Newsletter of IUSSTF Volume 5 (3) | January 2014 · 2018-03-06 · Technology CEPT University, Ahmedabad) Vishal Garg, Deputy Director (International Institute of Information Technology,

Volume 5 (3) | January 2014

Indo-US Science & Technology Forum

Newsletter of IUSSTF

Indo-US Science and Technology Forum

EnErgy EfficiEncy in buildingsLayIng new FoUndaTIonS

cover story

04 Joint Centre for Building Energy Research and Development Energy Savings ...INBUIlT

features

09 Resonance | An MIT-Harvard-IIT initiative

Resonant Neuroscience

reports

13Global Methane Initiative

To Cap it All!

16 Excerpts from the Joint Statement

Obama-Singh Summit

18 Student–Speak Giving Wings to Talent

24 Bharat Ratna

Prof. CNR Rao

26 Startup Accelerator Workshop

Gathering Speed

news and events29 Events Diary

C O N T E N T S

16

28

Connect • January 2014

13

2

9

Programmatic activities of IUSSTF have been mostly sector agnostic driven by a bottom up approach. However over the years, a number of contemporary topics such as health, environment, innovation, clean energy etc. have emerged in natural course a large number of proposals are being received in these areas in our regular calls for proposals. Articles in this issue of the Connect cover IUSSTF activities in these new areas.

Our cover story is based on the Indo-US collaboration being carried in the area of Energy Efficient Buildings by US-India Joint Centre for Building Energy Research and Development (CBERD) a consortium led by Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, Berkley and the CEPT

University, Ahmedabad. The Joint Center has brought together eminent scientists and researchers from Indian and US academia and industry under a virtual roof. CBERD is one of the three consortia selected under the 100 million dollar joint initiative – Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Centre (JCERDC) funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and Indian Departments of Science & Technology (DST) and Biotechnology (DBT) under public-private partnership. IUSSTF is proud to be associated with this initiative as the administrative agency in India.

It has been our continuous endeavor to catalyze partnerships between Indian and US premier science and technology institutions. MIT-Harvard-IIT Delhi partnership for organizing Resonance India in Delhi deserves a special mention. The event brought scientists, researchers, students, medical professionals and engineers together for a training program on Neuroscience, a priority for India as well as the US as elaborated in the article on Resonance India in this issue.

Greenhouse gasses (GHG) continues to be an area attracting significant S&T interest. Launched in 2004, Global Methane Initiative (GMI) is focusing on methane abatement, recovery and use. India was one of GMI’s founder partner countries. We cover GMI in this issue which has several projects running in private as well as public sector alike with Indian and US agencies as partners.

2013 has been a very successful year from IUSSTFs capacity building mandate. IUSSTF supported summer internships of about 100 Indian graduate and doctoral students in US Universities and 50 US students in Indian academic and research institutions under several fellowships and internship programs namely Khorana scholar program, Viterbi India program, SN Bose Scholar program and Research Internship in Science & Engineering program. Most beneficiaries of these programs have opted science as a career. We got some of the beneficiaries of these programs to articulate their experiences regarding their participation in this issue of CONNECT.

As a part of our efforts aimed at promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, a Startup Accelerator Workshop was organized by IUSSTF in partnership with US Embassy, FICCI and 91 Spring Board at Delhi. The overwhelming response to the workshop was heartening and we intend to continue such efforts that bring together entrepreneurs, investors, policy makers and mentors on a common platform.

As we were about to go to the press came the announcement that Prof. CNR Rao has been conferred the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor for contribution towards advancement of Art, Literature, Science and Public Services. Undoubtedly, this recognition of Prof. Rao’s efforts in service of Indian science will spur the coming generations of Indian scientists to become more ambitious about their professional goals. IUSSTF congratulates Prof. Rao for this well deserved honor and wishes him a long and active life in pursuit of science and his inputs for grooming the next lineup of potential Bharat Ratna candidates from the S&T domain.l

Rajiv SharmaExecutive Director, IUSSTF

From the Editor-in-Chiefeditor-in-ChiefRajiv SharmaExecutive Director, IUSSTF

editorial advisory groupSamuel Kotis Deputy Minister CounselorEnvironment Science and Technology AffairsU.S. Embassy, New Delhi

Michael CheethamDirector, India Science and Technology Partnership (INSTP)

Smriti TrikhaSr. Science Manager, IUSSTF

Nishritha BopanaPrincipal Science Officer, IUSSTF (Member Convener)

editorial Consultant Manoj Dabas

layout Design / DTP Pramod Jha

opinionsOpinions expressed in Connect do not necessarily reflect the opinion of IUSSTF or other organizations associated with publication of Connect.

Comments and SuggestionsPlease email the Connect Team at [email protected]

design, Production and CirculationCommunication & Outreach Division AFE Consultants Private limited Aravali House, 431/D-22, Chhatarpur Hills New Delhi-110074, India

Published and Printed by :Nishritha Bopana on behalf of Indo-US S&T Forum from Fulbright House 12 Hailey Road, New Delhi - 110 001.

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Connect • January 2014 3

4 Connect • January 2014

Joint Centre for Building Energy Research and Development


Energy Savings...InbUILT

The path to collaboration and co-operation in many diverse fields has nurtured the friendship and understanding between the world’s two largest democracies - United States of America and India. Relying on successful historic partnerships and recognizing the need to not only address climate change but also to create a clean energy regime, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Barack Obama signed

a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2009 to enhance cooperation in this area. The U.S. - India Partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE) was formed as a result of this MoU. As part of the PACE – Research (PACE-R) initiative, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Government of India signed an agreement to establish the Indo-U.S. Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Centre (JCERDC).

Rajan RawalCentre for Environmental Planning and Technology

CEPT University Ahmedabad

girish ghatikarlawrence Berkeley National

laboratory, Berkeley

The aim of the JCERDC is to foster collaborative research and development in the areas of Solar Energy, Second

Generation Biofuels and Building Energy Efficiency. The Centres in these identified areas are expected to accelerate transition to a low-carbon, high performance and energy-secure economy.

After an extensive merit-review process, our consortium- the U.S.-India Joint Centre for Building Energy Research and Development

(CBERD) - led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, U.S. and CEPT University, Ahmedabad, India, which is comprised of a diverse set of consortia partners from both countries, was selected as the winner in the JCERDC Building Energy Efficiency category. CBERD brings together, under one virtual roof, world-class researchers and scientists from academia, industry, and national laboratories, and institutional partners from both India and the U.S.

C O V E R S T O R Y

SyneRgISTIC STRengTHS oF boTH CoUnTRIeS

US Team1. Information technology, controls and

communications2. Envelope technologies3. Advanced materials4. Advanced HVAC, lighting and

daylighting technology5. Grid integration

India Team1. Software and service solutions2. Passive design systems3. Appropriate regional materials4. Modular HVAC, natural and

mixed-mode ventilation strategies 5. Cost-effective technologies

and access to test-beds

6

CBERD has11 recognized R&D organizations and 8 key supporting organizations with years of

experience and infrastructure needed for the project success. Presently approximately 45 researchers

are engaged in R&D activities. CBERD provides unparalleled expertise that leverages resources and

physical infrastructure to provide results beyond what is achievable from individual research projects.

R & d organizational Partners

CBERD has 11 recognized R&D organizations and 8 key supporting organizations with years of experience and infrastructure needed for the project success. Presently approximately 45 researchers are engaged in R&D activities. CBERD provides unparalleled expertise that leverages resources and

physical infrastructure to provide results beyond what is achievable from individual research projects.




CBERD Goals and Objectives: Recognizing the fact that the U.S. and India are among the highest energy users in the world, CBERD attempts to extend present boundaries with the integration of physical systems with virtual systems. Through cooperative research and public-private sector collaborations that focus on building information technologies and systems integration, over the five-year program period, CBERD will develop methods and technologies which will help achieve substantial energy savings in both countries’ buildings sectors. The CBERD mission is structured to draw on the experience and knowledge base of both nations by enhancing two-way peer-to-peer collaboration, joint technology development, and coordinated research on integrated low-energy building systems and tools. CBERD research focuses on the following six key building energy efficiency research and development gaps that both nations face despite considerable advancement in technology:

1) Lack of systems integration in building life-cycle impedes optimal energy performance: Currently business-as-usual buildings are designed, built, and operated with piecemeal consideration of various building components and systems like HVAC, lighting, plug-loads, grid connectivity, and renewable energy resources.

