FUSE’s Impact on Development and Retention of Talent in the UK Battery Sector

As we continue to welcome Faraday Institution Faraday Undergraduate Summer Experience (FUSE) students to our research community, we’re delighted to share some metrics on the success of the programme in previous years.

The FUSE programme

Since 2018, the Faraday Institution has funded the FUSE internship programme as part of its goal to create a dynamic and diverse pool of talent for the growing and increasingly important battery sector in the UK. The paid research placements of up to 8 weeks have enabled over 310 students in previous years to work with academics at over 20 partner universities across the UK.

For many students, FUSE is the first exposure to the battery sector as science and engineering degree courses often do not include battery energy storage on their syllabus. Similarly, it is usually the first opportunity that they have to engage in active, hands-on, somewhat self-directed independent research based with a university group. This helps students gain an understanding of what a career in academia might be like.

The output of internships is a scientist poster, which interns are encouraged to present to their group. Supervisors frequently comment on the quality of applicants, interns’ research and what they achieve in such their short internships.

To raise awareness of the variety of careers in batteries, be it in academia or industry, FUSE students attend fortnightly cohort calls at which guest speakers (some of them former FUSE students) share their journeys into the battery sector.

FUSE by the numbers

Researching FUSE outcomes

In the summer of 2024, an undergraduate intern at FIHQ, Mitchell Hale, researched the impact of FUSE internships undertaken between 2018 and 2022 on students’ career choices. A survey was sent to 199 former interns with the objective of:

1. 1. Understanding the number of former interns: transitioning to academia and industry roles in the battery sector and transitioning to other STEM roles
   2. Having secured a position following graduation, understanding the extent to which FUSE impacted their decision to pursue their current role

Interns from 2023 and 2024 were omitted given that many were still undergraduate students. The survey achieved a response rate of 52% (105/199). To supplement this data, information on current employment was obtained from the LinkedIn accounts of former FUSE interns who did not complete the survey. 57 such accounts contained usable data, enabling analysis of destinations to be carried out for 81% of former interns (162/199).

Destinations following FUSE

67 of 162 former interns whose destinations are known went on to undertake PhDs (41%).

• 35 of these were PhDs in batteries.
• Six of these had completed their studies at the date of analysis and are now working in the sector.
• Five of those six completed the survey, with four stating that FUSE had a ‘Significant Impact’ on their career choices, with one claiming ‘Considerable Impact’

69 of the 162 former FUSE interns whose destinations are known now work in industry (45%), of which.

• 15 in batteries or renewable energy.
• 44 work in STEM roles in industry (64% of those in industry). Nationally, only 24% of STEM graduates are known to be working in a STEM occupation six months after graduation (National Audit Office 2018).

Building a battery workforce in the UK

• 86% of former FUSE interns now working in industry are based in the UK. Only 1 former FUSE intern that is working in the battery sector in doing so overseas.
• 89% of those that went on to undertake a PhD did so in the UK, including 27 of the 30 whose research is in the battery sector.

Influence of FUSE on career choices

Interns were asked to what extent their FUSE experience impacted their decision to pursue their current role.

Respondents selected from five options from:

• no impact (scoring 1)
• little impact (2)
• some impact (3)
• considerable impact
• significant impact (5).

On average, former FUSE interns said their internships had midway between some and considerable impact. Unsurprisingly, FUSE has a greater influence on the career choices of those staying in academia to pursue a PhD (considerable impact) rather than those moving to industry (the vast majority of FUSE placements are in academic settings). FUSE had the most influence on people that went on to pursue a PhD in battery research.

My FUSE internship helped to confirm and continue the passion I had for research (especially in batteries), and without it I would never even have thought about applying for some of the career roles I have ended up in. Nor would I have met and made the same friends along the way.”
Michael Hills, FUSE intern 2018, Applications Scientist at The Henry Royce Institute, University of Oxford

FUSE students describe their FUSE internship.

Conclusions

The research demonstrates that FUSE has significant impact on the career trajectory of former interns and their decisions to enter the battery sector, and/or to undertake a PhD. Significantly higher numbers pursue a STEM career after graduation compared to the national average.

Through a combination of hands-on research in a research group setting, development of skills, cohort networking, introduction to the battery sector and exposure to a career in research, FUSE enables interns to envision a future in various roles and make a more informed decision on the career path they wish to pursue.

Posted on June 23, 2025