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

Ecosystem Reliability Engineer at Apple
Co-Founder - ALMA
PhD Student, c2016
Kar-Narayan Group
Translational Prize Topic: Wearable and reusable pH sensor integrated with a fluidic system for continuous vaginal infection monitoring
75%

Haralds Abolins

NanoFutures Leadership Award, 2022-23

NanoDTC Associate a2017
Optoelectronics Group
NFL Award Topic: Non-Uniform Random Number Generation for Sensor-Driven Edge Artificial Intelligence
1%

Dr Joonatan Laulainen

NanoFutures Leadership Award, 2022-23

CTO - altrove
NanoDTC Associate, a2018
Electron Microscopy Group
NFL Award Topic: Creating Environmental Metrics for the Research Environment
1%

Dr. Tarun Vemulkar

NanoDTC Translational Prize Fellow 2016-17

Co-founder and CTO at Semarion Ltd.
PhD Student c2012
Thin Film Magnetism Group
Translational Prize Topic: Magnetically actuated on-chip microfluidic mixers
1%

Dr. Jeroen Verheyen

NanoDTC Translational Prize Fellow 2016-17

Co-founder and CEO at Semarion Ltd.
NanoDTC Associate a2014
Pluchino Lab
Translational Prize Topic: Magnetically actuated on-chip microfluidic mixers
1%

Dr Katherine Sanders

Translational Prize Fellow, 2020-21

Research Associate at IfM, Cambridge University
PhD Student, c2016
Nanomanufacturing
Translational Prize Topic: Structured nanomaterials for efficient removal of organic pollutants in water
90%

Dr Ryo Mizuta

NanoDTC Senior Teaching Associate

Senior Teaching Associate, Department of Physics (NanoDTC)

Dr. Oliver James Burton

Translational Prize Fellow, 2020-21

CSO of ProSpectral
NanoDTC Associate a2017
Hofmann Group
Translational Prize Topic: 2D Materials - A Template for Transferring Research to Production
90%

Philipp Braeuninger-Weimer

Translational Prize Fellow 2017-18

Scientific Projects Lead at Intellectual Ventures
NanoDTC Associate
Hofmann Group
Translational Prize Topic: A Ubiquitous Graphene Sensor Platform
1%

Dr. Tobias E. Naegele

Translational Prize Fellow, 2023-24

Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Cambridge
PhD Student, c2018
Bioelectronics Laboratory
Research Topic: Implantable devices for cancer therapy
100%
Bioelectronics Laboratory
100%

James Meech

NanoFutures Leadership Award, 2022-23

NanoDTC Associate, a2020
Physical Computation Laboratory
NFL Award Topic: Non-Uniform Random Number Generation for Sensor-Driven Edge Artificial Intelligence
1%

Subhajit Bhattacharjee

NanoFutures Leadership Award, 2023

NanoDTC Associate 2022
Reisner Lab
NFL Award Topic: PROTONERA - Green Hydrogen from Waste using Sun, Bio & Nano
1%

Dr Tomi Baikie

NanoFutures Leadership Award, 2022-23

NanoDTC Associate, a2019
Optoelectronics Group
2024 Schmidt Science Fellow
NFL Award Topic: In-vivo Topographic Electropotential Measurements of Skin
1%

Dr. Jean de la Verpilliere

Translational Prize Fellow 2017-18

Founder and CEO at Echion Technologies
PhD Student c2013
Boies Research Group
Translational Prize Topic: Conversion Li-ion battery anodes for electric vehicles
1%

Dr Benjamin Droguet

NanoDTC Sustainability Prize Fellow, 2021-22

Founder & CEO, Sparxell
Bio-Inspired Photonics Lab
Department of Chemistry
Translational Prize Topic: Cellulose photonic pigments
1%

Tiarnan Doherty

Translational Prize Fellow (Honorary), 2021-22

StranksLab
Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
Translational Prize Topic: Metal Halide Perovskites for X-Ray Detection
1%

Niklas Ermann

Translational Prize Fellow, 2020-21

Data Scientist / Engineer - Transition Bio
NanoDTC Associate, a2016
KeyserLab
Translational Prize Topic: A point-of-care cancer diagnostic device based on the amplification-free quantification of microRNAs
1%

Dr. Richard Howe

Translational Prize Fellow 2016-17

Patent Attorney, Mewburn Ellis
PhD Student c2011
Hybrid Nanomaterials Engineering Group
Translational Prize Topic: Highly conducting, low-cost graphene inks for roll-to-roll printing using a standard graphics press
1%

Dr Michael Stanton

Translational Prize Fellow, 2020-21

Co-Founder & CTO at Ki Hydrogen
NanoDTC Student, c2015
Thin Film Magnetism
Translational Prize Topic: Plastics Recycling by Photoreforming
1%