Funding Sources

Apr 2017 – Mar 2023

European Research Council Consolidator Grant

European Research Council

Leicester’s Planetary Atmospheres team is supported by a European Research Council Consolidator Grant (GIANTCLIMES), awarded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, grant agreement No. 723890.
Apr 2016

STFC Consolidated Grant

Science and Technology Facilities Council

STFC supported Dr. Fletcher’s PhD thesis at Oxford, and has since supported PDRAs and Studentships at the University of Leicester.
Jan 2013 – Dec 2020

Royal Society University Research Fellowship

Royal Society

Royal Society URF (5 years) and URF Extension (3 years) to support giant planet research at the Universities of Oxford and Leicester.
Jan 2013 – Mar 2022

Royal Society Research Grants

Royal Society

Research grants from the Royal Society have supported PhD studentships at Oxford and Leicester.

Experience

 
 
 
 
 
January 2022 – Present
Leicester

Professor of Planetary Science

School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester

Research funded by the Royal Society, European Research Council, and Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
 
 
 
 
 
August 2015 – December 2021
Leicester

Associate Professor in Planetary Sciences

School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester

Research funded by the Royal Society, European Research Council, and Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
 
 
 
 
 
January 2010 – August 2015
Oxford

Royal Society Research Fellow (URF)

Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, University of Oxford

Research fellowships funded by the Royal Society and a Glasstone Science Fellowship
 
 
 
 
 
January 2008 – January 2010
California

NASA Postdoctoral Fellow

Caltech/NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Giant planet observations from Earth-based telescopes working with Dr. Glenn Orton.

Awards

Nov 2018

Sir Arthur Clarke Award for Space Achievement in Academic Research: UK Cassini-Huygens Team

British Interplanetary Society

Oct 2016

Harold C. Urey Prize

Division of Planetary Sciences

Jun 2010

Winton Capital Postdoctoral Award

Royal Astronomical Society

Apr 2009

NASA Group Achievement Award: Cassini/CIRS

NASA

Feb 2008

Keith Runcorn Thesis Prize

Royal Astronomical Society

Publications

Talks

Invited and contributed talks at national and international meetings.

News & Views Articles

News & Views, Book Reviews, and Popular Science Articles.

Observing Proposals

Observing proposals.

Technical Papers

Technical publications, white papers, and mission proposals.

Journal Articles

Peer-reviewed journal articles.

Community

Conference Organising

Conference and workshop organisation

Leadership Positions

Editorial Boards and Leadership roles.

Reviewing

Reviewing & Panel Membership activities.

Projects

Europlanet: RAS-Juno Meeting 2018

EuroPlanet 2020 Workshop in London, 10-11 May 2018: ‘New Views of Jupiter: Pro-Am Collaborations during and beyond the NASA Juno Mission’

Ice Giants

Ice giant atmospheres from ground-based telescopes and JWST.

Jupiter's Climate Variability

Jupiter’s long-term atmospheric cycles from ground-based telescopes.

Saturn's Seasonal Atmosphere

Exploring Saturn’s seasons from Cassini and ground-based telescopes.

Engagement

Press Coverage

Press releases and coverage of our work.

Public Talks

Talks to the general public and astronomy societies.

Exhibitions and Museums

Participation in large events and exhibitions.

TV and Radio

Appearances on TV, Radio and Podcasts.

Schools

Work with primary and secondary schools.

Science Writing

Blogs and popular science writing.

Group

Through research grants from STFC, the Royal Society, and the European Research Council, I have been fortunate to work with a group of talented individuals as part of Leicester’s Planetary Atmospheres Team.

Current Postdoctoral Researchers

  • Dr. Michael Roman
  • Dr. Oliver King

Current PhD Students

  • Jake Harkett

Former Postdocs

  • Dr. Henrik Melin
  • Dr. James Blake
  • Dr. Arrate Antuñano
  • Dr. Jan Vatant d’Ollone
  • Dr. Deborah Bardet

Former Students

  • Dr. Oliver King
  • Dr. Naomi Rowe-Gurney
  • Dr. Padraig Donnelly
  • Dr. Rohini Giles (Oxford)
  • Dr. Jaemin Lee (Oxford)

Mission Involvement

 
 
 
 
 
July 2019 – Present
Jupiter

Juno

Participating Scientist

Ground-based support team in the thermal-infrared (2016-2019); Participating Scientist (2019-Present) investigating the dynamics of the deep atmosphere in the microwave and infrared.
 
 
 
 
 
January 2017 – Present
L2

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)

Giant Planet GTO Lead

Giant Planet atmospheres lead as part of Heidi Hammel’s Guaranteed Time (GTO) observations; Jupiter atmosphere specialist on Early-Release Science (ERS) programme.
 
 
 
 
 
January 2014 – Present
Europa

Europa Clipper

Co-investigator on EIS - Europa Imaging System

Proposal team for JUICE imaging system led to co-I role on EIS, acting as JUICE-Clipper liaison.
 
 
 
 
 
January 2010 – Present
Exoplanets

ARIEL

Team Affiliate for exoplanet spectroscopy mission.

Science proposing team for EChO (Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory, 2010) and ARIEL (Atmospheric Remote-Sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large Survey, 2014) missions, selected as ESA’s M4 mission.
 
 
 
 
 
January 2010 – Present
Uranus and Neptune

Ice Giant Missions

Science lead for future mission proposals.

Co-investigator for Uranus Pathfinder (2010, 2014), Neptune Orbiter (2014), and atmospheric entry probe (2015, 2017) mission concepts, in addition to a range of white papers on the theme of Ice Giant exploration.
 
 
 
 
 
January 2008 – Present
Jupiter

Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE)

Interdisciplinary Scientist (IDS); co-investigator on the MAJIS (near-infrared) and UVS (ultraviolet) instruments.

Member of the Science Definition Team for the Europa-Jupiter System Mission (EJSM, 2008-2010); then Laplace/Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter (2010-2011), and later JUICE (2011-2012). ESA Study Support Scientist (2013-2014), and later Interdisciplinary Scientist (2015-Present).
 
 
 
 
 
July 2004 – September 2017
Saturn

Cassini

Co-investigator on the Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS).

Exploring the seasonal evolution of Saturn’s atmosphere via thermal-infrared spectroscopy.

Teaching

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), and my teaching responsibilities at the University of Leicester (2015-present) include:

  • Lecturer and Course Developer for 4th-year Planetary Atmospheres course (2021+).
  • Supervision of graduate (PhD) students.
  • Masters research projects (4th year undergraduates).
  • Supervision of 4th-year literature review projects.
  • 3rd-year BA project supervision and examination.
  • PhD Viva Examiner and Probation Reviewer.
  • Physics Challenge examiner (2018-2020) and tutor.
  • Management of Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) on behalf of the Physics and Astronomy Department (2016-today).

My previous experience at the University of Oxford (2004-2015) included:

  • Lecturer in 3rd-year Exoplanet course.
  • Small-group teaching (tutorials) for 3rd-year physics courses: Atmospheric and Climate Physics, Astrophysics; Fluid Flows and Complexity.
  • Large-class teaching (classes) for 4th-year MPhys course: Atmospheric, Oceanic, & Planetary Physics.
  • Admissions: undergraduate interviewer (Lady Margaret Hall, St. Annes, University College).

Contact

  • +44(0)116 252 3585
  • School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, United Kingdom.
  • DM Me