July 3, 2025
Professor Chuan Zhao FRSN FRACI FRSC, of the UNSW School of Chemistry, has been awarded a prestigious ARC Laureate Fellowship, announced by the Australian Research Council in late June.
He joins the University of Sydney Professor Richard Payne FRSN FAA FRACI FRSC as a new ARC Laureate Fellow in receiving more than $3 million over five years.
Professor Zhao’s project, titled ‘A Next-Generation Water Splitter for a Green-Hydrogen Future’, aims to develop a new class of water-splitting devices that produce green hydrogen without relying on fossil fuels. By leveraging low-cost, earth-abundant materials and designing systems compatible with intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, this work will lay the foundation for scalable, affordable hydrogen production. Beyond advancing fundamental knowledge in water electrolysis, the project will deliver high-performance electrolysers and materials for industrial applications. It will also enhance Australia’s clean energy research capacity, strengthen industry partnerships, and support the global transition to a net-zero future. To learn more, please visit the ARC Laureate profile.
The Council of the Royal Society of NSW extends its warm congratulations to Chuan Zhao on this outstanding achievement and wishes him every success in his research during the coming five years.
