SERB Science and Technology Award for Research (SERB-STAR) for two UoH academicians

HYDERABAD: Prof. Rajadurai Chandrasekar, School of Chemistry and Dr. Vijay Kanawade, UGC-Assistant Professor, Centre of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Physics at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) have been conferred with the prestigious SERB Science and Technology Award for Research (SERB-STAR), instituted by the SERB, Govt. of India, to recognize and reward outstanding performance of Principal Investigators (PIs) of SERB Projects.

SERB-STAR is an initiative to acknowledge exemplary contributions in research and also to motivate the PIs of ongoing projects for outstanding performance. The nominee for the award should have completed an individual-centric SERB project in the previous three financial years with an "Excellent" grade.

SERB-STAR Award selection committee selected 18 awardees in different disciplines based on the outcome of the completed project, overall research accomplishments, and quality of publications among eligible nominations.

The support includes a fellowship of Rs. 15,000 per month, a research grant of Rs. 10 lakhs per annum, and Rs.1 lakh per annum as overhead charges for a period of three years.

Prof. B J Rao, Vice-Chancellor, UoH while reacting to the news said, “I extend my congratulations to Prof. Rajadurai Chandrasekar and Dr. Vijay Kanawade for this meritorious accomplishment.”

Prof. Chandrasekar has published over 115+ publications & patents and he is listed as one of the top two percent of Scientists in the world (Nanoscience & Technology) by Stanford University. He has been honoured with the Materials Research Society of India (MRSI) Medal and the University-Chancellor's Award. He is an elected Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society of Chemistry, London, and the Optical Society of India. He is also on the Editorial Board of various materials science and chemistry-related international journals.

Dr. Vijay Kanawade has published over 57+ publications. Dr. Kanawade is working towards an improved process-level understanding of the atmospheric new particle formation and growth which has implications for air quality, weather and climate. Dr. Kanawade has published articles in highly reputed journals such as Nature Geoscience, Nature Communications, Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Scientific Reports, etc. He has served as an Editorial Board member of the Indian Journal of Geophysical Union and Frontiers in Environmental Sciences Journals. He is a member of the International Advisory Board for the International Conference on Nucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols (ICNAA)- 2022-2024. He is also an elected Executive Member for India Meteorological Society, Hyderabad Chapter (2022-2024).