Infosys Science Foundation’s $100,000 award for 6 professors in science and research

From climate change to a study of Mughal, Rajput and Deccan Art, Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) through its awards is seeking to inspire a generation to take up a career in science and research.

In its tenth year, ISF awards contemporary scientists and researchers across six categories: Engineering and Computer Sciences, Humanities, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences with a prize money of $100,000.

“Motivating researchers at the right stage in their careers is critical for their success – they represent the future of India in their respective fields,” said K Dinesh, President of the Infosys Science Foundation. NR Narayana Murthy, one of the trustees of ISF added that to keep the youth motivated to pursue science with passion, it has to be made interesting.

This year, in the category of Engineering and Computer Science, Navakanta Bhat, Professor, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and Chairperson, Centre for Nano Science and Engineering, IISc, was awarded for devising gas sensors with ultra-precise detection accuracies necessary for space and environmental monitoring, especially useful for India’s space, atomic energy and security programmes.

Professor Pradeep Khosla, chancellor of the University of California San Diego, who is in the ISF jury and himself a computer scientist, said that Bhat's ingenuity in devising new sensors and nanoelectronic devices were commendable.

In Mathematical Sciences, Nalini Anantharaman, Professor and Chair of Mathematics, Institute for Advanced Study, University of Strasbourg, France, was awarded for her work in “Quantum Chaos”, specifically for exploring the deep relationship between classical, quantum systems and the unexpected use of entropy to prove some of the hard results.

In Physical Sciences SK Satheesh, Professor, Centre for Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, and Director, Divecha Centre for Climate Change was awarded for his pioneering work in the field of climate change. His studies on black carbon aerosols, the dark, light absorbing, microscopic particles in air which greatly influence the energy balance of the atmosphere over the Indian subcontinent, have enabled a better understanding of the role of these particles on climate change, precipitation, and, human health in the Indian subcontinent, the jury noted.

In Humanities, Kavita Singh, Professor and Dean, School of Arts & Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University was awarded for her study of Mughal, Rajput and Deccan art, as well as her writing on the role of museums and their significance in the increasingly fraught and conflicted social world in which visual culture exists today.

In the area of Lifesciences, Roop Mallik, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai was recognised for his pioneering work on molecular motor proteins, which are crucial for the functioning of living cells. “Conditions such as obesity and diabetes are straining healthcare systems around the world. Along with medication, understanding the metabolic processes at the cellular level is needed,” the jury said.

In Social Sciences, Sendhil Mullainathan, University Professor, Professor of Computation and Behavioral Science, and George C Tiao Faculty Fellow, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business was awarded for his work in behavioural economics. He is currently working on big data and machine learning issues and applications in economics.

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