Royal Military College of Canada

Dr. Fiona Kelly

Professor, Ammunition Engineering

Department of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering
Kingston, Ontario, Canada

RMC
Est. 1876

Kingston, Ontario

About

Research at the Frontier of Energetic Science

Dr. Fiona Kelly is a Professor of Ammunition Engineering at the Royal Military College of Canada, where she leads research in energetic materials and radiochemistry within the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.

Her work addresses critical defence priorities, including green energetic materials, nano energetics, and novel isotope production — supporting the Canadian Armed Forces through fundamental and applied science.

Aerial view of the Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario
Expertise

Energetic Materials

Propellants, explosives, nano energetics, green formulations, and degradation analysis of legacy systems.

Radiochemistry

Novel isotope production, environmental radioxenon analysis, and work with the SLOWPOKE-2 Facility at RMC.

Graduate Opportunities

Funded positions available at MSc, PhD, and postdoctoral levels in energetic materials research.

Academic Profile

Education & Career

Dr. Fiona Kelly

Dr. Fiona Kelly is a Professor of Ammunition Engineering at the Royal Military College of Canada, leading research in energetic materials and radiochemistry within the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.

Royal Military College of Canada  ·  Kingston, Ontario

Education

PhD
University of Manchester
Diploma in Higher & Further Education
University of Manchester
BSc
University of Manchester

Career

Professor, Ammunition Engineering
Royal Military College of Canada
Defence Scientist
Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC)
Senior Lecturer
Manchester Metropolitan University

Research Interests

Energetic Materials Nanothermites Radiochemistry Isotope Production Analytical Chemistry Biosensors Green Energetics Propellant Degradation

Dr. Kelly's interdisciplinary research spans chemistry, materials science, and nuclear physics, with direct applications to national defence and environmental safety.

Affiliations

NEWS-G Collaboration
Co-spokesperson, RMCC Team
SLOWPOKE-2 Facility
Royal Military College of Canada
Dept. of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering
Royal Military College of Canada
Research

Active Research Areas

01

Energetic Materials

In a rapidly changing world, access to energetic materials — in the form of both propellants and explosives — is a strategic priority for the Canadian Armed Forces. Dr. Kelly's research focuses on small-scale analytical techniques in the study of energetics. Laboratory-based activities use quantities of material that pose limited risk while yielding meaningful insights.

Current projects:

  • Green energetic materials — developing environmentally sustainable alternatives
  • Analysis of new production streams for modern energetics
  • Nano energetic materials and nanothermite reactivity
  • Degradation of propellant energetics in legacy systems
  • Analysis of historical energetic materials
02

Radiochemistry

Although energetic materials are the primary research focus, Dr. Kelly maintains active interests in radiochemistry, including several collaborative projects with colleague Dr. Emily Corcoran.

Current projects:

  • Production of the isotope ¹²⁷Xe for physics applications
  • Sequestration of ²¹⁰Po as part of the NEWS-G collaboration
  • Environmental radioxenon analysis and characterisation from nuclear research reactors using the SLOWPOKE-2 Facility at RMC
Research in energetic materials involves regulated substances. Due to the nature of this work, applications for positions can only be accepted from Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
Laboratory

Staff & Students

Our team brings together researchers at all career stages, united by a commitment to advancing energetic materials science and radiochemistry in support of Canadian defence.

J

Josh

Research Assistant
Z

Zafina

PhD Researcher
Energetics Production
J

Jacob

Master's Researcher
Nano Energetics
A

Andres

Postdoctoral Scientist
Thermal Methods
J

Jack

Researcher
Drone Munitions
T

Tian

Researcher
Historical Energetics
K

Karine

Researcher
Green Energetics
Join the Lab

Research Opportunities

Now Recruiting

Energetic Materials

Funded research positions are currently available at multiple levels.

  • Immediate opportunities for postdoctoral scientists
  • September commencement available at Master's level
  • September commencement available at PhD level
Currently Full

Radiochemistry

At present, all funded positions in radiochemistry are occupied. We encourage prospective students to check back in future cycles or reach out to discuss upcoming opportunities.

