IIT Kanpur – SAROJ CHANDRASEKHAR MEMORIAL AWARD
Biosciences and Biotechnology
Applications are invited for the Prof. Saroj Chandrasekhar Memorial Award, 2024, to recognize and
reward women scientists in the areas of Biosciences and Biotechnology. This annual award will be
presented to two women candidates who are in the third or fourth year of their doctoral programme. Candidates who have submitted their Ph.D. thesis are also eligible to apply. Each award will carry a cash
prize of Rs 2 lakh and a certificate; travel expenses for the award ceremony will also be reimbursed.
This award is instituted by the Chandrasekhar Foundation in memory of Prof. Saroj Chandrasekhar, who
made significant contributions in tuberculosis research. Prof. Saroj Chandrasekhar completed her
Bachelor’s degree from St. Xavier’s College, University of Bombay, in 1947, and Ph.D. from Imperial
College of Science and Technology, UK in Bacteriology (Microbiology) in 1950. She returned to India to
do a post-doctoral fellowship at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa Campus, New Delhi. Prof.
Saroj joined the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute at the University of Delhi in 1953, eventually becoming
a full professor, head of the Department of Microbiology and Assistant Director of the Institute in 1970.
From 1966 to 1969, she was a visiting faculty member at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Public
Hygiene and Public Health (now Bloomberg School of Public Health) in Baltimore, MD, USA, carrying out
research in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis. Her major contributions to tuberculosis research were in
definitively demonstrating the existence of cell-wall-deficient forms of tubercle bacilli that are totally
unaffected by antibiotics and can remain dormant in humans for decades, like sleeper cells; when their
host is severely immune-suppressed, they ‘come alive’ causing tuberculosis. Her contributions have
impacted how we treat this disease today. Prof. Chandrasekhar passed away in 2017.
The Award will be presented on National Science Day (28 February 2024) at the IIT Kanpur campus.
Applications must be submitted online at https://forms.gle/py1HcCVXJwENtpxZ9 and must be
submitted on or before 10 December 2023.
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