To mark International Women’s Day 2026, the ADAPT Centre is highlighting researchers whose work reflects this year’s theme “Give to Gain”.
Among them is Rosemary Monahan, Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Maynooth University and an affiliate of the Hamilton Institute. She holds BSc and MSc degrees in Computer Science from UCD and a PhD from Dublin City University. Rosemary also serves as Maynooth University’s institutional lead for ADAPT and contributes to the ARC Hub for ICT, where she is the pillar lead for Data Security, Privacy, and Governance projects.
Throughout her career, Rosemary has benefitted from a wide network of international collaboration and mentorship opportunities. Participation in COST Action projects helped her build a strong European network of research colleagues, establishing initiatives such as VerifyThis, an international programme verification competition series that has been running since 2012. Research visits to industry and academic laboratories, including Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, and INRIA France, also provided opportunities to exchange ideas and develop collaborations.
Mentorship programmes also have played an important role in helping her reflect on career decisions and shape the direction of her research. She continues to give back to the research community through mentoring international peers, supervising students and supporting post doctorate researchers. She regularly delivers career talks to early-career researchers and works to secure funding that enables greater participation and opportunities for those at the early stages of their research careers.
Rosemary’s own research focuses on developing tools and techniques that allow us to reason about software correctness, helping ensure that safety critical systems meet required standards and that software requirements remain traceable. By combining research leadership, mentorship, and community-building, Rosemary’s work reflects the spirit of Give to Gain, demonstrating how shared knowledge and support can strengthen research communities.