2) Building Designs are not optimized for the diversity of building types: The spectrum of costs, services, and comfort levels across

diverse building types requires applications-specific design solutions for optimizing energy efficiency. This diversity is more pronounced in one context then other.

3) Building energy efficiency technologies are not customized for regional needs: Several building physical systems have been adopted from developed economies without taking into account regional, climatic, cultural, and economic requirements.

4) Standardized processes, metrics, and energy codes for achieving building energy performance targets: Lack of rigorous application of appropriate building energy-efficiency codes standards and master specifications. Most current standards lack comprehensible, measureable, actionable data in a way that is cost-effective.

5) Skills and knowledge gaps exist among building stakeholders: Despite the growing awareness of energy-efficiency in buildings, many stakeholders are unaware of proven existing methods, or lack the ability to implement effective measures. This is further aggravated by lack of knowledge on how much energy their buildings consume and why.

6) Building industry fragmentation inhibits energy efficiency: There is a lack of a cohesive group of stakeholders with experience in both R&D and commercial aspects.

CBERD’s vision is also to build a foundation of collaborative knowledge, technologies, human capabilities, and relationships that position the U.S. and India for a future of high-performance buildings, with accelerated, measurable and significant energy use reduction. The focus on the highest growth sectors, i.e., commercial and high-rise multi-family buildings, targets primarily new construction in India and retrofits and operations in the U.S. While this will create the maximum impact, the results will have spill-over benefits to other building sectors as well. CBERD leverages its partners’ distinctive strengths. The academic - research partners provide rich, diverse expertise in building technologies, while the industry partners help create bridges to commercialization. At a national level, CBERD harnesses complementary experience: for instance,

UNITED STATESAshok J. Gadgil, Director & PI

(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley)

Girish Ghatikar, Project Director (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley)

Mary Ann Piette, Deputy Director (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley)

Patrick Hughes, Deputy Director (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

Reshma Singh, Operations Manager (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley)

INDIAN.K. Bansal, Director & PI

(Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology CEPT University, Ahmedabad)

Rajan Rawal, Project Director (Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology CEPT University, Ahmedabad)

Vishal Garg, Deputy Director (International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad)

Jyotirmay Mathur, Deputy Director (Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur)

Asha Joshi, Operations Manager (Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology CEPT University, Ahmedabad)

CbeRd TeaM



advanced materials and technologies in the U.S. with the wisdom of indigenous building construction methods in India. CBERD also draws upon the multidisciplinary expertise and complementary experience of the consortium to fill technical and knowledge gaps, while committing to a common strategy; for example, combining the United States’ core competency in IT systems with India’s strong software service solutions, aligned into an integrative research thrust on Building IT systems.

CBERD Research and Development Tasks:1) Simulation and Modelling: CBERD leverages

available tools while updating them to support future deployment of building energy codes, performance rating standards; building energy labelling programs and early-stage design tools to promote low energy design and construction. Development of implementation-ready energy code rule-sets for automated compliance and performance rating is one of the tasks. This subtask will leverage on-going development of a rule-set framework and a software toolkit and will make use of the IT capabilities of industry partners. Development of materials and construction database, HVAC system templates and libraries, weather data processing tools and other inputs specific to simulation of

sustainable building design and construction practices are activities to be carried out during the CBERD project tenure. Tools for specific applications, including a chiller selection tool, a demand response assessment tool for smart grid integration and a simple energy and cost optimization tool for design alternative/retrofit analysis will be developed as wrappers or plug-ins for the currently available simulation engines.

2) Monitoring and Benchmarking: This research task is to provide a foundation for India’s cost-effective scalable benchmarking and monitoring program. It will build on applicable concepts from U.S. benchmarking and energy information systems (EIS) activities and data collection efforts under way in India. CBERD anticipates two major deliverables: (A) A set of methods and web-based software tools for whole-building and system-level benchmarking adapted to the Indian context, and (B) Cost-effective, scalable approaches for continuous measurement and monitoring of commercial buildings, which can be integrated into EIS and metering products with broad applicability in the U.S. and Indian markets.

3) Controls and Communications Integration: This task concentrates on development of integrated communications and control

CoST-SHaRe/THIRd-PaRTy PaRTneRS In IndIa and THe U.S.



technologies across building systems, such as lighting, HVAC, and plug-loads. It intends to test these in the field to minimize energy use; respond to changes in occupancy and environmental factors; improve their functionality, reliability, and provide operational insights. This work will also develop new smart luminaires and plug-load controllers; validate and improve wireless communication technologies for ubiquitous sensing and control of building loads; and develop and identify protocols and data structures to standardize exchange of all building data between systems.

4) Building Envelop and passive building design: This part of CBERD attempts to develop and test energy-efficient building materials and exterior insulation systems for India’s commercial and multi-family new construction; advance the technologies for the Indian and the U.S. markets. The construction materials commonly used in India have been tested in accordance with international standards, however, a more comprehensive database for walls, roofs and windows and their assemblies needs to be characterised. Partners are collaborating to monitor the performance of cool roofing products on buildings in India. Taking this further, the team will develop standardized methods of natural exposure that can be used to determine the aged radiative properties of roofing products.

Building envelop research will extend to development, demonstration, testing and validation of cost-effective, high-performance glazing and daylight harvesting solutions approaching net zero energy performance for perimeter zones (outer 5m/15 ft and skylighted space), and extend solutions to core zones (up to 10m/30 ft).

Performance evaluation of passive building design and technology is a key part of CBERD’s research agenda. The passive design technologies are indigenous to India’s needs. R&D includes performance evaluation, prototypes, and tests in various climate zones of India.

5) Low energy comfort cooling and advanced lighting: CBERD desires to establish a realistic analytical framework (building types, construction techniques, comfort envelope, climate zones, energy rates, etc.), conduct analysis, and document the application circumstances that should lead practitioners to

select the best practice for their applications. Work on refrigerant charge monitor develops a breakthrough low cost monitor that facilitates initial system charging for field-charged split-system units, ensures refrigerant charge is sustained at optimal levels in any type of compressor-bearing unit over the operating life, and documents refrigerant use during life. CBERD research team is working on non-compressor based cooling concepts such as multi-stage evaporative/desiccant pre-cooling in conjunction with grey water or condensate collection and reuse, or rainwater harvesting, to re-optimize Dedicated Outdoor Air Supply (DOAS) equipment for varied climate conditions. Lighting research will concentrate on characterizing and identifying high-performance LED systems, their interaction with cooling systems, and lighting system characterization for their energy performance.

6) Comfort Studies: CBERD researchers will conduct a post-occupancy evaluation and user satisfaction survey using well-established user survey methodology. Existing research activities will be leveraged to collect wider data sets with innovative cost effective way of collection of data for varied building types in varied climate zones.

7) Grid Responsive Buildings: The grid-responsive and connected building application is key to linking energy efficiency and daily operations, such as demand response to achieve electricity reliability and operational efficiencies through CBERD building technologies. CBERD, through collaborative knowledge and partnerships, will create a framework to integrate building technologies and Smart Grid standards.

8) Renewable energy systems integration with buildings: The R&D team will identify building integrated solar applications (BIPV) through public-private partnerships of solar power generation and PV technology developments.

9) Cost optimization: CBERD will provide an analysis of cost efficiencies through development of energy-efficient technologies. Cost effectiveness will be measured in forms such as simple payback or net present value. The task is to evaluate customized needs for building technology deployment for energy-efficiency measures (e.g., retrofits) and any potential to develop new tools, to scale their adoption. This task will evaluate even relevant

contd. on pg no. 31




a synergy across two nations

In the domain of higher education in science and technology, India and the United States have two pressing needs.

India has several outstanding institutions for higher education that provide world-class training in numerous disciplines. However, many of the more recent domains of research are not adequately represented in their programs. This limits their students’ opportunities for pursuing higher studies in these areas and, more broadly, India’s ability to have an impact on cutting-edge research.

The United States has several outstanding young researchers, typically at the post-doctoral level, who have excellent training in specialized research fields, but have not had opportunities for teaching and mentoring students. This greatly limits their training as well-rounded scientists with good teaching and communication skills.

