Dr Noelia Noël awarded STFC Leadership Fellowship in Public Engagement

Above: Dr Noelia Noël, Senior Lecturer in Astrophysics at the University of Surrey.
Courtesy University of Surrey

The Fellowship comes with £225,000 funding to lead a three-year programme designed to expand capacity for engaging the public in STFC-supported science – including astronomy, physics, space science and computational science. 
 
Awarded to just two individuals in the UK each year, the fellowship recognises researchers with outstanding leadership in public engagement and provides long-term support to build high-quality, innovative and inclusive engagement across the research community. 

Dr Noël said: “Sharing the wonder of the Universe has been a passion throughout my life, ever since I first looked through the telescope my father built on our roof in Argentina. Through this fellowship, I want to open that same sense of discovery to young carers – children, teenagers, and young adults who already carry extraordinary responsibilities at home. Science can offer them space to imagine, to explore, and to realise that they too belong in the future of discovery.” 

In recent years, Dr Noël has delivered large-scale public talks – including her first TEDx talk in December 2025 on protecting the night sky from satellite pollution – and has led grassroots mentoring programmes, pioneered inclusive curriculum design and advocated for better access for those wanting to start a career in science. These initiatives have broadened participation in STEM and opened up meaningful pathways into astrophysics for young people and underrepresented groups at Surrey. 

The leadership role will support Dr Noël to expand her work in astronomy outreach and science communication, providing dedicated time and resources to develop this activity into a sustained, strategic programme that strengthens Surrey’s public engagement culture.  

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is one of the UK’s major research councils, supporting world-leading facilities and programmes that advance our understanding of the Universe. Through its research and innovation campuses at Harwell and Daresbury, along with international research partnerships, STFC supports fundamental research in astronomy, physics, space science and computational science.  

STFC’s Public Engagement Leadership Fellowships, awarded through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), back researchers who can help connect these discoveries with wider society – building skills, capacity and meaningful experiences across the UK. 

Head of Public Engagement and Skills for the Programme’s Directorate of STFC Jenni Chambers said: “I congratulate Dr Noël on becoming STFC’s latest Public Engagement Leadership Fellow. I am very excited to see how she will use the award and her expertise to inspire a new generation of young people about the wonder of the Universe around us.”