A group picture of faculty presenters of IISc and Penn State, along with several IISc administrators at IISc in Bangalore on December 19, 2023. Credit: Anna Marshall / Penn State
Penn State, Indian Institute of Science announce seed grant program
April 16, 2024
By Mrigalika Majumdar
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) are collaborating to enhance academic and research ties through a series of workshops and a new seed grant program for the 2024-25 academic year. Applications for the seed grant program are open until May 20. Projects should foster collaborative and sustainable programs that integrate academics and students from both universities.
The universities signed a revised memorandum of understanding (MOU) in 2019. The agreement is strengthened expansion of the partnership that aims to foster innovative solutions to global challenges through joint research and academic exchange.
In addition to the workshops and seed grant program, as part of the collaboration, Ram N. Narayanan, professor of electrical engineering at Penn State, was appointed to the BEL Chair, or Visiting Chair Professorship, at IISc. The appointment was made by K J Vinoy, a Penn State alumnus and professor in the Department of Electrical Communication Engineering at IISc.
“This prestigious chair, part of our MOU with IISc, enables vital collaborations and enhances our visibility at this premier institution, attracting top-notch students to Penn State,” said Madhavan Swaminathan, head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and William E. Leonhard Professor at Penn State. Swaminathan presented his research at a virtual workshop for the partnership last summer.
The collaboration was catalyzed by a week of virtual workshops in July 2023, a virtual meet and greet in October 2023 and an in-person workshop held in Bangalore in December 2023, co-hosted by Amita Sneh and Abhishek Singh from IISc’s Office of International Relations and Anna Marshall, associate director of Asia partnerships for Penn State Global. The virtual workshops featured research presentations by 17 Penn State faculty members and 16 IISc faculty members, covering interdisciplinary research areas in biochemistry, biology and biochemical engineering; electrical and electronic engineering; materials science and engineering; mechanical engineering; aerospace engineering; physics; acoustics; and nuclear engineering.
At the physical joint workshop in December at IISc, 11 faculty — six from Penn State and five from IISc presented their research. All of the workshops provided the opportunity for faculty members from both universities to establish communication channels to discuss potential collaborative projects and explore funding opportunities.
“The one-on-one meetings identified synergies, particularly in federated learning. The visit greatly improved my understanding of the computer networking work at IISc,” said Ting He, associate professor in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Penn State and a presenter at the workshop. “The two-day interaction was more informative than a year of teleconferences, aiding in initiating conversations and understanding team dynamics.”
Aman Haque, professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State and workshop participant, highlighted how the workshops led to significant collaborations in areas such as resilient electronics and thin-film morphology.
“The in-person meetings were crucial,” Haque said. “They transformed routine discussions into real connections, laying a foundation for future collaboration.”
Faculty members from both universities expressed high satisfaction with the collaborative outcomes.
“Each presentation opened new avenues of thought, regardless of its direct relevance to my work,” said Akhlesh Lakhtakia,, a workshop presenter and Evan Pugh University Professor and Charles G. Binder Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State.
Participants from IISc echoed this sentiment, recognizing the workshops as a catalyst for fostering meaningful academic relationships. Srimanta Middey, a workshop presenter and associate professor in the Department of Physics at IISc, emphasized the need for IISc faculty members to visit Penn State to advance in-person collaborations.
"Physical workshops are always better,” he said. “I hope in some workshops, IISc faculty members can also visit universities, which will help IISc faculty to build wider networks of collaborators."
For more information on the IISc partnership, contact Anna Marshall at awm15@psu.edu.
About the Indian Institute of Science
Established in 1909, the Indian Institute of Science is a leading public research university nestled in the technology heartland of Bangalore, India, which is known for its substantial contributions to science, engineering and management research. This strategic location in a city renowned as the “Silicon Valley of India” optimizes the university’s role in bridging ancient cultural heritage with modern technological advancements.
Penn State University and Indian Institute of Sciences have joined forces in collaboration to tackle global initiatives in the field of science. Credit: Penn State Global
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