Dr Gregory Wilson
//g r EH g / g r EH - g er - ee w IH l - s uh n//
Principal Research Scientist, Advanced Photovoltaics
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Biography
Strategic research leader with more than 20 years at CSIRO Energy, currently serving as Science Leader for the Technologies Program, Principal Research Scientist in Advanced Photovoltaics, and Research Commercialisation Lead for Solar Technologies. Concurrently Adjunct Professor in the School of Engineering at the University of Newcastle (Council-approved appointment since 2019).
I lead CSIRO's advanced photovoltaics research capability and provide strategic leadership across the Technologies Program portfolio, with responsibility for research commercialisation, industry partnerships, and the translation of CSIRO science into commercial outcomes in the solar domain. Previous roles at CSIRO include Site Leader for the Newcastle Energy Centre (2020–2023), leading 180+ staff across multiple business units, and Research Group Leader for Solar Technologies (2015–2023), directing a multidisciplinary team of 49 engineers and scientists across photovoltaic and concentrated solar thermal research with annual budgets >>$10 million. I led the formation of FPR Energy, one of the largest venture formations in CSIRO Energy history, and continue to serve as the company's Senior Technical Advisor.
As Node Leader for CSIRO Energy within the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP), I represent CSIRO's contribution to Australia's flagship photovoltaics research consortium and was elected to the ACAP Governing Board in 2025. I am internationally recognised through election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), Fellow and Chartered Chemist of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (FRACI CChem), Fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics (FAIP), and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Energy (FAIE).
My leadership has been recognised with the CSIRO HSE Award (2021), the CSIRO Entrepreneurship Award (2025), the CSIRO Office of the Chief Executive Julius Career Award (2015), and multiple CSIRO Energy Business Unit awards for commercial impact and community engagement.
Academic Qualifications
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2001
Bachelor of Applied Science (Chemistry)
Queensland University of Technology -
2002
Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours)
Queensland University of Technology -
2006
Doctorate of Philosophy
Queensland University of Technology -
2015
Diploma of Project Management
Australian Institute of Management
Achievements and Awards
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2025-2025
CSIRO Entrepreneurship Award — FPR Energy Commercial Deal Team
CSIRO National Awards Committee -
2024-2024
CSIRO Energy BU Growing Our Impact Award — FPR Energy Commercial Deal Team
CSIRO Energy Awards Committee -
2023-2023
CSIRO Energy BU Community and Culture Award — Newcastle Indigenous Community Engagement Committee
CSIRO Energy Awards Committee -
2021-2021
CSIRO HSE Award — Concentrated Solar Thermal Engineering Team
CSIRO National Awards Committee -
2019-Current
Fellow (FRSC)
Royal Society of Chemistry -
2019-Current
Fellow (FAIE)
Australian Institute of Energy -
2018-Current
Fellow (FAIP)
Australian Institute of Physics -
2015-Current
Fellow (FRACI)
Royal Australian Chemical Institute -
2015-2018
CSIRO Office of the Chief Executive — Julius Career Award
CSIRO Office of the Chief Executive -
2007-Current
Chartered Chemist (CChem)
Royal Australian Chemical Institute
Current Roles
-
Science Leader
Research Strategy and Partnership Engagement, Technologies | Energy RU -
Principal Research Scientist
Principal Investigator, Advanced Photovoltaics -
Research Commercialisation Lead
Solar Technologies | Energy RU -
Adjunct Professor
School of Engineering, University of Newcastle
Other highlights
-
2025-Present
Elected to ACAP Governing Board (Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics)
Professional Experiences
-
2021-2021
External Advisory Group Member
Macquarie University, Sustainable Energy Research Centre -
2021-2021
External Assessor Group Member
Australian Renewable Energy Agency -
2020-2020
External Assessor Group Member
Australian Renewable Energy Agency -
2020-2020
External Advisory Group Member
University of Newcastle, Bachelor of Science Degree -
2019-2023
Chair, Newcastle Branch
Australia Institute of Energy -
2018-2022
External Advisory Group Member
European Union project “Systems for Promising Renewable Energies” -
2017-2017
Visiting Research Fellow
University of Oxford, Department of Physics -
2017-2017
External Assessor Group Member
Australian Renewable Energy Agency -
2016-2020
External Advisory Group Member
European Union project “Raising the Lifetime of Functional Materials for Concentrated Solar Power” -
2015-2017
External Advisory Group Member
University of Newcastle “Priority Research Centre for Advanced Fluids and Interfaces” -
2015-2015
Invited External Reviewer
Spanish R&D Excellence Initiative (Espanol: Severo Ochoa Centers of Excellence and Maria de Maetzu Units of Excellence) – Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Spanish Government -
2010-2015
Senior Research Scientist
CSIRO Energy Technology (Newcastle) -
2007-2009
Research Scientist, Energy Technology (Clayton Laboratories and Newcastle Energy Centre)
CSIRO Energy Technology -
2006-2007
Postdoctoral Fellow, High Performance Supercapacitors
CSIRO Energy Transformed Flagship (Clayton Laboratories) -
2005-2005
Lecturer
Griffith University (Southport, QLD)