Dr Michelle Browne secures L’Oréal-UNESCO UK and Ireland For Women in Science 2021 Rising Talent fellowship
Posted on: 17 September 2021
Dr Michelle Browne, from Trinity’s School of Chemistry and CRANN, the Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices, has been awarded a L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science 2021 Rising Talent fellowship.
Dr Browne’s research is focused on the production of green (clean) hydrogen in water electrolysers for the generation of electricity. This electricity could be used to replace fossil fuel-based energy production routes for various applications such as automotive and infrastructure.
She hopes to integrate electrolyser devices into academic-driven water electrolyser research to develop inexpensive, scalable and sustainable materials to produce green hydrogen.
Dr Browne secured the fellowship within the Sustainable Development category, with four other outstanding candidates also securing fellowships in the categories of engineering; life sciences; mathematics and computer science; and physical sciences.
Dr Browne said:
“I’m over the moon to have secured this prestigious award supported by L’Oreal and UNESCO. All of the shortlisted scientists are doing amazing research in their fields and I am so proud to have met them all during the training day in the Royal Society and at the award ceremony in London this week. They are all inspirations and role models for anyone wanting to pursue a career in science.
“This award will allow me to purchase much-needed equipment for my research and will go towards childcare for my daughter when I return to work after maternity leave.”
“I would like to give a massive thank you to the panel chair Dame Prof. Anne Glover, the judging panel, the readers, Ellie Anghileri, Catherine Packe, Joel Anderson, and the marketers, Megan Wickens, Olivia Thawaites and Rhian Wickens, for making this experience an unforgettable one.”
The fellowship programme, a partnership between L’Oréal UK & Ireland, the UK National Commission for UNESCO and the Irish National Commission for UNESCO, with the support of the Royal Society, offers grants to promote, enhance and encourage the contribution of women pursuing their research careers in the UK or Ireland.
Thierry Cheval, L’Oréal UK and Ireland, Managing Director, said:
“Science is essential in order for the world to rise to the challenges that we are currently facing and addressing the current under-representation of women in the scientific community can positively impact the research that will help tackle these challenges. The outstanding women we recognise today through the For Women in Science UK and Ireland Rising Talent programme are exceptional in their respective fields and are shaping the future of more inclusive research.”