liverpool
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The University of Liverpool has been awarded three new Future Leaders Fellowships in the latest round announced today by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
The Future Leaders Fellowship programme is UKRI’s flagship initiative designed to support universities in developing their most talented early career researchers and innovators, while also attracting new talent to their institutions.
The Liverpool recipients are:
- Dr Alex Neale, from the Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy and the Department of Chemistry
- Dr Nicola Power, from the Department of Psychology
- Dr Elisabetta Arca, who will be joining the Department of Physics
Dr Alex Neale’s Fellowship will explore a greener method of ammonia production using electricity from renewable sources under ambient temperatures and pressures. By investigating the mechanisms of the lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction reaction, the project aims to improve its efficiency and stability, and also to reduce reliance on lithium by testing more abundant metals such as magnesium and calcium. Ammonia plays a crucial role in fertiliser production and has potential as a zero-carbon fuel, and the ultimate goal of this Fellowship is to make ammonia production cleaner, more sustainable, and more accessible
Dr Nicola Power’s Fellowship aims to transform the global understanding of teamwork in extreme environments. She will critically evaluate existing methods and develop new, research-informed approaches to improve team performance in challenging conditions. By integrating advances in social psychology and new technologies, including human-AI collaboration, the project will pave the way for more resilient, adaptive, and effective extreme teams—supporting international cooperation in addressing the world’s most pressing challenges.
Dr Elisabetta Arca’s Fellowship will focus on advancing scientific understanding of electrified interfaces, a critical area in energy research. She will begin by studying the physical and chemical processes occurring at the atomic level at solid/liquid electrified interfaces, followed by investigations at the more complex three-phase solid/liquid/gas interfaces. This research will contribute to advancements in Li-ion battery technology and green fuel production.
The three Liverpool Fellowships are among a total of 77 projects to be funded in the ninth round of the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships scheme.
UKRI Chief Executive, Professor Sir Ian Chapman, said: “UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellowships offer long-term support to outstanding researchers, helping them turn bold ideas into innovations that improve lives and livelihoods in the UK and beyond.
These fellowships continue to drive excellence and accelerate the journey from discovery to public benefit. I wish them every success.”
The Fellowship also allows recipients access to the FLF Development Network, which provides specialised leadership training, access to networks, workshops, mentors, one-to-one coaching, and opportunities for additional seed-funding for collaborative projects.
Frances Burstow, Director of Talent and Skills at UKRI, added: UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellowships provide researchers and innovators with long-term support and training to embark on large and complex research programmes, to address key national and global challenges.
"The programme supports the research and innovation leaders of the future to transcend disciplinary and sector boundaries, bridging the gap between academia and business.
The fellows announced today demonstrate how UKRI supports excellence across the entire breadth of its remit, supporting early-career researchers to lessen the distance from discovery to real world impact."