Prashanth Menezes awarded prestigious VAIBHAV Fellowship by Government of India
Dr. Prashanth Menezes is head of the Department of Materials Chemistry for Catalysis at HZB. He is the sole recipient of the VAIBHAV Fellowship in the Materials and Processing Technologies category in 2025 — a distinction that demonstrates his pioneering contributions to materials chemistry and catalysis. © Michael Setzpfandt / HZB
The Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, has announced the recipients of the Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Fellowship, a flagship initiative aimed at fostering collaboration between the Indian STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) diaspora and leading research institutions in India. Among the 2025 awardees is Dr. Prashanth W. Menezes, Head of the Department of Materials Chemistry for Catalysis at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB).
Prashanth Menezes is the only awardee in the field of Materials and Processing Technologies this year, recognized for his outstanding contributions to catalysis and materials chemistry.
The VAIBHAV Fellowship, implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), aims to strengthen collaboration between the global Indian STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) diaspora and Indian research institutions. The initiative builds on the success of the VAIBHAV Summit, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which brought together over 25,000 participants from more than 70 countries.
As part of the fellowship, Menezes will collaborate with the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, to establish intermetallic electrocatalysts for scaled green hydrogen production coupled with the synthesis of value-added chemicals. This initiative aims to advance sustainable energy research and promote eco-friendly hydrogen technologies.
“The VAIBHAV Fellowship provides an exciting opportunity to combine international expertise with India’s rapidly growing research ecosystem,” said Menezes. “Our goal is to contribute meaningfully to the global transition toward sustainable and clean energy.”
Prashanth Menezes is recognized for his contributions to intermetallic catalysis, electrocatalytic processes, and sustainable energy conversion systems. His research has been instrumental in advancing the understanding of catalyst design and reaction mechanisms for renewable energy applications. Menezes’ selection highlights India’s continued commitment to fostering innovation and scientific excellence through global partnerships.
- Susanne Nies appointed to EU advisory group on Green DealDr. Susanne Nies heads the Green Deal Ukraina project at HZB, which aims to support the development of a sustainable energy system in Ukraine. The energy expert has now also been appointed to the European Commission's scientific advisory group to comment on regulatory burdens in connection with the net-zero target (DG GROW).
- HZB wins HR Energy Award 2025 for recruitment campaignThe Helmholtz Centre Berlin (HZB) is breaking new ground in attracting talented young people to IT training. HZB was presented with this year's HR Energy Award for its "Go for IT! Recruitainment for IT training" campaign. Gamification elements make the application process more attractive and fairer for young people.
- Long-term stability for perovskite solar cells: a big step forwardPerovskite solar cells are inexpensive to produce and generate a high amount of electric power per surface area. However, they are not yet stable enough, losing efficiency more rapidly than the silicon market standard. Now, an international team led by Prof. Dr. Antonio Abate has dramatically increased their stability by applying a novel coating to the interface between the surface of the perovskite and the top contact layer. This has even boosted efficiency to almost 27%, which represents the state-of-the-art. After 1,200 hours of continuous operation under standard illumination, no decrease in efficiency was observed. The study involved research teams from China, Italy, Switzerland and Germany and has been published in Nature Photonics.