(Photo: IIT Delhi)

New Delhi: IIT Delhi has launched the ‘Research Communications Award (RCA)’ for its PhD Scholars with an aim to enhance their communication skills. The first batch of winners received a certificate and a cash award of Rs. 25,000/- each for winning various research communication-related competitions such as Research Story Writing and a 3-Minute Thesis competition.

Research Story Writing Competition: In this competition, PhD scholars had to write a short story derived from their research. It needed to be a compelling narrative on the significance of their research and their personal role in it, tailored for a general audience. The eight award winning research stories can be read here: https://shorturl.at/offsZ

3-Minute Thesis (3MT): PhD scholars were required to describe their research to a general audience within three minutes. The 3MT competition celebrates the discoveries made by the students and encourages their skills in communicating the importance of research to the broader community. Eleven PhD students received the Research Communications Award for winning the 3-Minute Thesis competition.

While talking about the Research Communications Award, Prof. Dhanya CT, Associate Dean, PG Research, IIT Delhi, said, “Our goal is not only to strengthen the research environment at IIT Delhi but also to enrich the scholars and help them become independent researchers. While our curriculum already provides enabling platforms to encourage scholars to step out of their labs and participate in debates, seminars, and competitions, we also initiated the ‘Research Communications Award' as a co-curricular activity with an aim to create and provide our society with more independent and efficient researchers and engineers.”          

The PhD students who received awards for their research stories described the ‘Research Communications Award’ as a wonderful initiative by the Institute. 

Shazia Shareef, a PhD student at the Centre for Rural Development & Technology, said, “The RCA initiative by IIT Delhi is a wonderful platform for research scholars to enhance their communication skills. It allows us to share our research with a wider audience in a clear and confident manner. Such initiatives not only recognize our efforts but also inspire us to express our research in a more engaging way.”

Juwariya, Biochemical Engineering, said, “Initiatives like the RCA truly nurture creativity and innovation among research scholars. Being part of this platform allowed me to share my own ideas while gaining recognition. It was also incredibly enjoyable and inspiring to read the stories from fellow winners, making the whole experience both rewarding and memorable.”

Sushovan Ghosh, Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, said, “Let’s turn discoveries into dialogue and ensure knowledge reaches those it’s meant to impact. The Research Communications Award (RCA) is a timely initiative to inspire researchers, echoing Sir Mark Walport's words: 'Science is not finished until it is communicated.”

Anju, Biomedical Engineering & Biotechnology, said, “The RCA initiative taken by the Institute fosters awareness, appreciation and support for scientific work beyond academic circles. It gives us the opportunity to bridge the gap between complex research and public understanding.

The students who won the 3-Minute Thesis competition include Nidhi Nitin Patil (Biochemical Engineering), Vivek Kumar Nair (Interdisciplinary Research), Abhishek Nair (Chemistry), Ankita Raj (Computer Science), Ritanksha Joshi (Biochemical Engineering), Kusum Saini (Civil Engineering), Sushovan Ghosh (Atmospheric Sciences), Simran Kaur Rainu (Biomedical Engineering), Ispshita Majumdar (Chemistry), Shivansh Mehrotra (Materials Science and Engineering), and Anusha Jain (Chemical Engineering).              

Earlier this year in March, IIT Delhi had organised a ‘Research Scholar Week’, an initiative that was designed with a focused intent to empower research scholars through well-being and work-life balance, boosting productivity, enhancing research visibility, and fostering a vibrant scholarly community.

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