Clearly, the two needs are complementary and provide perfect answers for each other. We have recently launched an initiative that formalizes this mutually beneficial confluence. It is structured as short, intensive instructional programs conducted by exceptional young US scientists for talented students selected from institutions across India.

a great start in 2013

MIT Professor Pawan Sinha was the catalyst for Resonance through the MIT-India program

and his outreach to partner institutions. Through his conversations with IIT-Delhi and Harvard’s South Asia Institute, a team gathered to plan a series of courses. For the pilot course, we identified neuroscience as a key topic that would benefit from a Resonance program, and organized a summer school in neuroscience in June 2013 in New Delhi. Three major institutions committed themselves to

Resonant neuroscience

F E AT U R E



HARVARD UNIVERSITYHARVARD UNIVERSITY HARVARD UNIVERSITYHARVARD UNIVERSITY

supporting Resonance: MIT, Harvard, and IIT Delhi (which served as the host). The Indo-US Science and Technology Forum saw the bilateral benefits that Resonance could yield and provided critical funding support.

Why did we choose neuroscience as the inaugural theme for Resonance? Understanding how the brain works is considered to be one of the greatest frontiers in modern science. Research in this area is driven not only by curiosity, but also the possibility of making a profound impact on the real world. By advancing our knowledge about the brain, we can help the many millions of people who suffer from neurological disorders, and also realize the promise of artificial intelligence. Dr. Pawan Sinha, Professor of Vision & Computational Neuroscience, and Dr.

Venkatesh Murthy, Professor of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Harvard University led the neuroscience program with teaching assistance by Garga Chatterjee, MIT, Tapan Gandhi, MIT, Amy Kalia, MIT, Laura Magnotti, Harvard, Tim Marzullo, Backyard Brains, and Jitendra Sharma, Martinos Center, Harvard. The IIT host faculty and administration was organized by Dean Ambuj Sagar, Vipula and Mahesh Chaturvedi, Professor of Policy Studies, IIT-Delhi and Dr. Sanjiva Prasad, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT-Delhi. Resonance is organized through the MIT-India office and Harvard’s South Asia Institute.

Our goal for Resonance 2013 was to provide an intensive introduction to neuroscience to students who might not yet have had an exposure to this field; among other things it would


An MIT-Harvard-IIT initiative for focused learning


prepare them for undertaking higher studies or corporate R&D in this area. This program was designed so that a select group of students had the chance to spend two weeks with several scientists from MIT and Harvard, immersed in a rich set of experiences that include lectures that covered background material and also offered a glimpse of the cutting edge in neuroscience research, along with exercises that promoted hands-on learning. The student selection process was highly competitive and the class size was limited to 25 students.

The key components of the summer school were daily lectures on key neuroscience topics in the mornings and afternoons. Evenings were reserved for demonstrations and hands-on work. Lectures covered a wide range of key neuroscience topics and gave the students a sense of the interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience (encompassing molecular biology, genetics, physiology, engineering, physics and computer science). The evening demonstrations allowed students to get exposed to methods and tools of research in neuroscience. A vital part of the course was the discussions that continued through dinner and beyond, facilitated by housing faculty and students in the same location. These informal discussions were vital because it helped impart the culture of interactive exchange that is taken for granted

in the US, but is not prevalent in India. These informal periods allowed fertile meandering of discussions, imparting a sense of excitement and wonder about the subject matter that may not become apparent in didactic lectures.

The program also linked up with industry in India through a Corporate Day, during which scientists and executives from the private sector discussed neuroscience opportunities. This link to industry was much appreciated by students and the teaching faculty, and has led to ongoing connections. GE India, IBM, Infosys, and government officials offered insight and awareness of research possibilities in top corporate laboratories and government as future career destinations. The speakers included Dr. MK Bhan, Former Secretary to Government of India, MD Pediatrics; Dr. Rakesh Mullick, Chief Scientist, Diagnostics and Biomedical Technologies at GE Research; Dr. Lokendra Shastri , AVP & GM - Research , Infosys Labs; Dr. Raghav Singh, IBM Cognitive Computing.

A spectacular finale capped the program, where students presented posters of neuroscience topics of their choice to the public (a crowd favorite was titled “How do I know you are not a zombie?”).

The program was an unqualified success. Feedback from students was glowing, and the



teaching faculty found the Resonance experience uniquely powerful. As word has spread, several other academic institutions and companies have expressed keen interest in participating in future editions of the program.

The Road ahead

Our experience during the first offering of Resonance has convinced us that this program fulfills an important need in the Indian as well as American educational landscape. It simultaneously achieves the objectives of introducing Indian students to exciting areas of scientific inquiry, while also allowing young American scientists the opportunity to gain valuable teaching experience. Building on this success, we feel excited about, and indeed obligated to, making Resonance a recurring feature in the years ahead. Among our objectives for future offerings are to further develope neuroscience as a flagship Resonance course, expanding the summer school to include a faculty-training module, increasing the involvement of corporate entities, and increasing the scope of Resonance to include other cutting-edge topics such as genomics, climate change, nanotechnology and renewable energy.

We are convinced that Resonance will prove true to its name by bringing together the best and the brightest young scientists from India and the US to enhance their careers and, more broadly, the landscape of frontier science.l

I came in with zero knowledge and

I left with some idea about the most

advanced cutting edge technology and

lots of inspiration and thirst for more

knowledge.

It was the single best academic program that I have attended.

Every single moment spent was pristine and unforgettable.

I never imagined sitting with faculty at the dinner table and exchanging views, talking, and

asking questions.

More faculty members working in diverse areas should come together

for such courses.

For further information, contact: Ms. Mala GhoshMIT INDIA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA

E-mail : [email protected]


An MIT-Harvard-IIT initiative for focused learning

Jayne SomersCoalbed Methane Outreach Program

United States Environmental Protection Agency

To Cap It all!The latest assessment from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that it is extremely likely that human influence, through the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), has been the dominant cause of global warming since the mid-20th century. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most abundant GHG in the atmosphere and receives most of the headlines when discussing GHG abatement, but there is another potent GHG which is already being successfully abated in projects around the globe - METHANE.

Methane is the second most important GHG after carbon dioxide. Although it is emitted into the atmosphere in smaller quantities than CO2, its global warming potential (ability to trap heat in the atmosphere) is 25 times greater than CO2, resulting in methane’s stronger influence on warming during its 12-year atmospheric lifetime. Reducing methane emissions, therefore, can significantly slow near-term climate change. Additionally, methane is the primary component of natural gas, so its capture and utilization as a clean-burning energy source can promote sustainable development and energy security.

Anthropogenic (man-made) sources of methane include oil and natural gas production, coal mining, municipal solid waste (e.g., landfills), municipal wastewater, and agriculture (including livestock manure). These sources of methane have increased over time, causing the atmospheric concentration of methane to grow 150 percent since 1750. Without more aggressive mitigation measures, methane emissions are expected to increase nearly 20 percent by 2030, continuing an upward trend far above the natural level of methane.

R E P O R T






The global Methane Initiative

The only world effort specifically targeting methane abatement, recovery and use by focusing on the five main methane emission sources is the Global Methane Initiative (GMI). Launched in 2004, with 14 Partner Countries, GMI is now an international public-private initiative that comprises 41 Partner Countries and the European Commission, as well as more than 1,100 diverse organizations from six continents. GMI Partner Countries work with these public and private sector organizations providing project development and implementation support, training and

capacity building, technology demonstration and deployment, and market development.

India and the gMI

India was one of GMI’s founding Partner Countries and now has over 88 potential sites and 48 activities linked to methane abatement, recovery and use, with almost 150 Project Network members from the governmental, research and private sectors. Working in close partnership with several U.S. Government Agencies, India has developed several methane reduction projects which produce environmental and economic benefits for the country.

In the Agriculture and Wastewater sectors GMI is facilitating the deployment of anaerobic digesters (AD) and biogas plants. In recent years, India AD projects have grown to include a 1.2-MW manure-based project, two 4-MW co-digester projects including agricultural wastes and residues, a 1.6-MW project using sugar industry solid waste, and five additional projects that upgrade biogas to natural-gas-quality fuel. In addition, there are approximately 100 digesters that generate biogas from wastewater along with nearly 10 projects generating a total estimated capacity of 10 MW of power.

