University news

A University of Glasgow chemist is set to advance her groundbreaking work in developing sustainable devices with the support of a major award from the Leverhulme Trust.
 
Professor Emily Draper of the School of Chemistry has been announced as one of 30 winners of the 2025 Philip Leverhulme Prizes.
 
Now in its twenty-fourth year, this scheme commemorates the contribution to the work of the Trust made by Philip, Third Viscount Leverhulme and grandson of William Lever, the founder of the Trust.
 
The prizes recognise and celebrate the achievements of outstanding researchers whose work has already attracted international recognition and whose future careers are exceptionally promising.
 
Each prize is worth £100,000 and may be used for any purpose that advances the prize winner’s research.

 
Professor Draper’s work focuses on the development of more sustainable and cheaper organic alternative materials to replace the metal used in traditional devices.
 
The Prize funding will enable Professor Draper to lead an interdisciplinary collaboration to unlock the full potential of organic materials in thermoelectric applications.
 
The project will build on Professor Draper’s previous research in developing organic thermoelectric generator (OTEG) materials which generate electrical energy from waste heat sources like body heat or sunlight.
 
Professor Draper will work to overcome a longstanding challenge in developing OTEG devices, which cannot be characterised using the methods used for ceramic and metal materials which traditional devices are made from. She will develop a method tailored specifically for measuring thermal conductivity in organic thin films, under conditions that closely mimic those in operational devices. The measurements made with the new method will underpin the future systematic design, building, and evaluation of a new generation of OTEG devices.
 
Professor Draper said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been awarded the Philip Leverhulme Prize for Chemistry. This prize and this foundation stand apart in their ability to fund ambitious, curiosity-driven research at the boundaries of disciplines. It is precisely this kind of flexible, forward-looking, and trust-based support that will allow me to take the intellectual and technical risks required to deliver genuine transformation, both in my own work and in the broader landscape of organic electronics.
 
“The research will be delivered in collaboration with Professor Jonathan Weaver of the University’s James Watt School of Engineering, an expert in applied nanofabrication and thermal scanning using atomic force microscopy cantilevers. Combining his expertise in instrumentation with my background in organic materials and in operando measurement techniques, we are uniquely positioned to tackle this challenge. Our goal is not only to make progress in our own devices, but to develop a standardised, accessible approach for the entire field.”
 
Professor Anna Vignoles, Director of the Leverhulme Trust, said: “We continue our centenary celebrations with the announcement of this year’s prize winners. The Trust is delighted to support them through the next stage of their careers. The breadth of topics covered by their research is impressive, from landscape archaeology to biomolecular mass spectrometry, applied microeconomics to adaptable wearable robotics, and pyrogeography to critical applied linguistics. Selecting the winners becomes increasingly challenging year-on-year due to the extraordinarily high calibre of those nominated. We are immensely grateful to the reviewers and panel members who help us in our decision-making.”

First published: 21 October 2025