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.
NanoFutures Leadership Awards and Translational Prize winners
Dr Tommaso Busolo
Translational Prize Fellow, 2021-22
Co-Founder - ALMA
PhD Student, c2016
Kar-Narayan Group
Haralds Abolins
NanoFutures Leadership Award, 2022-23
Optoelectronics Group
Dr Joonatan Laulainen
NanoFutures Leadership Award, 2022-23
NanoDTC Associate, a2018
Electron Microscopy Group
Dr. Tarun Vemulkar
NanoDTC Translational Prize Fellow 2016-17
PhD Student c2012
Thin Film Magnetism Group
Dr. Jeroen Verheyen
NanoDTC Translational Prize Fellow 2016-17
NanoDTC Associate a2014
Pluchino Lab
Dr Katherine Sanders
Translational Prize Fellow, 2020-21
PhD Student, c2016
Nanomanufacturing
Dr Ryo Mizuta
NanoDTC Senior Teaching Associate
Dr. Oliver James Burton
Translational Prize Fellow, 2020-21
NanoDTC Associate a2017
Hofmann Group
Philipp Braeuninger-Weimer
Translational Prize Fellow 2017-18
NanoDTC Associate
Hofmann Group
Dr. Tobias E. Naegele
Translational Prize Fellow, 2023-24
PhD Student, c2018
Bioelectronics Laboratory
James Meech
NanoFutures Leadership Award, 2022-23
Physical Computation Laboratory
Subhajit Bhattacharjee
NanoFutures Leadership Award, 2023
Reisner Lab
Dr Tomi Baikie
NanoFutures Leadership Award, 2022-23
Optoelectronics Group
2024 Schmidt Science Fellow
Dr. Jean de la Verpilliere
Translational Prize Fellow 2017-18
PhD Student c2013
Boies Research Group
Dr Benjamin Droguet
NanoDTC Sustainability Prize Fellow, 2021-22
Bio-Inspired Photonics Lab
Department of Chemistry
Tiarnan Doherty
Translational Prize Fellow (Honorary), 2021-22
Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
Niklas Ermann
Translational Prize Fellow, 2020-21
NanoDTC Associate, a2016
KeyserLab
Dr. Richard Howe
Translational Prize Fellow 2016-17
PhD Student c2011
Hybrid Nanomaterials Engineering Group
Dr Michael Stanton
Translational Prize Fellow, 2020-21
NanoDTC Student, c2015
Thin Film Magnetism