Municipal solid waste management studies have noted India’s transition from open dumps to more managed landfills, and GMI has developed case studies on landfill gas management when designing new landfills, particularly in the Mumbai area. Local municipalities are now more aware of the potential of capturing and using methane generated by landfills.

GMI has launched an extremely successful partnership with India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). In 2008, the ONGC Chairman directed his personnel to pursue implementation of cost-effective technologies and practices that could reduce ONGC’s methane emissions by an estimated 10 million

CMM/CBM Clearing house laboratory (CMPDI, Ranchi)

GMI/CIMFR Meetings in Spring 2012


Global Methane Initiative


cubic meters per year, potentially saving the loss of natural gas with a value of $740,000. GMI provided support for onsite methane emission measurement studies to identify and measure major methane emission sources. An ONGC measurement team pursued the leak evaluation strategies, resulting in a 7.9 million cubic meters reduction in emissions from 2008 to 2010. GMI is now working with the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) at its Vijaipur facility.

Methane gas released from coal mining activities, known as coal mine methane (CMM), can be captured and used as a clean energy source, not only reducing GHG emissions, but also enhancing mine safety. Since the inception of GMI, the USEPA’s Coalbed Methane Outreach Program (CMOP) has worked with key Indian organizations to provide essential information on coal mines, common mining practices and project opportunities. The culmination of this successful collaboration was the establishment in 2007 of the CMM Clearinghouse in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Managed by India’s Ministry of Coal and hosted by Coal India’s Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI), the Clearinghouse promotes the development of CMM projects and makes CMM resources publically available.

GMI’s work in India has resulted in numerous CMM technical workshops, pre-feasibility studies, grant awards and study tours to the US to observe CMM operations. In March 2010, GMI and the Government of India hosted the 2nd International Methane Partnership Expo in New Delhi. The event attracted more than 500 participants from 36 countries, and brought together investment, project development and government professionals to network and collaborate on advancing new methane capture and use projects. In October 2011, EPA co-hosted the first Indo-U.S. workshop on CMM with the Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR) in Dhanbad. The goal of the workshop was to share

information on coal seam gas and drainage and utilization technologies with local mining officials. Presentation topics included financial feasibility of CMM projects, mine degasification systems, directional drilling, well logging, and sustainability. In November 2013, the CMM Clearinghouse was the site of a workshop held to showcase opportunities for the development of coal-based non-conventional energy resources in India. This was a sequel to the successful 1st International Workshop on Coal Mine Methane held in Ranchi in 2008.

With the second greatest anthropogenic methane emissions globally, India has much potential for methane abatement and use. Through the GMI and the work of Indian partners, good progress has already been made in methane emissions reductions from the agriculture, coal, oil and gas, and landfill and wastewater sectors. Continuing this progress will be of great benefit to the people of India and the global environment. l

GMI Presentation at the Moonidih Mine (Jharia Coalfield, Jharkhand)


Newsletter of IUSSTFNewsletter of IUSSTF

15Connect • January 2014

Marking their third bilateral summit, the two Leaders reflected proudly on the transformation of United States-India

relations during the last decade, affirming that the partnership between the two democratic nations is stronger today than at any point in its 67-year history. Rooted in common democratic values and strong people-to-people ties, the United States and India have developed a comprehensive global strategic partnership, both in name and in substance that has made their citizens safer and more prosperous.

President Obama and Prime Minister Singh pledged to make the next decade equally transformative, challenging their governments to reach the full potential of this partnership, particularly in the areas of security cooperation, bilateral trade and investment, energy and environment, higher education, and global architecture.

The Leaders called for expanding security cooperation between the United States and India to address 21st century challenges in the areas of counter-terrorism, cyber, space, and global health security. Affirming their deep concern over the continuing threat posed by terrorism, President Obama and Prime Minister Singh stressed the need for joint and concerted effort, including dismantling of terrorist safe havens, and disrupting all financial and tactical support for terrorism. The Leaders emphasized the importance of expanding homeland security cooperation to enhance exchanges on megacity policing strategies, securing the global supply chain and anti-counterfeiting efforts. India welcomed the U.S. offer of membership in the U.S. “Global Entry” Trusted Traveler Network Program, to facilitate expedited entry of Indian travelers to the United States.

The Leaders welcomed the robust cooperation in cutting-edge scientific research and joint collaboration in science, innovation, and entrepreneurship, for the

benefit of citizens in both countries. The United States welcomed the invitation by India for the United States to be Partner Country in India’s Science and Technology Summit in 2014. President Obama and Prime Minister Singh discussed ways to strengthen bilateral efforts to promote energy efficiency, clean energy, and address climate change. In the civil nuclear power sector, President Obama and Prime Minister Singh noted that, with government-to-government procedures agreed, commercial negotiations between U.S. companies and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) are proceeding. They welcomed the announcement

that NPCIL and U.S. nuclear company Westing house have concluded a Preliminary Contract to develop a nuclear power plant in Gujarat in India. Building on this, the Leaders urged NPCIL and U.S. companies Westinghouse and General Electric-Hitachi to expedite the necessary work to establish nuclear power plants in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the full and timely implementation of the India-U.S. Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.

The U.S.-India Partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE), launched by the two Leaders in 2009, is expected to pave the way for energy to millions of

Indian households. To expand the availability of clean energy resources to more people, President Obama and Prime Minister Singh endorsed the proposal to launch Promoting Energy Access through Clean Energy (PEACE), a PACE initiative, to rapidly deploy innovative renewable energy solutions to those who currently lack access to energy.

Recognizing that climate change is a defining challenge of our time and that there are mutual benefits in intensifying cooperation, President Obama and Prime Minister Singh announced the establishment of an India-U.S. Climate Change Working Group to develop and advance action-oriented cooperation, as well as to begin an enhanced dialogue focusing on working closely in developing an ambitious climate change agreement for the post-2020 period, and on strengthening bilateral efforts in this regard.

President Obama and Prime Minister Singh believe that the United States and India should look to each other as partners of first resort in addressing global challenges. Looking forward, President Obama and Prime Minister Singh recognized that increased cooperation in these areas will strengthen the United States-India strategic partnership, highlighting shared democratic values and the capabilities the United States and India have to work together across Asia and around the globe. The two countries have crossed a threshold in their relations where both recognize that successes at home and abroad are further advanced by their cooperation. Today’s meeting demonstrates that the interests of the United States and India continue to converge, and this partnership will indeed be a defining one for the 21st century.l

Text courtesy: The White House, Office of the Press SecretaryTo read the full-text of the Joint Statement, please visit:

http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/texttrans/2013/09/20130927283736.html#axzz2g9ymU2mk

16 Connect • January 2014 Connect • January 2014 17Connect • January 201416

Obama-Singh SummitExcerpts from the Joint Statement

27 September 2013 | Washington


Nature, in all its complexities, with the mysteries that lie beneath natural processes have never failed to captivate me. My dream to do research at a premier institute came true in the summer of 2012. I was among the thirty students who were selected to spend ten weeks working on an individual research project at various Universities in the U.S. as part of the Khorana Scholars Program 2012. One of the best things about the Khorana Program is that it is unique, very prestigious and highly competitive. Most importantly, all the scholars were spread among various Universities based on our specific area of interest. My interest was in the area of cancer therapy; hence I was placed under Dr. Michael Schultz at the Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Iowa, and had the opportunity to work on a research project titled Small molecules for therapy of metastatic melanoma. Much like the professors and graduate students in the department, I spent about 40 hours per week in the lab working on my project. It was a great experience for me to work in such a scientific environment where I enriched my knowledge by learning something new every day. Every Friday, I used to have a meeting with Dr. Schultz, who monitored my work progress personally and emphasized on channelizing my thoughts and ideas about

cancer research. Also, he perfected the way I presented my work by scrutinizing my presentation skills. I revelled in the environment of science all around me, as professors dissected new theories from recently-published scientific papers and students just slightly older than me gave presentations about innovations in imaging and targeting cancer cells that they had just discovered. At the University of Iowa, I was considered as a BSURF (Biochemistry Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship) student and was invited to participate in various meetings, paper and poster presentation sessions of the program. Not only did I gain expertise in research; I also learnt the importance of time management. The Khorana Scholars Program proved its uniqueness by bringing together all the Khorana fellows from different Universities through video conferencing and this provided us a chance to share our work as well as experiences with one another, thereby diversifying our thoughts and clarifying our ideas towards choosing a path of research in the future. Overall, the Khorana Scholars program is the best platform that transforms students into young researchers and provides an unquenchable inspiration to make a better world.

