3 minute read
In this first blog, I want to introduce myself and explain what I'm doing on secondment
Who am I?
I'm a Higher Engineer in NPL’s Optical Radiometric Metrology group. I joined NPL in 2016 as an engineering apprentice and recently, I was a core member of the team delivering the NPL & RAL Space Small Satellite Calibration Facility and supported the pre-launch calibration of the CNES/UKSA MicroCarb mission.
In 2025, I applied for and was proud to be awarded the Kamal Hossain Secondment Award. The scheme was set-up by NPL in memory of the late Dr Mohammed Kamal Hossain OBE, who was NPL’s International Director and previous Research Director. Kamal Hossain was a hugely influential figure in metrology, representing both NPL and the UK internationally and the annual award aims to continue the work that he championed to promote innovative science and international collaboration.
Why my secondment matters
NPL is preparing to take on a significant and growing role in ocean colour remote sensing — a field concerned with measuring the spectral properties of light emerging from the ocean surface using satellite sensors, which has important applications in climate monitoring and marine ecosystem research. For NPL to deliver on that role effectively, we need practical, hands-on understanding of the systems which support these measurements, how they are built, calibrated and operated, knowledge that would be most accessible from working alongside people who presently run such ocean buoys.
There are currently only two buoys in the world capable of providing in-water data with the uncertainties required for satellite calibration work. One of these, MarONet, is a collaborative effort led by Curtin University’s Remote Sensing and Satellite Research Group in Perth, Australia, in partnership with NASA, the University of Miami, San José State University, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). My secondment is with the Curtin University team, headed by Professor David Antoine.
Why I wanted to do this 
Beyond the overlapping activities between NPL & Curtin University, the appeal of the secondment was very personal. I've always had a deep passion for the ocean, and the chance to work directly with a team combining marine science with remote sensing, at a time when a new brand buoy system was being prepared, was an incredible opportunity and unlikely to come around again soon. Besides building the kind of lasting professional relationships that so often underpins international science, the placement also offered an ideal environment to complete my current MSc thesis, as well as the prospect of spending time in an amazing (and warmer!) part of the world.
I’ll be sharing more about my secondment over the next blogs, so watch this space and keep reading
29 Jun 2026