FST JOURNAL

In 2024, the UK Government set out the Clean Energy Superpower Mission which seeks to secure clean power by 2030 and to accelerate to net zero emissions by 2050. 

As the EPSRC Clean Energy team, we target research that will significantly reduce and ideally result in net zero greenhouse gas emissions from our energy system, from the generation, transmission, storage and use of clean energy vectors. We also focus on mitigation routes such as carbon capture, storage and utilisation (CCUS) technologies, and solutions that increase our resilience and adaptability to the known and anticipated effects of climate change.

EPSRC has a long history of investing in new technologies and energy system disruption to deliver transformations and solutions to our climate challenge. Our past, current and future investments in immature technologies, systems approaches, and exploratory research will continue to provide the new knowledge needed deliver clean energy for the UK. EPSRC has led targeted clean energy interventions for over 25 years investing over £1.5Bn, which by 2018 alone had generated around £500bn in UK revenues and employed over 2M people.

Examples of key successes include:

• Flexible solar cells powering farms and crops: With support from the EPSRC's SPECIFIC IKC award, The Application Targeted and Integrated Photovoltaics (ATIP) programme has been pioneering the design and manufacture of next generation photovoltaic solar cells that could enable farms to harvest food and power in the same space. Alongside their 11 industrial partners, including emerging companies in the sector like Polysolar, NSG, Oninn and Powerroll, ATIP have developed the design and manufacture of flexible solar cells that can be printed in a roll-to-roll manufacturing process - like newspapers, only with sunlight-capturing ink.
• Smart heat pumps could cut bills and ease grid pressure – benefitting both people and the planet: UK research led by the University of Southampton with Good Energy, shows heat pumps could cut emissions, lower bills, and help balance electricity demand, keeping homes warm and easing pressure on the grid. The study tested how homes using smart air source heat pumps could automatically adjust their usage to balance the grid during peak demand periods. The findings show that with the right technology and coordination, smartly managed heat pumps could help reduce pressure on the grid at critical times, such as during cold winter evenings. This could also help lower consumer costs and support the UK’s shift away from fossil fuels. As the UK transitions to green energy and works towards net zero, effective grid management will become increasingly vital to ensure a stable and resilient energy system.

A Decade of Impact in Research Funding

I started my career as an Engineering Portfolio Manager at UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) in January 2015. Over a decade later, I continue to serve as EPSRC’s Joint Head of Clean Energy. Throughout this journey, I have been fortunate with the privilege of driving exciting programmes across the breadth of EPSRC’s remit, leading partnerships with industry and international partners to ensure UK science and engineering remains well positioned to deliver impact for the UK economy and society and can contribute meaningfully to global challenges.

My focus is now on establishing EPSRC’s clean energy strategy and defining our forward priorities, the areas where EPSRC’s research can have the greatest impact, and ensuring our investments continue to support the UK’s transition to a clean, resilient energy future.

Futures Leaders 2025 Cohort

This year, I joined the Foundation’s Future Leaders programme which has allowed me to focus on furthering my network across the science and technology landscape, and to have time to personally reflect on my career journey to date. The opportunities from the programme have broadened my horizons and demonstrated the need for each part of the research and innovation (R&I) system.

The programme has reignited my passion for developing research funding strategies that deliver focused benefits to the UK economy and society. Discussions at the various drop-ins, meetings with colleagues from government, parliament, the university sector and the private sector, has reminded me of power of curiosity. Being curious about the work others do, the impacts they are driving towards, and the wider context we all operate in.

Strategic Leadership in Clean Energy

This renewed perspective has directly influenced how I approach my current role. In my current role as EPSRC’s Joint Head of Clean Energy, I provide strategic leadership of our clean energy R&I agenda. This involves commissioning, investing in and evaluating strategic R&I programmes, that deliver our priorities in clean energy. My team ultimately are the domain experts in clean energy within EPSRC, offering deep insights, powerful support and leadership to shape our portfolio and intelligently invest across this portfolio.

We work collaboratively across the R&I ecosystem, engaging academia, industry and government, to ensure our public investments align with our national priorities. These professional networks are critical to delivering our vision to lead the research on the discovery, development, and deployment of clean energy technologies through a whole systems approach, delivering affordable, sustainable, and secure energy solutions that enable the UK to achieve net zero by 2050, and beyond — driving green growth by ensuring economic prosperity and climate resilience.

A key part of our approach is ensuring benefits realisation, actively tracking and demonstrating the tangible impacts of our investments. This includes scientific breakthroughs, industrial uptake, policy influence and societal outcomes. By doing so, we demonstrate the value of public funding, and generate insights that inform strategic decisions in the delivery of clean energy for the UK.

Taking a Step Back: Lessons from the Journey

Networking with professionals from across the sector in the programme has helped reinforce a few personal lessons I have earned from my own career journey.

1. Fan clubs and connections: Build the networks of people who support you – trust, goodwill and challenge are invaluable.
2. Have fun in everything you do: Your career is a part of your life journey, enjoy the experiences.
3. Embrace change (and the chaos!): Focus on your adaptability and resilience.
4. Be uncomfortable & never stop learning: Take that leap of faith and challenge yourself.
5. Value what you bring to the workplace: Remember you are capable and deserve to be here.

I cannot recommend the Foundation’s Future Leaders Programme enough. It has been an incredible opportunity as I leave my first decade in the world of research investment, deepening my understanding of the UK’s R&I system and building connections and knowledge I need to deliver my work in UKRI.

Final Thoughts

 Ultimately, delivering clean energy for the UK is not just about technologies and strategies. It’s about people, partnerships, and purpose. I’m proud to be part of a system that’s driving change, and excited for what the next decade will bring.