Giving wings to Talent

Khorana Program for Scholars

To address the need for human resource development and capacity building in sci-ence and technology, the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) is commit-ted to nurture contacts between students of science and technology from India and the United States. It has been unambiguously demonstrated that providing students with an exposure to cutting-edge scientific research experiences at a formative stage not only broadens their intellectual horizons but also leads to increased engagements in scientific and technological research careers. In this section of Connect, we share with you the experiences of some of our bright, young interns in their own words!

Prasanth T.Anna University


Student–Speak

Khorana Program for Scholars

Anahita BharadwajSASTRA University

A little more than a year ago, I remember picking up the phone to talk to Dr. Mak Paranjape, Department of Physics, at Georgetown University, who was interviewing me for the Khorana scholarship selection. I admit I was nervous, but not for long. He was friendly, easy-going and eased me into a conversation by saying, “Did you know Clinton went to Georgetown University”? And before I knew it, there I was, in Washington D.C., working, learning and making memories. My summer in the U.S. taught me lot more than just research; it taught me about adjusting in a new environment, meeting new people, living outside my comfort zone and looking at the bigger picture in life.

I have always been interested in interdisciplinary research, mainly due to its wide range of applications. My project at Georgetown University involved the production of nanofibers and testing their potential as drug delivery systems on bacterial biofilms. In parallel, I also worked on attempting to produce a mesh of nanofibers for their use as a support for retinal cell growth. This project was truly interdisciplinary as electrospinning requires understanding various theoretical aspects in physics while bacterial biofilm research is purely biological work. Hence, this gave me the wonderful opportunity of interacting with Dr. Ronda Rolfes from the Department of Biology, who helped me immensely in studying bacteria. Under Dr. Paranjape’s and Dr. Rolfes’ guidance, I witnessed the blending of two “classical” research areas while working on nanofibres. Discussing our research experiences and interacting with other scholars over weekly video chats added to our knowledge and introduced us to novel research ideas that other research groups were working on.

Staying in Georgetown was an amazing experience. During the weekends, the other

Khorana scholars (Ruchi and Aseem) and I visited various museums, monuments and tourist attractions in D.C. The walk from the Capitol building to the Lincoln memorial (passing through the constitutional gardens, Washington monument, WW-II memorial and reflecting pool) was especially memorable. We also had the wonderful experience of visiting the Niagara Falls and the Big Apple over the 4th of July weekend.

The return to India after the ten week internship was quite a blur but the effects of the time spent there will remain with me forever. The Khorana Program Student Symposium held in Delhi was indeed the cherry on the cake. I am glad Dr. Paranjape and Mr. Philip Thomas from Georgetown University were able to attend it. Particularly, Mr. Sam Pitroda’s speech was inspiring and motivating for all of us. He urged us to be focused, stay determined and question everything around us, for it is only inquisitiveness that drives innovation, creativity and inventiveness.

Most educational experiences in life come because of the people around us. I thank the University of Wisconsin-Madison, IUSSTF and DBT, Govt. of India, for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. I especially thank Dr. Paranjape for selecting me, Dr. Aseem Ansari for coordinating the entire internship wonderfully and the management at Georgetown University, particularly Mr. Philip Thomas and Mr. Sam Robfogel for making my stay comfortable. I also thank Ruchi and Aseem for being a part of these wonderful experiences and Isha Dube for being my first friend at Georgetown. The Khorana fellowship has broadened my horizon immensely, kindled my interest in pursuing scientific research and prepared me to face the challenges ahead in the scientific world.



19

Anjaney KothariIIT-Kanpur

My experience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a Khorana Scholar this summer was one of the most encouraging and mesmerizing experiences I have had. The experience was completely unprecedented. Initially, I was nervous about several things: it was going to be my first international experience, my project was going to be absolutely new and I did not know any people there. The anxiety and nervousness were all obviated by the warm hospitality of the people in Cambridge. Everyone - the people I stayed with, the interns

from the U.S., the professors and my lab m e m b e r s - integrated me into their groups so well that after the first week, I never felt that it was my first time in a different country and in an institute so coveted all over the world, and I knew i m m e d i a t e l y that nine amazing weeks were coming up.

Scientifically, no experience could have been as encouraging and transformative. My project at MIT was on the Analysis of Drosophila ventral furrow, biomechanics using laser ablation and image analysis. My lab was absolutely wonderful. My mentor and all the lab members were extremely helpful and they gave me the freedom to think of my own ways to solve the problem put before me. I used instruments

and techniques I had never used before, wrote programs as I had never done before, and attended lectures and classes I never had the chance to be a part of before. To top this all, you get to meet with Nobel laureates and other scientists that you normally dream of meeting and learn about their lives as if they were your acquaintances for a long time! Even outside the lab, we had ineffable fun. Every weekend, either my lab members would give a mission that involved going to Boston and doing fun stuff like trying different flavors of ice creams or pastries at famous places or watching a baseball game, or we would spend time with interns from the U.S. universities doing community service, visiting beaches, exploring MIT’s fascinating tunnel system and what not.

It was also an enriching experience culturally. Many people had weird misconceptions about India which I am happy that I eliminated during my stay there. Similarly, many of my prejudices against the U.S. were gone. The experience also increased my pride for India: be it the incredible stories about late Dr. Hargobind Khorana that I got to hear from renowned faculty members, or the number of times they appreciated Indians for their intellect and hardworking attitude, or their people talking frantically about different Bollywood movies and actors and eating Indian food with us. With every passing day, I could feel Khorana Program’s motive, of fostering a combination of scientific and cultural exchange that would help Indian students explore the scientist and the Indian in them, being realized.

At the end of the internship, you suddenly realize that you can never have enough of this incredible experience. Any such experience contributes to the holistic development of the person and I sincerely thank the Khorana Program for giving me this incredible opportunity. I wish the program the best for the future.

For more information on the Khorana Program for Scholars:Webpage: http://www.indousstf.org/Khorana/khorana_program.htmlE-mail: [email protected]


Student–Speak

Vaishnavi S. GomathamIIT-Madras

Satwik KotturIIT-Bombay

The Viterbi India Program was not merely an internship in the United States; it was one of the most memorable times of my life.

Work in the University of Southern California’s BioMEMS Lab was very enriching. My work on Biomedical wireless sensing systems was a great learning experience. I enjoyed the intellectual discussions with my supervising Grad students, Roya, Brian and Lawrence, and learning more about their work. One of the best parts of my internship was during our lab meetings when my mentor Dr. Meng shared new cutting-edge work done all around the globe. She is a very inspiring person and took keen interest in all our work.

Work aside, the members of the BioMEMS Lab are one of the most social people I’ve ever met. The work atmosphere was perfect in terms of being extremely work-oriented yet kept all of us at ease. It was so much fun with the whole

lab having lunch together out in the open, lab meetings (where we also got to have good food brought by one of the lab members or by Dr. Meng), 4th of July barbeque party with my Grad students and the SURE program barbeque at USC.

This program has given me a bunch of wonderful friends as my co-interns. We hung out, travelled, played games, cooked together, had heated academic debates and discussions and what not! We, Viterbi India scholars had the time of our lives, we trekked to the top of the Hollywood sign, travelled to Las Vegas and San Francisco and Disneyland and pretty much explored a new place every weekend!

All in all, I should say the Viterbi-India program gave me a whole new insight into research in the U.S. and those were the most exceptional two months ever spent by me.

The Trojan Experience – There will always be moments in the past that you cherish for your entire life. You look back at them and go ‘Aha!’ and wish you could re-live them again. My summer internship at the Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California is definitely at the top of that list. First things first, I got to work in one of the best labs in the realms of Computer Vision under the supervision of Prof. Gerard Medioni. The research exposure, technical knowledge and freedom to think that I was exposed to will undoubtedly go a long way in developing and shaping myself for the future. Moving on to the Trojan Campus -it’s amazing richness in architectural diversity competes with the advances on the technological front. Be it the Doheny Library with five underground

levels (apart from its uncanny resemblance to Hogwarts!!) to the excellent facilities at Lyon Fitness Center - everything leaves you spellbound. Finally, do I have to say anything about the city of Los Angeles? The heart of Hollywood which has amazing places like Universal Studios, California Science Center (which infact is right next to the campus) also has beaches (Santa Monica, Venice to name a few) where you can relax after a hectic week at work. On the whole, the experience of being a ‘Pseudo-Trojan’ makes me want to pursue higher education at USC. I would like to sign-off with a heart-filled thank you to Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum and Viterbi School for such an enriching opportunity.

