Advanced Marine Technology Research Coordinator, National Centre for Sensor Research
Dr Barbara Fogarty, advanced marine technology research
What were the main ‘career decision’ milestones in your life so far?
In secondary school my career guidance counsellor helped me to identify environmental science and technology as an area I was interested in for future study. We found a relevant degree course in Sligo Institute of Technology and I applied through the CAO.
It was a very interesting degree, with field work and a summer work placement. I also worked in other non-science jobs while I was in college to help pay the rent as I lived away from home.
While I enjoyed my real-world work experience, it highlighted for me that qualifications can give you more career options in life and can also allow you to progress up the career ladder to interesting and well-paid jobs more quickly.
When I finished my degree I applied for a Masters in Environmental Analytical Chemistry in Limerick Institute of Technology.
The subject of the research project sounded very interesting to me and after two years researching the topic, I decided to apply to continue on to do a PhD which in total took four years to complete.
It involved a lot of hard work, many laughs, a few tears and many evenings and weekends working in the lab to get the project finished.
As part of my PhD studies I also got the opportunity to research in the Institute of Technology Tallaght in Dublin for a year and travelled to the University of Kansas for six months to collaborate with an American Group on my research topic.
What did you do after your PhD?
When I finished my PhD, I was invited by the Professor I had worked for in the US to return there to carry out postdoctoral research and was delighted to take up the opportunity.
I had always intended to return home to Ireland, so after three years in the US I started to look for a job in my area of expertise. I applied for a job in Tyndall National Institute in Cork on the development of integrated sensor systems, where I worked for four years.
More recently I was awarded the position of National Coordinator in Advanced Marine Technologies. My position is funded by the Marine Institute and involves the creation of a multi-disciplinary and industry-orientated group working on information and communication technologies that will be used in marine related sectors.
Ireland has 220 million acres of land under the sea (nine times our land area) and this represents a huge opportunity for us to develop new technologies to manage and develop a wealth of chemical, mineral and biological resources in a sustainable way.
The combination of innovative technologies and our marine resources can be harnessed to help support the Irish economy and create a variety of new jobs across a range of sectors.
Who had the most influence on your career direction?
My parents always encouraged me to do my best and to pursue whatever course I was interested in. They also encouraged me to make use of all the resources available to me before I made a decision regarding the next step in my career.
That started in school with talking to my teachers and career guidance counsellor, and continued with my lecturers and student career centre in college.
For my PhD, I was very lucky to find a research topic that I enjoyed, but most importantly I was very fortunate to have two supervisors who were always available to guide me and who gave me every opportunity to advance my career.
I have had several good mentors throughout my career who I now consider friends and I still go back to for advice every now and then.
Does your job allow you to have a lifestyle you are happy with?
I work from 9 to 5.30pm but this can vary, depending on what project I am working on at the time. Sometimes I have to work late or work at weekends, so I have to be flexible.
I travel around Ireland a lot, meeting industry people and academic groups working on the development of new technologies. I travel to Europe and the US every so often to conferences and network meetings and to identify new contacts for Irish researchers and companies to work with.
What are your main tasks and responsibilities?
I meet industrial and academic researchers on a regular basis to understand their technology capabilities and to support them in the development of new projects that will help develop their business and research goals.
Target applications of the technology under development include those in the areas of shipping transport, security and logistics, aquaculture, environmental monitoring, water/resource management, offshore installations and marine renewable energy.
I also monitor the progress of currently funded technology research projects and support researchers across Ireland in their efforts to fund their research ideas by submitting grant applications to national and international funding programmes.
What are the main challenges?
I work in a multi-disciplinary environment. This means that I work with a variety of scientists, engineers, business people and government agencies all working on different kinds of technologies.
The challenge is to understand their technology capabilities, expertise and needs and then to facilitate the development of new collaborative projects in the area of marine and environment related sectors.
Very often we find that we have been trying to explain similar things to each other but in a different way!
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
When selecting my Leaving Cert subjects, I picked the ones I was most interested in. As I studied Physics for the Leaving Cert, I only had one science subject when I got to college.
I felt like I had more work to do in order to catch up with other students who had taken two subjects. In hindsight I am happy with the choices I made, though, as they got me to where I am today. I think sticking to what you are interested in is generally the best way to go.
What is your education to date?
- Leaving and Junior Certificate
- Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Technology
- Doctorate of Philosophy in Environmental Analytical Chemistry
What have been the most rewarding events in your career so far?
It takes a lot of dedication and commitment to get though a PhD but I really enjoyed it and got a lot from it. I received several awards at conferences for talking about my research, which I am very proud of.
I also applied for and was awarded travel grants to help me pay to attend conferences and present my research. I have some part-time lecturing and demonstration experience.
It is always very satisfying when students understand a new concept thanks to your explanation. I really enjoy helping younger scientists to achieve all they can in their career.
More recently I am working on the development of an innovation cluster, involving industry and academic researchers working on technology development for the marine environment.
The aim of the cluster is to help drive economic growth in the area of smart green technologies, and if successful it will help to create new job opportunities in Ireland across a range of sectors.
What advice would you give to someone considering your particular job?
You would need a degree in science and either a masters or preferably a PhD in science or engineering, with a focus on technology development.
You need to be a good communicator and be able to give technical presentations on a regular basis. You need to be open to new ideas and be able to work on your own initiative and as part of a team.
Good writing skills are also important, as a key element of my current role includes report and strategy preparation. You need to be able to multi-task and work on multiple projects at once.
A multi-disciplinary science qualification can open a lot of doors and gives you a wide range of career options.
I could work in industry, in academia, or for the government in a number of different roles. People I went to college with are now working in a wide variety of different jobs.
What kinds of work experience would provide a good background for this position?
Many kinds of laboratories offer work placements over the summer including academic and government laboratories. Transition Year students often visit labs and facilities for a week or so, and undergraduate students typically stay for the summer months to see what it would be like to work there.
Placement with a relevant industry would also be great experience to see what is involved. It is a good way to get a feel for a job and whether or not you would be interested in it. It also shows employers that you have been thinking about what you want to do when you finish school.
With the Government’s recent strategy on the development of the “Smart Green Economy”, there are likely to be an increasing number of jobs for science and engineering graduates in Ireland and around the world.
There are already many successful Irish companies selling technology-enabled products and services all over the world today.
We are also lucky to have many of the top international technology companies based in Ireland who are currently employing thousands of science and engineering graduates.
A qualification in science will give you a variety of career options and open many doors – the rest is up to you!
