University of Birmingham academics were awarded Fellowships to support ambitious research, with combined funding of more than £3m.
University of Birmingham academics have been awarded Future Leaders Fellowships from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to support the next wave of world-class research and innovation leaders in academia and business.
Nadezhda Mamontova and Rohit Chikkaraddy have each been awarded Future Leaders Fellowships (FLFs) from UKRI to support and develop their groundbreaking research.
The FLF scheme provides long-term support to enable fellows to tackle forward-thinking programmes or multidisciplinary questions, and new or emerging research and innovations in universities, businesses, and other research and innovation environments.
Being awarded this fellowship is a huge honour and I am excited for the opportunity to further my work within this field of research.
Dr Nadezhda Mamontova is a human geographer and social anthropologist specialising in Siberian and Arctic Studies and indigenous people, situated within the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences.
She has been awarded £1.1m for her project ‘Copper Perspectives (COPPER): Mineral Regimes, Geodiversity, and Ethical Extractivism in the Arctic Anthropocene’. The project represents the first international, community-led initiative of its kind, working in collaboration with the The Aleut Community of St. Paul Island Tribal Government (Alaska), the University of Northern British Columbia (Canada), and the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU)
Dr Mamontova commented:
“This Fellowship investigates how contemporary copper exploitation shapes the lives of Arctic communities, while also exploring the potential for alternative mineral regimes. It also seeks to examine Indigenous practices of native copper production and use across the US, Canada, and Norway, where extractive traditions have historically been intertwined with cultural values and local understandings of geodiversity.
“The Arctic is increasingly recognised as a vital indicator of global environmental change and a critical site for understanding the dynamics of the Anthropocene. Climate change and the green energy transition are intensifying extractive activities across the region, raising urgent questions about their social, cultural and environmental impacts. Copper, a long a cornerstone of human history, has become especially significant due to its central role in renewable energy systems.
“By adopting a novel multi-scale ethno-minerology approach, in contrast to dominant political-economic analyses, this fellowship will uncover how communities engage with, adapt to and contest changing extractive landscapes. Being awarded this fellowship is a huge honour and I am excited for the opportunity to further my work within this field of research.”
This project is not only about advancing the fundamental science of quantum vibrations under ambient conditions; it is also about developing new, innovative technology. Seeing the unseen at atomic resolution could transform how we study and engineer molecules and quantum materials, with applications in environmental monitoring, health screening, and beyond.
Rohit Chikkaraddy is an Assistant Professor in Physics, within the School of Physics and Astronomy, who has been awarded £1.9m for his project entitled ‘Visualising the Invisible Through Atomic Light Coupled to Quantum Bonds (Q-VITAL)’.
His research explores light-matter interactions at tiny scales using nanophotonics, addressing challenges in sensing, catalysis, and heat management. Rohit’s project will use light to tap into the ‘unseen’ vibrations of quantum materials, revealing the hidden fingerprints of matter at the atomic scale.
Dr Chikkaraddy said:
“Being awarded the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship is a great honour. Having this long-term, flexible support will enable me to explore the underpinning science and accelerate technological prospects.
“This project is not only about advancing the fundamental science of quantum vibrations under ambient conditions; it is also about developing new, innovative technology. Seeing the unseen at atomic resolution could transform how we study and engineer molecules and quantum materials, with applications in environmental monitoring, health screening, and beyond.
“In today's world, monitoring our environment and our health are among the most pressing challenges. But accurate sensing of tiny molecules - such as atmospheric methane or neurotransmitters in the brain - remains extremely difficult. By controlling vibrations in quantum materials, this project aims to overcome these limitations and pave the way for next-generation imaging technologies. I’m excited to join this year’s cohort and look forward to building collaborations with biologists, industry partners, and other disciplines.”
Newton International Fellow
Dr Nadezhda Mamontova is a human geographer and social anthropologist specialising in Siberian and Arctic Studies and indigenous people
Assistant Professor in Physics
Professional academic website of Dr Rohit Chikkaraddy, who is an Assistant Professor in Physics.
