The Katja Poković Research Fund
Purpose
The purpose of the "Katja Poković Research Fund” is to (i) promote and support female engineers, (ii) expand the scientific basis of safe and beneficial applications of electromagnetic energy and information technologies, (iii) advance near-field electromagnetic measurement technologies, and (iv) improve methods for calibration of electromagnetic sensors.
Two funding instruments are available: research fellowships specifically for female applicants, and funding support for research projects to be pursued by project leaders, postdoctoral fellows, or graduate students (of any gender) employed by the IT'IS Foundation.
Background and Achievements
Katja Poković was born in Dubrovnik, Croatia, in 1968. She completed her Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Science degrees in electrical engineering at the University of Zagreb and worked from 1993 – 1995 with the Laboratory for High-Frequency Techniques of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing at the University of Zagreb as an Assistant and Technical Secretary on the European project COST244: Biomedical Effects of Electromagnetic Fields. In June 1995, she joined the BIOEM/EMC group of the Laboratory for Electromagnetic Fields and Microwave Electronics of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland, where she pursued doctoral research on electromagnetic sensor and calibration technologies for near-field evaluations of wireless technologies. After completing her Ph.D. degree in 1999, she joined Schmid & Partner Engineering AG (SPEAG).
In 2001, Katja became a director of Laboratory and Customer Services at SPEAG, responsible for the DASY product line, the calibration laboratory as well as for customer support. In addition, she was the second largest shareholder of NF Technology Holding AG, the owner/co-owner of SPEAG, ZMT Zurich MedTech AG (ZMT), TI Solutions AG, and Zeugi 43 AG. Throughout her career, Katja always strived to improve near-field evaluation methods and dosimetry. She led the successful evolution of the DASY product line from DASY3 to DASY8 and established a unique center at SPEAG to provide on-time calibration and support services, all the while supporting all units of Zurich 43 with her comprehensive expertise.
Katja's most significant scientific contributions were (i) novel near-field probes, in particular the pseudo-vector probe that today is the standard for evaluation of all millimeter wave transmitters, (ii) optimized scanning procedures for near-field evaluations of wireless technologies, and (iii) a new calibration procedure that delivers far lower uncertainties.
Katja worked tirelessly and spent almost all of her career at Z43. She worked incredibly long hours, driven by her commitment to the advancement of science through the support of the research activities of the IT'IS Foundation, and she had intended to continue providing her invaluable advice and resources for many decades to come. After Katja’s untimely death, her mother, Marija Poković, decided to honor Katja’s legacy and commitment to science by establishing the "Katja Poković Research Fund" at the IT'IS Foundation. We are incredibly grateful to Marija Poković and her family for her generosity and support.
