IIT Kanpur-SAROJ CHANDRASEKHAR MEMORIAL AWARD for Women Scientists in the Biosciences and Biotechnology

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 year or beyond 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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