The Spanish State Research Agency has recently granted a Juan de la Cierva fellowship to support the incorporation of a postdoctoral researcher at IREC. This highly competitive programme is designed to facilitate the integration of early-career PhDs into Spanish R&D institutions, enabling them to further develop their postdoctoral expertise.

Dr. Juguo Dai has joined the Functional Nanomaterials Department at IREC under the supervision of ICREA Prof. Andreu Cabot. His research will focus on the primary area of Materials Science and Technology, particularly in the subarea of Materials for Energy and the Environment. Dr. Dai obtained his PhD from Xiamen University (China) in June 2024. Dai will devote his efforts to the rational design and precise synthesis of advanced nanostructured materials-including carbon architectures and single-atom catalysts, transition-metal sulfides/oxides, and conductive polymers-and to their integration into high-performance electrode systems for next-generation energy storage, with a particular focus on lithium–sulfur batteries, redox flow batteries, and supercapacitors. This two-year fellowship began in November 2025.

This new appointment reinforces IREC’s ongoing commitment to scientific excellence and to driving innovative technological advances in the energy and environmental sectors.

Acknowledgements of the grants (in Spanish): Esta ayuda JDC2024-055824-I está financiada por MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 y por el FSE+.