Viterbi-India Program



My experience with the Viterbi-India program was awesome! The research exposure that I gained through this internship is very valuable and nothing like I’ve ever had before. I was doing my internship under Prof. Knoblock at USC Information Sciences Institute (ISI). The span of 8 weeks went past very fast and I miss that place a lot. USC ISI is located in Marina Del Rey where the weather is a lot cooler than the main campus. I shared my workplace with other interns working at ISI and learnt a lot through my interaction with them. I was working on a project in collaboration with Huawei Technologies and the project had started about the same time as my internship. This

helped me in learning a lot about how projects start and what problems researchers face when they start off with new projects. The team with which I was working consisted of teachers at USC, employees at Huawei Technologies, and graduate students studying at the Viterbi School of Engineering, USC. We had meetings twice a week, and that regulated our pace and ensured that everyone was doing what they

were assigned. Apart from the meetings, I spent time with Dr. Knoblock, Dr. Szekely, and Dr. Yao-Yi to discuss various aspects of my tasks, and learnt a lot through that. The fellow student researchers were very friendly. We often had lunch together in the kitchen on our floor at ISI. Surprisingly, all of them were Indian! Coming to the aspect of my daily life there, it was a very different and amazing experience. I was sharing an apartment with a fellow Viterbi-India intern and a few graduate students studying at USC. Throughout the period of the internship, I lived less like a tourist and more like a resident. In the apartment, we had weekly schedules for cleaning, cooking, getting groceries, etc. All

the costs were equally distributed and settled by the end of my stay. My apartment was just a 20min walk from USC and even though there was a USC tram stop right in front of my apartment, I walked because the weather was cool and the view was very peaceful and beautiful. All of us (interns) had decided that we would try to complete our work on the weekdays and go out together on weekends, and most

of us did that. We visited places that we had heard of or only seen in movies: Universal Studios, Hollywood, Disney Land, Santa Monica, Malibu, Long Beach, to name a few. After the internship ended, we made a 3-day trip to San Francisco. It was then that we felt like tourists! The program was very fruitful and I enjoyed every bit of it.

Ayush JaiswalNational Institute of Technology-

Calicut

For more information on the Viterbi-India Program:Webpage: http://www.indousstf.org/Viterbi-India/Viterbi_India.htmlE-mail: [email protected]


Student–Speak

Sarang S. NathIndian Institute of Technology-Delhi

Sumit GuptaIndian Institute of Technology-Kanpur

As one of the few who had the opportunity to be an S.N. Bose Scholar, my summer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was a most enjoyable and memorable experience. In a large inter-disciplinary team headed by Prof. Parmesh Ramanathan and Prof. Aseem Ansari, my project dealt with understanding networks of genes and reactions within biological systems: using computational approaches, we attempted to simulate biological phenomena with the premise of optimality of such processes. Bringing together a number of professors and students from varied disciplines and backgrounds, the work helped me understand different perspectives of seeing the problem and working towards solutions. Besides this project, I worked on other application-oriented problems, participated in a technical workshop, discussed extensively with faculty

and teammates and learnt about other research work being undertaken at the University.

Located in the picturesque setting of Madison, the University also offered many exciting recreational opportunities. A thrilling sailing trip on Lake Mendota was a one-of-a-kind experience, as was watching the July 4 ‘Rhythm & Booms’ fireworks while sitting by the lake side. We also visited a local farmhouse, the day being full of merry tractor rides, farm dances and picnicking. Playing table tennis at Prof. Ramanathan’s house after a wonderful dinner, tasting Wisconsin specialties – cheese and ice-cream – and going Sunday shopping at the famous Madison Farmers’ Market are unforgettable memories. Altogether, this two-month stay was extremely inspiring and invigorating, and has given me new friends and contacts across the continents!

I was awarded the S. N. Bose Scholarship in 2013 to conduct research in the area of Biomechanical Engineering at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA for a period of two months with Dr. Jianping Fu. Before sharing my experiences, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to IUSSTF and the University of Wisconsin-Madison for such a successful program! This program was not only about being an intern in a research project; it was so much more, like being a part of a big family!

Being just an undergraduate student, I never expected that I would learn so much academically and personally in such a little time. My internship started with a two-day orientation program at University of Wisconsin-Madison. My accommodation in University of Michigan was already arranged at ECIR, an International

Residence with people living from diverse backgrounds. We were 6 people who went through this program and spent quality time together exploring around and discussing about our research projects. My time at University of Michigan has no doubt been one of the most unforgettable and rewarding experiences of my life. Apart from all these amazing experiences, my research project was really an interesting problem and it was motivating to interact with such inspiring researchers in high quality research environments. My guide was always a source of inspiration for me and helped me in getting acquainted with the research methodology in the country. This program is a unique opportunity for students to not only work in world-class research facilities, but also develop life skills by living on their own in a new country.

For more information on the S.N. Bose Scholars Program:Webpage: http://www.indousstf.org/bose/indianstudents.htm (For Indian Students) http://www.indousstf.org/bose/US-Students.html (For U.S. Students)E-mail: [email protected]

S.N. Bose Scholars Program


Newsletter of IUSSTFNewsletter of IUSSTF


Professor Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao has been awarded the Bharat Ratna - India’s highest civilian honour, given for exceptional service towards advancement of Art, Literature and Science, and in recognition of Public Service of the highest order.

Prof. C.N.R. Rao (born on 30 June 1934, Bangalore, India) is the National Research Professor as well as Honorary President and Linus Pauling Research Professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research. He is also an Honorary Professor at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. His main research interests are in solid state and materials chemistry. He is an author of over 1400 research papers and 41 books. He received the M.Sc. from Banaras, Ph.D. from Purdue, D.Sc. from Mysore universities respectively and has received honoriscausa doctorate degrees from 42 universities including Purdue, Bordeaux, Banaras, Delhi, Mysore, IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, Notre Dame, Novosibirsk, Oxford, Stellenbosch, Uppsala, Wales, Wroclaw,

Caen, Khartoum, Calcutta, Sri Venkateswara University and Desikottama from Visva-Bharati. Prof. Rao is a Fellow of the Royal Society, London, Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A., Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, French Academy of Sciences, Japan Academy as well as the Polish, Czechoslovakian, Serbian, Slovenian, Brazil, Spanish, Korean and African Academies and the American Philosophical Society. He is a Member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Foreign Member of Academia Europaea and Foreign Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He is on the editorial boards of 20 leading professional journals.

Among the various medals, honours and awards received by him, mention must be made of the Marlow Medal of the Faraday Society (1967), Bhatnagar Prize (1968), Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship (1973), Padma Shri (1974), Centennial Foreign Fellowship of the American Chemical Society (1976), Royal Society of Chemistry (London) Medal (1981), Padma

Prof. CNR RaoBharat Ratna



Vibhushan (1985), Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Society of Chemistry, London (1989), Hevrovsky Gold Medal of the Czechoslovak Academy (1989), Blackett Lectureship of the Royal Society (1991), Einstein Gold Medal of UNESCO (1996), Linnett Professorship of the University of Cambridge (1998), Centenary Medal of the Royal Society of Chemistry, London (2000), the Hughes Medal of the Royal Society, London, for original discovery in physical sciences (2000), Karnataka Ratna (2001) by the Karnataka Government, the Order of Scientific Merit (Grand-Cross) from the President of Brazil (2002), Gauss Professorship of Germany (2003) and the Somiya Award of the International Union of Materials Research (2004). He is the first recipient of the India Science Award by the Government of India (2005) and received the Dan David Prize for science in the future dimension for his research in Materials Science. He was named as Chemical Pioneer by the American Institute of Chemists (2005), “Chevalier de la Légiond’Honneur” by the President of the French Republic (2005) and received the Honorary Fellowship of the Institute of Physics, London (2006) and Honorary Fellowship of St. Catherine’s College, Oxford (2007).

