Olajide Olusola

Olajide Olusola is the winner of the 2022 Taylor & Francis CSC Research Implementation and Uptake award stream for his article Investigating the effect of GaCl3 incorporation into the usual CdCl2 treatment on CdTe-based solar cell device structures, published in Current Applied Physics.

Olajide is a 2012 Commonwealth Scholar from Nigeria who gained a PhD in Environmental and Sustainability Systems at Sheffield Hallam University. His article investigates the growth of compound semiconductors as suitable solar cell materials which can be used in clean renewable energy sources.

The materials in Olajide’s research were developed using a low-cost electrodeposition growth technique. To improve efficiency, reproducibility, and scalability of these materials for mass utilisation, the semiconductors were also subjected to different surface treatments for defects passivation.

Olajide’s research has improved the technical knowledge and skills of researchers at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, (FUTA) in Nigeria and created a platform for further research. Undergraduate and postgraduate students have been trained on the thin film technology which has provided enhanced training, resulting in some graduate students winning international research grants for further study in the field of solar energy and material science.

The research has also led to FUTA’s Condensed Matter Laboratory being equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to ensure the progress of thin films electrodeposition. Other semiconductor materials have also now been grown in the laboratory to support the development of solar cell materials for solar energy applications.

As a result of his research, Olajide was awarded a research grant as a co-researcher from the Swedish Research Council in order to partner with principle researchers from Sweden and co-researchers from India and Sri Lanka to contribute to a research project titled ‘Novel nano-structures for performance enhancement of low-cost solar cells’. This grant will allow the research team in FUTA to further explore semiconductor materials for low-cost solar cells applications.

Olajide’s research contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 7 and 9, and to the CSC Development Theme Science and technology for development.

The Taylor & Francis CSC Research Implementation and Uptake award stream: Highly commended entry

Dr Teale Phelps Bondaroff, a 2009 Commonwealth Scholar from Canada, was highly commended by the judges for his paper Characterising changes in a decade of Mexicans sea cucumber crime (2011–2021) using media reports, published in SPC Beche-de-mer Information Bulletin. Teale’s research contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 14, and to the CSC Development Theme Strengthening resilience and response to crises.