Powering Britain's
Battery Revolution
Powering Britain's
Battery Revolution
For the seventh consecutive year, the Faraday Undergraduate Summer Experience (FUSE) programme provided internships for undergraduate students across the UK. 55 students took part in a paid eight-week placement, hosted by 16 universities and four start-ups that were previous recipients of an entrepreneurial fellowships. With over 1,100 applicants received, the programme is still as competitive as ever and the talent and enthusiasm of the interns was palpable.
FUSE’s success would not be possible without the support, guidance and input of the supervisors, who we thank for their efforts and involvement.
As part of the Faraday Institution’s commitment to FUSE interns’ learning and development, all were invited to attend the fortnightly cohort calls in which guest speakers shared their journeys into the battery sector. We are extremely grateful to the speakers from the Faraday Institution community and will look forward to welcome some of this year’s FUSE interns into our research community in the future.
The topics of the cohort calls included:
FUSE Interns develop their hands-on research skills, gain experience in a professional environment and are able to make a more informed decision on whether to pursue a career in academia or industry, among other factors mentioned, by interns, below.
For the first time, FUSE interns were given the opportunity to provide the Faraday Institution with 1:1 feedback on the programme and to discuss how their experience benefitted them. Mitchell Hale, the impact and evaluation intern, collected data and quotes to demonstrate the vital role that FUSE plays.
Working with experts:
Working with other, young academics has been incredibly motivating. Despite their busy schedule, they take time to help me. I have been accepted into the group and collaborating with others has been my highlight.”
Angela Le
Soft skills
I am now more adaptable and can manage my workload well thanks to the independence and flexibility – it really feels like a short PhD.”
Eden Long
Battery knowledge
I feel like I am truly contributing a novel project to the research area.”
Aisha Tribak
Achieving goals
Not only has FUSE proved my interest in the battery sector, it has also equipped me with the necessary skills and experience to find an industrial placement.”
Justin Crotaz
Supporting studies
Thanks to FUSE, I plan to do my master’s research project with the same group. I love research and now have the connections to facilitate a smooth transition into my final year.”
Olivia Ward
Confidence
FUSE has improved my confidence when working independently in the lab. I’ve learnt to use so much equipment I could never use as an undergraduate, including glove boxes. I’m excited to apply these skills to my master’s research project in batteries!”
India Bradley
The FUSE interns have made a meaningful contribution considering the short time frame and integrated well into the office and lab.”
Derek Siu, Imperial.
It has allowed postdoctoral and PhD researchers to gain experience in helping to guide a project.”
Professor Peter Slater, University of Birmingham.
The FUSE programme allows us to help inspire and foster the next generation of talent in this space. It has allowed us to reach a wide range of students that otherwise would not have been possible.”
Derek Siu, Imperial.
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. The 2024 posters and category winners are listed below.
Scientific content and context – Frederick Taylor-Cross
Frederick’s posters explores the very interesting concept of blending cathode materials used in Li-ion batteries. This research is very timely with conclusions and results that could benefit both academic and industrial researchers in the areas of battery design and optimisation. The resulting poster communicates the key findings and results to a high standard, with wide appeal beyond the initial target audience, with a strong focus and direction for future work in the area.
Research progress and findings – Olivia Ward
The amount and quality of research achieved by Olivia were unanimously recognised by the judges, who also highlighted the excellent coherence in the presentation of her findings. Olivia impressed the judges by synthesising, characterising, and performing a solid structural and morphological analysis of a stoichiometric series of lithium-rich spinel cathodes, including a series of ex-situ samples, within the timeframe of a FUSE project. This project demonstrated that such cathodes can be produced with a high degree of phase purity and possess higher energy density than common commercial counterparts. The poster concluded with a clear plan for future work, which is eagerly anticipated.
Visual appeal – Viesturs Spūlis
Viesturs’ poster looks superb. The eye-catching figures are arranged into a clear flow through the poster. The judges were particularly impressed by how Viesturs communicated aspects of his project and concepts in microscopy clearly and succinctly, including overcoming depth-of-field limitations by image fusion and a method for Si particle extraction throughout lithiation. Just take a look for yourself!
Student science communicator – Felix Watson
Effectively communicating a project in modelling can be challenging, but Felix excelled at explaining his work. He provided links to his website, showcasing additional research that highlighted his passion for the topic. This allowed us to expand our understanding beyond what was presented in his poster. Felix’s use of clear and concise language, with supporting figures, helped convey the complexity of his project without reducing the depth of his work.
Posted on October 3, 2024