Prof. Rao is Chairman, Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, past President of The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS), Member of the Atomic Energy Commission of India and Chairman, Indo-Japan Science Council. He is Founder-President of both the Chemical Research Society of India and of the Materials Research Society of India. Prof. Rao was President of the Indian National Science Academy (1985-86), the Indian Academy of Sciences (1989-91), the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (1985-97), the Indian Science Congress Association (1987-88), and Chairman, Advisory Board of the Council of

Scientific and Industrial Research (India). He was the Director of the Indian Institute of Science (1984-94), Chairman of the Science Advisory Council to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi (1985-89) and Chairman, Scientific Advisory Committee to the Union Cabinet (1997-98) and Albert Einstein Research Professor (1995-99).

What sets Prof Rao apart from his contemporaries is his constant focus on basic research in his chosen fields -- physical and structural chemistry, and material science. It

is not as if he has not taken up larger roles for Indian science or national projects, but research and teaching have remained his first priority and first love. By any measure, Prof Rao is easily the most decorated and awarded scientist in India, having won some of the most coveted international scientific awards and having been given honorary doctorates by as many as 60 foreign and Indian universities.

The area of Prof Rao’s current research is material science and nanotechnology. Carbon nanotubes and graphene -- a key area of Prof.Rao’s research -- are going to change the face of devices in future. Scientists working in graphene -- a type of molecular carbon material -- were awarded the Nobel a couple of years ago. Graphene could find applications in a huge range of areas -- from biology to energy storage -- in future.

The selection of Prof. CNR Rao for the Bharat Ratna comes as a long overdue recognition for Indian science! l


Text courtesy: Bharat Ratna to Prof CNR Rao comes as icing on the cake by Dinesh C. Sharma http://www.rediff.com/news/column/bharat-rat-na-to-prof-cnr-rao-comes-as-icing-on-the-cake/20131118.htm and http://ableindia.in/admin/attachments/spot_light/cnrrao.pdf

In his keynote address at workshop Mr. Nandan Nilekani, (Chairman, Unique Identification Authority of India) said that the government needs to create platforms for entrepreneurs and innovation to flourish in the country. He remarked that the UID platform was created after looking at the two successful innovations that took place in the U.S. namely, internet and GPS. Both became platforms for numerous entrepreneurs and startups. However, he added that both these platforms initially were funded publicly. Citing the example of the Aadhar Card, he said, platforms lead to expansion. Aadhar cards have led to creation of an infrastructure of unique identity of people, digital authentication of a person, electronic KYC (Know Your Customer) and capability of creating a financial address.

Dr. T. Ramasami (Secretary, Department of Science & Technology) identified financial support, access to market, material and technology as the challenges that entrepreneurs and startups face. He said that the government and entrepreneurs should learn and gain from each other’s experiences. Startups have the advantage of being sensitive to the needs of the place and can be a part of the development process.

Ms. Nancy J. Powell (U.S. Ambassador to India) in her special address, remarked, “Entrepreneurship is the engine for global economic growth and increased productivity of workers in any economy. This is true for both developed and developing economies. The challenge for governments and private

Gathering Speed

The Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum in partnership with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, the U.S. Embassy, the Department of Science and Technology and 91 springboard organized the Indo-U.S. Startup Accelerator Workshop on 22 & 23 November 2013 at FICCI, Federation House, New Delhi. The workshop, using an unconventional format, brought together startups, aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators, angel investors and venture capitalists from across the country to brainstorm and debate on the broad challenges that a startup faces.


Startup Accelerator Workshop

stakeholders is to provide an environment where entrepreneurship can flourish and where entrepreneurs can quickly bring their ideas and products to market. Entrepreneurs are by nature risk takers and sometimes their ventures fail. Many successful entrepreneurs achieved their success on third or fourth attempt to start a viable business.” She emphasized that it is the entrepreneurs in clean energy, medicine, advanced manufacturing, information technology, robotics, nanotechnologies and other fields who will build the new industries of the 21st century, and solve some of our toughest global challenges. She added that as the world

becomes more interconnected, and more countries become knowledge-based economies, it is no longer optional - but essential – for public and private enterprises to collaborate across borders. “We live in an exciting time where economic and social challenges can be overcome by human ingenuity. We look forward to continuing our work with the Indian government on promoting a collaborative entrepreneurial environment. The potential for mutual benefit through our cooperation is limitless,” Ms. Powell pointed out. While moderating the session, Mr. Samuel Kotis (Deputy Minister Counselor for Environment,




Science & Technology Affairs, US Embassy) said that the there is a need to increase the success rate. Dr. Rajiv Sharma (Executive Director, Indo-U.S. Science & Technology Forum) said that in India a series of events are being organized in collaboration with the U.S. to promote entrepreneurship and startups in the country. At present, US$ 5 million is committed for 11 projects under the Indo-US collaboration. Mr. Manav Subodh (Global Manager for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and Higher Education at Corporate Affairs Group, Intel) said that there is a need to create an ecosystem where entrepreneurs are allowed to fail without being reprimanded. It is necessary to realize

that failures are bound to happen but one must look at a failed entrepreneur as an experienced entrepreneur. He said that startups will come and go but entrepreneurs will stay. Hence, one must build a relationship with the individual entrepreneur because he will have many more innovative ideas to explore and work on. Dr. Arbind Prasad (Director General, FICCI), said, “The entrepreneurial fraternity has seen remarkable surge in the funds being pumped into their growth. The first quarter of 2013 saw 55 deals and 16 acquisitions with disclosed deals amounting to $140 million. Whereas, the second quarter has seen 70 deals with declared investments amounting to $240 million.”l

Text courtesy: FICCI Media Division

http://www.ficci.com/past-Events-page.asp?evid=21727


Startup Accelerator Workshop

EVENTS diARY

neURoaIdS In IndIa: CURRenT FIndIngS and FUTURe dIReCTIonS 24-25 SeptemberPune, India

One of the important non-opportunistic conditions that may affect the quality of life of HIV infected individuals is HIV associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Neurocognitive

consequences of HIV have gained attention since it was demonstrated that cognitive performance affects routine activities, employment, adherence to treatment and quality of life. The Indo-U.S. workshop on NeuroAIDS in India: Current findings and future directions organized by Manisha V. Ghate (National AIDS Research Institute, Pune) and Thomas D. Marcotte (University of California, San Diego) was aimed to help Indian scientists to develop protocols with experts who have extensive experience in this field. U.S. investigators gained exposure to the multiple factors that influence the development of HAND in the Indian context which encompassed issues of co-morbidities often not found in Western countries, including infections such as tuberculosis, cytomegalovirus, as well as conditions such as low literacy. The workshop acted as a Forum to identify the gaps in the research done so far and to develop collaborative strategies for generating the data to plug these gaps.l

THe evoLUTIon oF HUMan CognITIon 17-20 NovemberPune, India

The nature of human cognition and consciousness is one of the oldest questions of our species, for which we hope to gain a clearer understanding in the 21st century. The subject is truly multi-disciplinary and recent studies on animal behaviour and their cognitive abilities have provided necessary insights into evolutionary origins of the human mind. The Indo-US symposium on The evolution of human cognition organized by L.S. Shashidhara (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune) and Ajit Varki (University of California-San

Diego, La Jolla) was structured keeping in mind the fact that the United States is currently the leader in this area of research and modern India with strong traditional strength in mathematics, logic and philosophy is rightly poised to take up a goal to pursue the understanding of human cognition and consciousness and its evolutionary origins. The aim of the workshop was to help forge bilateral research collaborations in this frontier of science and also help to encourage a new generation of students to take up research in cognitive neuroscience.l

THe 3Rd bangaLoRe CognITIon woRkSHoP 8-21 DecemberBangalore, India

An Indo-U.S. workshop titled Bangalore cognition workshop was organized by S.P. Arun (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore) and Thomas D. Albright (The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla) with a three-fold purpose: first, as cognitive and systems neuroscience in India is at a key point in its evolution, this workshop aimed to attract students from the best colleges in India and inspire them to work in neuroscience; second, the workshop served as an outstanding mechanism to facilitate scientific interchange between India

and the United States; and third, the workshop focussed on the rapidly growing neuroscience community in India. The workshop was organized into four modules aimed at providing a focused introduction to the problems and concepts in various aspects of neuroscience. These modules were vision, attention and rhythms, motor systems and memory. Each module lasted for three days and consisted of 9 lectures, a panel discussion on open challenges, and a lab component.l

