Congratulations to Zoë Ayres for winning the "Early Career Researcher Prize" at WWEM 2014. The aim of the SWIG Early Career Researcher Prize for Sensing the Water Environment is to raise awareness of technological development and novel applications related to water measurements and thereby promote innovation in sensor research and commercial application. The competition is run every two years and is open to all ‘early career researchers’ within the first 4 years of employment within their area of expertise.

The national competition required the submission of a poster summarising PhD research and 3 entries were selected for the finals. The 3 finalists then had to give a talk on their research which was judged by a panel of industry professionals. Zoë, who's research is sponsored by Element Six, was awarded with first prize for her research on Electrochemical X-ray Fluorescence, with second prize going to Gary Black of Cranfield University for his work on "Developmnent of a biological early warning system: In-sewer on-line toxicity detection", and third prize going to Brendan Heery from Dublin University for his work on "Metabolism based fluorescence assay and portable device for E.coli quantification in recreational waters".