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Enterprise Fellowships awarded

Posted on 15 March 2018

Dr Natalia Stawniak and Professor David Jenkins are the first to receive fellowship.

The University's first Enterprise Fellowships have been awarded to Dr Natalia Stawniak, Research Associate based in the Department of Biology and Professor David Jenkins from the Department of Physics.


Dr Natalia Stawniak ‌

The Fellowships offer the chance for an academic, or post-doctoral research assistant, to take a year working full time on an enterprise idea, focusing on developing the project and making connections to commercialise the business. One to one expert mentoring and tailored modules are included throughout the year as well as physical space to work, think and meet.

Natalia will be exploring how a supply chain can be developed for rapeseed oil with increased thermal stability, to be used in the production of biodegradable and renewable bio-lubricants. The work could advance commercial production of novel rapeseed developed by Professor Ian Bancroft and his research group.‌


Professor David Jenkins

David’s project centres around bespoke radiation detectors for societal applications. Applications for the detectors could include homeland security, nuclear decommissioning and medical imaging. The focus will be on transferring state-of-the-art technology from experimental nuclear physics to these areas with the aims of identifying commercial partners for some of the detector concepts already developed.

Professor Jon Timmis, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Partnerships & Knowledge Exchange said:

“Our specialised research has the potential to drive innovation and productivity gains for business and major corporations. The Enterprise Fellowships scheme provides the space for researchers to  develop their ideas and build partnerships with organisations who are interested in practical applications for their work. The scheme will be a new focal point for our efforts to share and exchange knowledge.”

Find out more about the Enterprise Fellowships.