Dr Beck leads a research group focused on integrating nanophotonics and optoelectronic device design for applications in solar fuels and the next generation of photodetection technologies. She is also Convener of the Hydrogen Fuels Project in the Energy Change Institute's Zero-carbon energy for the Asia-Pacific ANU Grand Challenge. 

Dr Beck currently holds a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) from the ARC, as well as the Future Engineering Research Leader (FERL) Fellowship from the ANU. She joined the College of Engineering and Computer Science at the Australian National University as a research fellow and lecturer in 2015. She spent the previous four years as a Marie Curie Research Fellow at ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences in Barcelona, Spain, employing plasmonics to enhance the performance of novel optoelectronic devices. She obtained a PhD from the ANU in 2011, with a thesis on designing plasmonic light trapping schemes for applications in solar cells. She has an MSci degree in Physics from The University of Glasgow, and was awarded the Eve and Ravenscroft prize for the most distinguished graduate from the Faculty of Physical Sciences.  

Dr Beck tweets about optoelectronics, nano-optics, and saving the world with renewable energy @Fiona_J_Beck

Research areas

• Nanophotonic approaches to photochemistry 
• Hot electron science and applications 
• Solar (photoelectrochemical) hydrogen generation
• The hydrogen economy and the energy transition

Academic history

2019-present: Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow, Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering, ANU

2015-2018: Lecturer and Research Fellow, Research School of Engineering, ANU

2011-2014: Postdoctral Researcher, ICFO- Institute of Photonic Science, Barcelona, Spain

2007-2010: PhD in Nanophotonics for light trapping, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Australia

2002-2006: First Class MSci in Physics, University of Glasgow, Scotland

Grants 

2018: Zero-carbon energy for the Asia-Pacific, ANU Grand Challenges Scheme, Hydrogen Fuels Project Convenor, https://www.anu.edu.au/research/research-initiatives/zero-carbon-energy-for-the-asia-pacific

2018: Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) Research and Development Program Round 4: Renewable Hydrogen for Export, Low-Cost Perovskite/Silicon Semiconductors Integrated with Earth Abundant Catalysts for Efficient Solar Hydrogen Generation KC007

2018: ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, Research School of Engineering, ANU, Plasmonic hot-electron technologies for nanoscale energy conversion, DE180100383

2016: ANU Major Equipment Committee Grant, Research School of Engineering, ANU, Photoelectrochemical Characterisation Facility

2014:  Future Engineering Research Leader Fellowship, Research School of Engineering, ANU, Nanostructured Optoelectronic Devices. 

2011-2013: Marie Curie Incoming International Fellowship, European FP7 People Framework, ICFO - Institute of Photonic Science, Barcelona, Spain, Plasmonically enhanced collodial quantum dot photovoltaics, FP7-299517-PECQDPV