Professor Brandon, Shell Professor of Sustainable Development in Energy in the department of Earth Sciences and Engineering, takes up the post on 1 August 2006. He will be providing advice and undertaking profile-raising activities for UK energy research, supported by the Research Councils' Energy Programme. He will be dividing his time between these activities and his research at Imperial.

The Energy Senior Research Fellow is an ambassador for UK Energy research. The role includes gathering intelligence on international research developments and raising the profile of the UKs energy research on the national and international stage. Professor Brandon will be representing the Research Councils within the energy research community, Government and the media, and providing strategic advice to the Research Councils' Energy team.

Professor Brandon said: "The academic community in the UK is well placed to help overcome the many challenges facing the energy sector, and I am delighted to be working with the EPSRC to help make this happen."

Professor Brandon joined Imperial in 1998 after working on a range of energy projects during 14 years in industrial research and development at BP and Rolls Royce. His research is particularly focused on the design, characterisation, modelling, control and optimisation of fuel cells, which convert fuels such as natural gas or hydrogen into energy by combining them with an oxidant. Where the cells are fuelled by hydrogen, the only products are energy and water, so they have the potential to provide an efficient and environmentally friendly power source.

His present research work encompasses high temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs), metal supported Intermediate Temperature-SOFCs, and lower temperature Polmyer Fuel Cells. He is a founder and Chief Scientist of Ceres Power Ltd, an AIM listed company spun out from Imperial College, which is developing a range of products based around metal supported SOFCs.

EPSRC Chief Executive, Professor John OReilly, welcomed Professor Brandon's appointment and said: "Nigel brings his experience in industry and as an active researcher to the Research Councils' Energy Programme and will help in ensuring that we are alert to opportunities and challenges in this highly significant research area."