SCIENTIA PROFESSOR ROSE AMAL AC FTSE, FAA, FIChemE, FRSN, HonFIEAust

Professor Rose Amal is a UNSW Scientia Professor and was an ARC Laureate Fellow. Prof. Rose Amal is a chemical engineer and the Co-leaders of the Particles and Catalysis Research Group at UNSW Chemical Engineering and also the Co-Director of ARC Training Centre for the Global Hydrogen Economy (GlobH2E). Professor Rose Amal is recognised as a pioneer and leading authority in photocatalysis and functional nanomaterials recognised globally for her research in specialised photochemistry, material science and system engineering. Rose is also a pioneer of Sunlight to X (P2X) technology in Australia, with over 20 years of dedicated research focused on designing catalysts for solar and chemical energy conversion applications (including photocatalysis for water and air purification, water splitting for H2 production, CO2 reduction to make Syngas, and NOx reduction to generate ammonia)  and engineering systems for solar induced processes, using the sun’s energy as a clean fuel source.  Her groundbreaking work has positioned her as a key figure in the field, contributing significantly to sustainable energy solutions. 

To date, she has successfully attracted over attracted >$108M in competitive funding from the Australian Research Council, including lead CI roles on 8 Discovery Projects, 8 Linkage Projects, an Australian Laureate Fellowship (FL140100081; 2014-19; $2.38M), CI roles on two ARC Centres of Excellence [Functional Nanomaterials (CE0348243; 2003-15) and  Carbon Science and Innovation (CE230100032)]; and leadership roles on 2 Industrial Transformation Research Program:  Training Centres e.g., Director, ARC Training Centre for the Global Hydrogen Economy (2021-26; $4.9M ARC+$3.5M PO cash) and key CI in ARC Research Hub for Integrated Energy Storage Solution (2019-25 - $3M ARC + $8.7M PO contribution). Successfully secured Government funding includes Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) (e.g., Hydrogen TRAC Program; R&D Program; $7.18M in total project cost), and Australian Trailblazer Program (Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TRaCE); $1.65M) and more recent one the Global Science and Technology Diplomacy Fund ($749K). She also leads the ‘Power Fuels including Hydrogen Network’ (PFHN; >75 industry partners), part of the $15M NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub.

 She has an extensive publication record including 6 book chapters, over 570 refereed journal papers, receiving > 47,300 citations, h-index: 112 (Scopus, August 2025), 1 US/AUS patent, 5 Australian patents AU2020232976 (Vertical branched graphene); AU2021358140 (Plasma assisted electrocatalytic conversion); AU2020902843 (Catalyst for H2O2), AU2023901005 (Renewable Power to X module for electrochemical energy conversion reaction); AU2022254780 (NOx activation to Ammonia). She also a regular contributor to government reports on Power-to-X technologies including Hydrogen technology and value chain feasibility for the Australian Government (DFAT & DISER) and NSW Government.

She has successfully supervised over 96 PhD students and Masters students and more than 200 honours students in fields relating to environmental and energy technologies.

Professor Rose Amal has received numerous prestigious awards including James Cook Medal (2021), CHEMECA medalist (2021), named as 2019 NSW Scientist of the Year, being listed in the Australia's Top 100 Most Influential Engineers (2012-2015), the ExxonMobil Award (2012), the Judy Raper Women in Engineering Leadership Award (2012), the NSW Science and Engineering Award - Emerging Research  (2011),  and the Freehills Award (2008). She is a Fellow of Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (FTSE), a Fellow of Australian Academy of Science (FAA), Fellow of Royal Society NSW (FRSN) Fellow of IChemE, and Honorary Fellow of Engineers Australia. She has received the nation’s top civilian honour – the Companion of the Order of Australia – as part of the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours for her eminent service to chemical engineering, particularly in the field of particle technology, through seminal contributions to photocatalysis, to education as a researcher and academic, and to women in science as a role model and mentor. She is also recognised as one of 100 Australian Visionaries and Innovators leading Australia's response to climate change by the Powerhouse Museum.

To find out more or to follow the works of  Professor Rose Amal's research group, click: http://www.pcrg.unsw.edu.au 

To read her publications, go to https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rose_Amal