The Science Foundation Ireland Researcher of the Year for 2017 is Professor Mike Zaworotko of the University of Limerick. The award recognises the accomplishments of a Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)-funded researcher who has contributed significantly to the Irish research community in their career. The successful researcher must have achieved exceptional scientific and engineering research outputs combined with a clear demonstration of the ability to communicate their research.
Prof Zaworotko is the Bernal Chair of Crystal Engineering at the University of Limerick and co-director of the SSPC SFI research centre. Focusing on fundamental and applied aspects of crystal engineering, his research has many potential applied uses in pharmaceuticals, clean tech and energy.
“The investments that have been made in science and technology funding in recent years mean that there is a rising tide of globally impactful science and engineering research in Ireland,” said Prof Zaworotko on receiving the award. “There are many deserving researchers for this prestigious award, which means that I am delighted and honoured to receive it. I look forward to making further contributions to the ‘rising tide’ of Irish science.”
According to Dr Orlaigh Quinn, secretary general of the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, the awards recognise some of Ireland’s top researchers and a number of crucial areas in research and development, including industry collaborations, entrepreneurship, communication and public engagement. “I am delighted to acknowledge and congratulate the work of these research leaders on their ability to deliver new ideas and innovation, which in turn helps to create high-value jobs and drives economic growth and regional development,” she said.
“The SFI Science Awards present an opportunity to highlight some of the very best outputs and achievements of our research community,” added SFI director general Prof Mark Ferguson. “I want to congratulate the award winners on their significant achievements, as well as their dedication and determination to realise their research ambitions. I am confident that their hard work and success will be a source of inspiration to their peers and the next generation of researchers in Ireland. Science Foundation Ireland is very proud of the excellent quality and impact delivered each year, enabled by our funding.”
The SFI Early Career Researcher Award recognises outstanding early career research talent and was presented to Dr Rachel McLoughlin of Trinity College Dublin. Dr McLoughlin is recognised internationally as a leading researcher in Staphylococcus aureus host pathogen interactions.
“I am extremely honoured to have been selected for this award and grateful to SFI for their continued support of my research programme,”she said. “This is a wonderful endorsement of the impact that our work is making. I look forward to continued discoveries that will further our understanding of how bacteria interact with the immune system, to advance treatment strategies that will ultimately help to control the global epidemic of antibiotic resistant infections.”
Collaboration
The SFI Industry Partnership Award celebrates SFI collaboration between an academic research group and industry. This year’s recipients were SSPC-Advanced Biopharmaceutical Technologies for the Spokes Project. This project is led by the SSPC SFI Research Centre in partnership with seven leading biopharmaceutical companies in Ireland and NIBRT. The partnership aims to develop innovative single-use disposable systems for bioprocessing.
The SFI Best International Engagement Award recognises the accomplishments of an SFI-funded researcher or group specifically in the context of their international activities. I-LOFAR, led by Prof Peter Gallagher of Trinity College Dublin took the accolade this year.
The I-LOFAR (International Low Frequency Array) telescope is a network of radio telescopes that stretches nearly 2,000km across Europe, making it the largest low-frequency radio telescope in the world.
The SFI Entrepreneurship Award celebrates an entrepreneurial achievement by SFI-supported researchers. The recipient this year was Dr Peter Cahill of the SFI ADAPT Research Centre. Dr Cahill used his deep scientific expertise in speech technology and natural language processing to develop an innovative AI platform for spoken interaction and commercialised his work in 2012 to establish Voysis.
The Outstanding Contribution to STEM Communication award went to Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, an assistant professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics in UCD, who has shown years of dedication to communicating science. A regular contributor to national broadcasts, Ní Shúilleabháin has also set up initiatives to promote physics and maths including the City of Physics, and Maths Sparks in UCD.