Estefanía Abad

Estefanía Abad is the Neutron Instrumentation and Applications Group Head at ESS Bilbao and Iberia hub Field coordination for BrightnESS WP2. She holds a PhD in experimental condensed matter physics. Among other techniques, she has used X-ray and neutron scattering to study magnetic coupling in intermetallic compounds. Estefanía also has a MSc degree in Microsystems and Nanotechnology from the UK and has worked for 8 years as a Micro and Nanofabrication Researcher in Tekniker, an applied Research Center in the Basque Country. She joined ESS Bilbao 7 years ago.

- I have been involved in BrightnESS from the beginning, supporting ESS Bilbao’s participation in WP2 and WP6. However, it was during the maternity leave of one of my colleagues that I fully started working with Field Coordinator activities.

The work in WP2 is to support the In-kind contribution, in our case from Spain, and try to minimise and mitigate risks. We have regular trainings in in-kind aspects, ESS standards, procedures, ESS collaborative tools - we must communicate all this information back to the Work Unit (WU) leaders. My tasks in WP2 are mainly participation in TAs preparation, risk management and monitoring IK work by revising planning, quality, procurement, and coordination with ESS logistics people for deliveries and installations plans. We have regular meetings with WU leaders. Finally, I also participate in some of the WP6 activities of outreach and dissemination.

I have always liked working in European Projects. I think is very enriching experience. In my previous work, I have also been involved in several ones. By being part of the FCs network, you share experiences, lesson learned and the way of doing things with all the partners of ESS and the ESS core teams, so I can get a more complete picture of the whole ESS project than just by working in a single Work Unit.

A key challenge for the next month in WP2 will be to prepare the TA for phases 2-5 for the MIRACLES instrument, in which ESS Bilbao is the prime contractor. Then, the coordination deliveries and preparation for installations will become more and more demanding. Finally, ESS Bilbao is starting a new activity in WP4 about the conceptual design of a low background beam monitor that will be led by me.

This project will help to build the ESS based in an in-kind model, using the network of FCs as a risk mitigation tool (WP2), where I am mostly involved. On the other hand, the project is also contributing by key developments of new pieces of technology, such us neutron detectors, that are needed to fully exploit the capabilities of the most powerful neutron source. Finally, the outreach and communication is another important contribution, to promote the use of neutron scattering to new users from both academy and industry and to make the society and political stakeholders being aware of the benefits that ESS would bring.