Małgorzata Mielczarek from the Wrocław University of Science and Technology Doctoral School will head to Stanford University. There, she will conduct research on new technologies for seawater electrolysis to produce green hydrogen. This opportunity is made possible by the prestigious Fulbright Junior Research Award.

About the Program

The Fulbright Junior Research Award is a program designed for researchers currently preparing their doctoral dissertations at Polish scientific institutions. It enables them to carry out their own research projects at American universities, non-profit research institutes, or NGOs. The fellowship stays range from 4 to 10 months.

A Gateway to Global Science

In this year’s edition of the Fulbright Junior Research Award, 28 applications were submitted, and 12 scholarships were awarded. Among the recipients, only two represent Polish technical universities.

One of them is Małgorzata Mielczarek, who will join the SUNCAT group at Stanford University and SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center) for the 2026/27 academic year.

"A stay at Stanford is not only a chance to work with one of the leading research teams in my field, but also an opportunity to experience the Silicon Valley ecosystem. This university is renowned for its exceptionally strong collaboration between academia and industry, which directly translates into the development of new technologies and the birth of innovative startups," says Małgorzata Mielczarek.

Green Hydrogen from Seawater

During her time in the USA, the WUST doctoral student will focus on new technologies for seawater electrolysis to produce green hydrogen. Current solutions require ultrapure water, which puts a significant strain on freshwater resources—especially considering the growing scale of hydrogen production.

"That is why it is so crucial to develop technologies that allow for the efficient use of seawater or other untreated sources. My project focuses on bipolar membranes, an electrolyzer component that enables the electrolysis of contaminated water by controlling ion transport and creating favorable pH microenvironments on both sides of the electrolyzer," explains Małgorzata Mielczarek.

"Creating an acidic environment on the cathode side and an alkaline one on the anode side allows us to optimize conditions separately for each reaction (hydrogen and oxygen production), increasing the overall efficiency and selectivity of the process. The project focuses on studying the degradation mechanisms of these membranes in saline environments," she adds.

The full list of scholarship recipients can be found on the website of the Polish-American Fulbright Commission.