NanoFutures Leadership Awards

The NanoFutures Leadership Awards stimulate and support graduating PhD students in carrying out projects at the end of the PhD to enable the translation of cutting edge nanoscience research to higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), or to explore pathways for environmentally or socially relevant impact.

The NanoFutures Leadership Awards started out as the NanoDTC Translational Prize in 2016 with a primary focus on commercially oriented impact of our research. In 2021 we broadened the scope to emphasise environmentally and socially relevant impact under the new name of the NanoFutures Leadership Awards.

Awardees interact strongly with external stakeholders during the award, to help the development of technologies that are environmentally, socially, and commercially viable and relevant.

Selection of awardees is done through a 2-stage competitive process involving a presentation to the NanoDTC community at the first stage, and a written application at the final stage. Each application is assessed by a multidisciplinary panel comprising of academics and individuals with business experience.  Awardees are provided with mentoring and additional training through the NanoDTC as well as through the Impulse Programme at the Maxwell Centre.

Several startups have emerged from the work done by the Translational Prize awardees.