IChemE research Fellowship targets greenhouse gas emissions
21st May 2025
IChemE has awarded its first-ever one-year Andrew Fellowship in catalysis to Lucy Costley-Wood at University College London (UCL).
From October 2025, Lucy’s post-doctoral research will explore how solid catalysts’ form and structure affects their performance, by applying advanced three-dimensional X-ray diffraction techniques, under conditions simulating real-world applications. Her work, in collaboration with spin-out company Methanox, supports development and scale-up of catalysts that eliminate emissions of methane – a potent greenhouse gas – by liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered ships.
The Andrew Fellowship is a 12-month research award established in honour of IChemE Fellow Professor Syd Andrew. It supports early-career researchers in conducting independent work in heterogeneous catalysis, focusing on challenges that are both industrially relevant and aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Lucy said: “I am thrilled to accept this Fellowship. The opportunity to conduct the proposed research, supported by crucial industrial collaboration, will allow me to refine my expertise in emission reduction chemistry and be at the forefront of advancements in these novel techniques. It will enable me to contribute to industrially relevant catalytic developments that address the climate crisis, while boosting my career, whether in academia or industry.”
IChemE’s Vice President (Learned Society), Professor Joan Cordiner, commended Lucy’s proposal: “Lucy aims to use advanced X-ray diffraction techniques on novel catalyst structures to ‘see’ inside chemical reactors at realistic operating conditions for a reaction that is highly important for addressing climate change. The academic host, Professor Andy Beale of UCL, who developed the underlying measurement techniques, and the industrial partner, Methanox, a start-up company specialising in oxidation of methane emitted by LNG carriers, are the ideal partners to unlock the potential of this innovative proposal.”
Applications for the 2026 Andrew Fellowship opened on 20 May 2025 to IChemE’s global membership. You can find out more about the Fellowship, its criteria and how to apply on the Andrew Fellowship page.
Notes to editors
The Andrew Fellowship was established to commemorate the work of IChemE Fellow Professor Syd Andrew, a distinguished expert in the field of catalysis. The goal of the Fellowship is to encourage academic research that enhances the science of formulation of heterogeneous catalysts, to foster collaboration between researchers and industry, and promote research that addresses industrially relevant challenges.
The Fellowship was revised in 2025 to cover the full salary costs plus research related expenses for an early-career researcher for 12 months.
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