In the summer of 2023, the Faraday Undergraduate Summer Experience (FUSE) programme provided internships for undergraduate students to undertake paid eight-week placements with battery researchers from partner universities and organisations. The programme remains highly competitive with over 1,500 applicants received this year. We were delighted to welcome 53 talented and enthusiastic interns from 15 universities to work with our research community. We would like to thank all the supervisors for their support.
The FUSE interns were informed and inspired by a series of four online cohort events.
Topics included:
- An introduction to the Faraday Institution
- A day in the life of battery researchers
- A PhD focusing on battery technology
- Why batteries?
Many thanks to the speakers from the Faraday Institution community.
Key Facts:
- At the end of the placement 87% of interns would consider applying to do a PhD compared to 49% at the start
- 98% of FUSE 2023 students would consider pursuing a career in the fields of energy storage and battery technology
- 98% would recommend the Faraday Undergraduate Summer Experience (FUSE) internship programme to other students
FUSE 2023 Interns Describe Their Experiences
Working with experts:
Beyond the privilege of working in one of the world's premier battery labs, I also had the opportunity to learn from leading experts in the field. Conversations with them are often insightful and meaningful, truly shaping my perspective on academia and battery research.”
Shin Huey Ter
Spending the summer sitting right opposite the CEO of a battery start-up has been an enlightening experience. Apart from the obvious mentorship that I received I've been inspired to pursue a career in the battery industry post-graduation.”
Atulit Dasaratha
Knowledge and skills:
The internship allowed me to expand on my skills in research, development, data analysis, and in communication of scientific concepts. I was able to experience first-hand what the typical day of a battery researcher is like.”
Shelly Tchoutezo
I was also given great opportunities like touring important scientific facilities such as the Diamond Light Source.”
Abigail Eddie
Access to equipment and facilities:
The highlight of the internship has been being able to be part of experiments in a lab with cutting edge technology equipment. It was very interesting and new to be able to, for example, operating machine such as X-rays machines, electron microscopes or battery abuse chambers.”
Seung-Bin Joo
Interest in the battery sector:
Prior to completing my FUSE internship, my lab experience was covered only by what I had done in school. The internship has had a huge impact on my 3rd year individual project choice for my degree and has led to a new interest in the sector as a whole."
Jessica Mackie
PhD aspirations:
Before the project, I was hesitant about pursuing a PhD. Now having gained a feel for research, and having listened to other people’s PhD journeys, I feel more informed about the steps I could take to pursue one also.”
Nathan Njoku
This FUSE Internship has given me an insight into the battery sector, an area which has not been touched on much by my undergraduate degree. It has been a great learning opportunity and has given me an interest in pursuing a PhD in this area.”
Alexander Albright
FUSE Supervisors’ Perspective
Rewarding
Mentoring FUSE interns is a hugely rewarding experience as their supervisor. For many, this is their first taste of life on the frontline of scientific research and guiding them as they take first steps is a great privilege. It is always astonishing to see how much these students are able to achieve in the short time they are in the labs, thanks in no small part to their talent and dedication to the internship.”
Rob House, Senior Research Fellow, Oxford University
I would welcome the opportunity to supervise a student again. I believe that continued involvement in such initiatives contributes not only to the growth of the students but also to the collaboration among our academic community. I look forward to the prospect of guiding and mentoring future participants to help them achieve their academic and professional aspirations.”
Puritut Nakhanivej, Research Fellow at WMG
It has been a fun and enriching experience for the student, the supervisor and the whole lab group community.”
Professor Magda Titirici and PhD Researcher Samantha Southern
Quality of applicants
FUSE internships are excellent and the quality of intern that applies is outstanding.”
Professor Andy Abbott, University of Leicester
The FUSE internship is a fantastic opportunity to attract top class undergraduate students to research for an 8-week period.”
Dr Alistair Hales, University of Bristol
The Faraday Undergraduate Summer Experience enables some of the country's most able scientific undergraduate students to gain critical research and industry-oriented experience, benefitting the host institutions and reinforcing the UK's future talent pool in the battery sector.”
Dr Edmund Dickinson, Head of Electrochemistry, About:Energy
Added value
Our intern provided new perspectives and energised the project.”
Dr Terry Dyer, University of Strathclyde
FUSE Poster Competition
As part of the FUSE internship programme, students produce high-quality scientific posters detailing their work, which are judged by a diverse panel of experts. Here you can view the 2023 posters and learn about the category winners.
Scientific content and context – Kaja Glazer, Banking on Better Black Mass, ReLiB
The judges were impressed with the way the simple concept of black mass was approached with great complexity, applying novel magnetic separation approaches to ensure technique optimisation. It showed the ability to take a fundamental process and cleverly innovate it to maximise impact. The context and relevance of this research was conveyed effectively and to a high level of detail in a way that was understandable for specialist and non-specialist audiences alike. Creative use of graphics further strengthened the communication of the science and key facts.
Research progress and findings – Daniel Leong, Immobilised Redox Mediators for Li-air Batteries, Degradation Project
Daniel is recognised for skilfully taking a very niche, difficult to understand aspect of batteries and explaining it very clearly in a way that is accessible across the field. The technical communication is high-quality, with the process and methodology clearly expressed throughout the poster sections. Whilst low on the technology readiness scale, the vision for how this research should be developed is compelling, with impact and next steps evident.
Visual appeal – Siddhi Barhanpurkar, Improving Battery Models Using Uncertainty Analysis, About:Energy
The highly professional level of visual appeal for this poster was described as being exceptional by the judging panel. Strong science was represented through a wealth of creative, well-designed figures that included the optimum level of information, pitched at the ideal level. The quality of science communication skills displayed throughout this eye-catching poster made it stand out. A compelling story was easily accessible to expert and non-expert audiences alike. This poster scored highly in all categories but ultimately it was the overwhelming strength of visual presentation that impressed the judges the most.
Student science communicator - Yazmin Monaghan, Forensic Analysis of Lithium Batteries for Early Failure Modes (FAB-FM), SafeBatt
Yazmin effectively led the reader on the journey of her research internship, making the day in the life of a FUSE intern tangible through the inclusion of photographs that explained the experimental process employed. Various techniques were used in poster design to enhance communication such as the use of colour and graphics. Yazmin’s enthusiasm for the project was palpable.
FUSE Posters 2023
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