The Simons- Ashoka Fellowship Launched at Ashoka University to Accelerate Research in Natural Sciences
New Delhi : Ashoka University and the Simons Foundation announced the launch of The Simons-Ashoka Fellowship programme to accelerate research in natural sciences today. Housed at the Trivedi School of Biosciences at the university, the programme will select a cohort of six outstanding post-doctoral researchers working towards advancing the frontiers of biomedical sciences and other allied fields, including physical & engineering sciences, pure & applied mathematics, and computer & information science. The Simons-Ashoka fellows will receive mentorship from six Senior Fellows, recruited from a base of accomplished scientists in India. Furthermore, the fellows will receive an annual compensation of INR18lakhs for a maximum of three years along with other allowances.
This is a first-of-its-kind initiative by The Simons Foundation outside the United States in a developing country. Established in 1994 by Dr. Jim and Dr. Marilyn Simons in New York, the foundation is well-known for supporting cutting edge research in natural sciences. Quantum physicist Alain Aspect, a principal investigator for Simons Collaboration on Localization of Waves, was one of recipients of the recently announced 2022 Nobel Prize in physics.
The Simons Fellowship Programme at Ashoka University is a unique model of collaborative research in the quantitative biomedical sciences and allied fields with the vision:
· To build an innovative and multidisciplinary research environment for analysis of health data
· To extend the impact of the Simons Foundation to address health-care needs in low and middle-income countries.
· To incubate pioneering initiatives in the field of personalised medicine, as a model for similar efforts in institutions across the world.
The Simons-Ashoka fellows will benefit from the experience of Ashoka’s eminent faculty in natural sciences. Additionally, they will also be able to leverage the rich ecosystem of scientific research in and around the National Capital Region of India which houses several leading universities, laboratories and hospitals. The applicants for the programme will typically be within two of years of obtaining a Ph.D.
Speaking on the launch of the programme, Dr. Anurag Agrawal, Dean, Biosciences and Health Research, Ashoka University said, “We are delighted to launch the Simons-Ashoka Fellowship programme. This initiative will provide a robust platform to young scientists who are seeking to conduct cutting-edge research that could create a positive impact on India and the world. I am also grateful to the Simons Foundation for looking at Ashoka as a partner in this shared journey of nurturing the young community of researchers.”
Sharing her thoughts on the launch of the programme, Prof. Malabika Sarkar, Vice-Chancellor, Ashoka University said “The launch of the Simons-Ashoka Fellowship programme at Ashoka University is another step towards our vision of establishing a world class university in India focused on academic rigour and cutting-edge scientific research. It would give the young scientists an opportunity to bolster their research as part of the fellowship, which is in line with the university’s vision to intensify its sciences offering. The partnership with the Simons Foundation reflects that Ashoka University is being globally recognised for the quality of education it imparts in India.”
The selected Simons-Ashoka fellows would join a broader community of young scholars funded by the Simons Foundation, who are known for their intellectual interactions across disciplines and across research centres. In previous years, research supported by the Simons Foundation has spanned a wide range of subjects including theoretical physics, ecology and climate, genome organisation, mathematics and computer science.