Eligibility: Due to the nature of the research involving controlled energetic and nuclear materials, applications can only be accepted from Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Security screening may be required.
How to Apply

Application Process

Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Dr. Kelly directly by email with a current CV and a brief statement of research interests.

Contact Dr. Kelly →
Scholarship

Publications

Full Publication Record

View Dr. Kelly's complete bibliography on academic indexing platforms

↗ Google Scholar ↗ ResearchGate
Radiochemistry · Dark Matter
Polonium sequestration from copper for dark matter studies using a resin-bound crown ether
H. M. McCallum, F. Kelly, E. C. Corcoran, et al., Z. She
The European Physical Journal Special Topics, Feb. 2026.
Nuclear Engineering
Progress Toward Instrumented Nuclear Fuel Pellets Using Additive Manufacturing
D. A. Huston, A. Prasad, N. Kotsios, et al., E. C. Corcoran
Nuclear Technology, May 2025.
Dark Matter · Detector Physics
Ionization yield in a methane-filled spherical proportional counter
M. M. Arora, L. Balogh, C. Beaufort, et al., R. Ward
Physical Review D, Apr. 2025.
Dark Matter · NEWS-G
Search for Light Dark Matter with NEWS-G at the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane Using a Methane Target
M. M. Arora, L. Balogh, C. Beaufort, et al., R. Ward
Physical Review Letters, Apr. 2025.
Radiochemistry · Nuclear Facilities
Characterization of flux distribution in the pool of the RMC SLOWPOKE-2
D. A. Huston, P. Samuleev, F. Kelly, and E. C. Corcoran
Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Feb. 2024.
Dark Matter · DarkSPHERE
Exploring light dark matter with the DarkSPHERE spherical proportional counter electroformed underground at the Boulby Underground Laboratory
L. Balogh, C. Beaufort, M. Chapellier, et al., S. Paling
Physical Review D, Dec. 2023.
Dark Matter · Instrumentation
The NEWS-G detector at SNOLAB
L. Balogh, C. Beaufort, A. Brossard, et al., M. Zampaolo
Journal of Instrumentation, Feb. 2023.
Dark Matter · Detector Physics
Measurements of the ionization efficiency of protons in methane
L. Balogh, C. Beaufort, A. Brossard, et al., M. Zampaolo
The European Physical Journal C, Dec. 2022.
Radiochemistry · Analytical Chemistry
International interlaboratory compilation of trace element concentrations in the CUP-2 uranium ore concentrate standard
J. Denton, D. Bostick, S. F. Boulyga, et al., E. M. Wylie
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Nov. 2022.
Dark Matter · Low-Energy Spectra
EXCESS workshop: Descriptions of rising low-energy spectra
P. Adari, A. Aguilar-Arevalo, D. Amidei, et al., A. Zolotarova
SciPost Physics Proceedings, Aug. 2022.
Dark Matter · Detector Physics
Quenching factor measurements of neon nuclei in neon gas
L. Balogh, C. Beaufort, A. Brossard, et al., J. Runge
Physical Review D, Mar. 2022.
Dark Matter · NEWS-G
Solar Kaluza-Klein axion search with NEWS-G
Q. Arnaud, L. Balogh, C. Beaufort, et al., M. Zampaolo
Physical Review D, Jan. 2022.

This list represents a selection of publications. For the complete record including conference proceedings and technical reports, please visit Google Scholar or ResearchGate via the links above.

Get in Touch

Contact

Direct Contact

✉
☎
Telephone
613-541-6000 x2716921
🏛
Office
Sawyer Mod 5, Room 3508

Mailing Address

Dr. Fiona Kelly
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Royal Military College of Canada
PO Box 17000, Station Forces
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
K7K 7B4

Research Inquiries

For questions regarding graduate admissions, postdoctoral opportunities, or research collaborations, please include in your email:

  • Your current curriculum vitae (CV)
  • A brief statement of your research interests
  • Confirmation of Canadian citizenship or permanent residency (required for energetic materials research)
  • Academic transcripts (for graduate applicants)

Dr. Kelly endeavours to respond to all enquiries within 5 business days. Please note that due to the regulated nature of the research, eligibility screening is part of the application process.