Sept.-Dec. – 2013


bIo-InSPIRed SUPRaMoLeCULaR and PoLyMeR aSSeMbLy 15-17 DecemberTrivandrum, India

Polymeric materials are unique in a sense that they are man-made, unlike minerals or wood and therein lies an opportunity for researchers towards structural variation to fine tune the properties to meet the ever increasing demand for versatile materials. The field of polymer research has witnessed a revolution in last two decades due to the influence of synthetic chemistry. This has helped to achieve molecular-level precision in macromolecular systems by using various controlled polymerization routes. In parallel, the field of supramolecular chemistry has grown to an extent where concepts related to strength of various directional non-covalent interactions and its implications in generating advanced materials with higher-order structure is well-established today. In this exciting era of multidisciplinary science, it is only appropriate that scientists from supramolecular and polymer fields come

together to design bio-inspired advanced materials. The Indio-U.S. workshop on Bio-inspired supramolecular and polymer assembly organized by Suhrit Ghosh (Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata) and S. Thayumanavan (University of Massachusetts, Amherst) aimed at generating intensive discussions on scientific topics in polymer and supramolecular chemistry which are highly complementary in terms of design and development of new bio-materials. Specific research topics covered included synthesis development of biologically relevant macromolecules and their self-assembly, drug delivery, gene delivery, peptide-based assembly, bio-sensing, supramolecular assembly of pi-conjugated amphiphiles, interactions between bio-macromolecules and synthetic polymers, tissue engineering, stimuli-responsive polymer assembly and gels.l

ReCenT advanCeS In MICRo/nano-SCaLe HeaT TRanSFeR and aPPLICaTIonS In CLean eneRgy TeCHnoLogIeS

16-18 DecemberRopar, India

Microscale and nanoscale heat transfer plays a critical role in determining the efficiency of energy conversion processes. There has been an increased interest in experimental and theoretical research in this field due to exciting new potential applications in clean and renewable energy conversion. While on one hand, there is significant potential in the application of micro/nanoscale heat transfer principles for high-efficiency energy conversion; there is also much promise in efficient thermal energy storage based on engineered materials and devices. Research in this field has been ongoing at institutions in both the U.S. and India, although interactions between

the two countries have been somewhat limited. The Indo-U.S. workshop on Recent advances in micro/nano-scale heat transfer and applications in clean energy technologies organized by Himanshu Tyagi (Indian Institute of Technology Ropar) and Ankur Jain (University of Texas, Arlington) aimed to bring researchers from leading institutions from the two countries on a common platform to facilitate discussions for possible collaborative research between the two countries. This workshop featured invited talks from leading researchers and a poster session with participation from graduate students and post-doctoral scholars.l

Land USe oPTIMIzaTIon FoR CooRdInaTIng ConSeRvaTIon goaLS and RegIonaL deveLoPMenT In THe nILgIRI bIoSPHeRe ReSeRve, SoUTHeRn IndIa

16-18 DecemberOoty, India

Biodiversity provides the basis for life on earth, and the economic value of ecosystem services is estimated to be higher than the world’s GDP. Paradoxically, conservation of biodiversity is a challenge globally, because (i) development efforts in general ignore the irreplaceable value of a sound environment and (ii) business practices remain business-as-usual and have very little flexibility to encompass the need of the environment. The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (southern India)

or NBR, is such a place where conservation interests seemingly runs against development. The most blatant evidence of a failed integrated management is the lack of a transition zone around the NBR. The purpose of the Indo-U.S. workshop on Land use optimization for coordinating conservation goals and regional development in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, southern India organized by Priya Davidar (Pondicherry University) and Samuel Cushman (U.S. Forest Service, Center for Landscape

December – 2013 EVENTS diARY


Science, Flagstaff) was to gather the main stakeholders of the NBR (Scientists, Forest Department, public administration, plantation, agriculture, tourism, energy, transport, etc.) to share visions and introduce the concept of appropriate land use for optimal economic development within the NBR. The United States is the leader of technology in remote sensing and geographic information systems, and has carried out cutting

edge research on the use of these tools for conservation. The workshop aimed to explore areas of cooperation between the United States and India particularly relevant to experience sharing regarding sustainability; reinforcing best practices and cooperation; increasing technological and scientific know-how in remote sensing and GIS; and, building scientific cooperation and collaboration.l

ICMe FoR InTegRaTed ReaLIzaTIon oF engIneeRed MaTeRIaLS and PRodUCTS

16-20 DecemberPune, India

Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) has emerged as an area of interest for both academic and industrial research communities. ICME provides opportunities for breakthroughs at the interface of IT and materials engineering leading to considerable savings in the cost and time for commercialization of new materials in industrial applications and integrated look at product design, material design and manufacturing process design. ICME as a discipline is in its early stages and a large focus is currently placed on computational materials engineering (CME) across length scales of the material to link composition-processing-structure-properties. While CME research is maturing to enable better predictability of material evolution, it is needed to look closely at product development from a functional component perspective in an industrial design and production environment. The Indo-U.S. workshop on ICME for integrated realization

of engineered materials and products was organized by Madhusudan Chakraborty (Indian Institute of Technology-Bhubaneswar), B.P. Gautham (Tata Consultancy Services, Pune), G. Phanikumar (Indian Institute of Technology-Madras), Farrokh Mistree (University of Oklahoma, Norman) and Surya Kalidindi (Georgia Tech, Atlanta) to identify the state-of-the-art and gap areas towards the success of ICME for the industrial utility. The themes were past successes and lessons learnt; integration across scales and processes; and, enabling aspects such as standards, databases, IT platforms, design methods, experiments. It is expected that the workshop would enhance cooperation amongst researchers from India and the U.S. to work on joint research programs, and, aid various governmental agencies in identifying areas requiring governmental support for immediate and long term needs.l

December – 2013EVENTS diARY

retrofit options within existing buildings through a characterization framework and decision-support for cost optimization

While the CBERD research just completed one year of activity this year, it has produced significant results and publications that focus on Building Energy Analysis and Tools (semi-automated tool for Model Predictive Control based on Energy Plus for low-energy cooling systems; tool development for India’s Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) code compliance; early stage, web-based windows and facade optimization tool; WinOpt development; joint development of new COMFEN-India; and cool roof calculator updated to optimize use of radiant barriers, bulk insulation, and reflective roofing to save energy and money), Methodologies and Models (a roadmap for advancing the state-of-the-art building energy benchmarking in India;

providing new benchmarking models for hotels and hospitals in India; creation of a methodology for chiller performance evaluation; and, providing new methods for assessing Indian clo values for adaptive thermal comfort and Building Technologies (development of a new smart, wireless luminaire controller with temperature, illuminance, electrical power & occupancy; development of a low-cost energy meter that logs energy data for the connected device; producing algorithms to identify load types plugged into an outlet based on device level metering; and, micro-channel heat exchanger for unitary HVAC system).

CBERD’s shared vision advances clean energy technology in both nations, delivering far better results than each member could provide individually, thus recognizing the importance of collaboration to achieve sustainability.l

More information on the progress of CBERD will be posted on the CBERD website and this can be accessed at: http://www.cberd.org


contd. from pg no. 8Energy Savings ...InbUILT

Indo-US Science and Technology Forum: Catalysing Indo-US Science & Technology Cooperation over a decade.

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Indo-US Science & Technology ForumThe Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF), established under an agreement between the Governments of India and the United States of America, is an autonomous, not for profit society in India, co-funded and co-governed by both the governments. IUSSTF promotes and catalyzes Indo-US collaborations in science, technology, engineering, biomedical research and innovation through substantive interaction among government, academia and industry.

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Proposals which are peer reviewed both in India and USA for awards Bilateral Indo-US Workshop/Symposia & Indo-US Training/Advanced SchoolsSubmission Deadlines Award Announcements15 February 30 June15 August 31 December

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Newsletter of IUSSTF Volume 5 (3) | January 2014 · 2018-03-06 · Technology CEPT University, Ahmedabad) Vishal Garg, Deputy Director (International Institute of Information Technology,