Applications are now open for the Faraday Institute’s Transformational Challenge: UltraStore Iron-Air Batteries for Low-Cost Ultra-Long-Duration Storage
The Faraday Institution’s Transformational Challenges target energy storage application challenges that have extraordinary impact potential, and where there are currently only conceptional solutions or ideas at the very earliest stages of research and development.
The UltraStore Transformational Challenge is targeting development of ultra-low cost long duration energy storage solutions.
In 2025 a co-creation and planning phase of this programme identified several candidate battery chemistries that have the potential to satisfy the Challenge’s cost and performance requirements and that warrant further R&D. Research Sprints are currently underway on the UltraStore aluminium programme following a call for proposals earlier in 2026.
The Faraday Institution is now inviting researchers to apply to work on its second candidate battery chemistry via the UltraStore iron-air programme, a group of parallel 18-month projects that aim to develop an iron-air battery capable of meeting the UltraStore programme’s objectives.
Initial funding of approximately £1.4 million will be available across up to five 18-month Research Sprints, each funded at up to £280,000. The Research Sprints will run from 1 January 2027 to 30 June 2028. Subject to satisfactory progress during the first 12–18 months, the Faraday Institution intends to make additional funding available from June 2028 for further related research projects.
This call for proposals focuses on developing a single cell prototype of an iron-air electrochemical energy storage system with decoupled power and energy, targeting a discharge duration of 100 hours. It may be particularly relevant for (but not limited to) researchers with expertise in:
- Metal-air batteries
- Redox-flow stacks
- Alkaline fuel cells
- Aqueous electrolyte design
- Iron metal as an anode
- Fluid dynamics of multi-phase flow
- Aqueous battery chemistries
- Suppression of oxygen evolution
- Oxygen evolution and oxygen reduction cathode and catalyst development
Interested in applying and want to find out more? The Faraday Institution is holding an online briefing and Q&A on 16 September 13.30-14.30 – register here
Deadline for applications: 17.00 5 October 2026
Find out more and apply via the Faraday Institution website
Royce and the Faraday Institution are both UK-based research organisations focused on advanced materials and energy storage, respectively. They share complementary interests, particularly in materials science for battery technology. The organisations collaborate closely on innovation in Battery Materials – battery performance is heavily dependent on materials science, and there is a strong overlap between the two institutions. Faraday directly supports Royce’s advanced materials characterisation, processing, and analysis capabilities that align with its research remit.
