Merck, a leading science and technology company, has announced the winners of Merck Young Scientist Award 2023, season-3 to recognise young scientists in India.

Held at Bengaluru, the annual awards recognise the work of young scientists who are driving positive change in the lives of millions across India through their cutting-edge research in life sciences. After an extensive selection process, the jury announced the winners at the award ceremony on November 24, 2023.

The third season of the Merck Young Scientist Award Programme garnered an overwhelming response with over 1500 registrations from nearly 800 institutes across India, resulting in over 500 high-quality applications. 

This year’s award programme invited applications from three distinct categories, namely:

o   Biological Sciences

o   Chemical Sciences

o   A special category dedicated to Sustainability Research (green chemistry, renewable/alternate energy, sustainable materials and manufacturing), reflecting the growing significance of environmental consciousness in scientific research 

Winners:

• Biological Science Winners: Dr Harsha Bajaj (National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology), Dr Debarka Sengupta (IIIT-Delhi), Dr Saroj Kumar Nandi (TIFR- Hyderabad)
• Chemical Science Winners: Dr Uttam Kumar Ghorai (Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira), Dr Santanu Panda (IIT-Kharagpur), Dr Shobhna Kapoor (IIT-Bombay)
• Sustainability Winner: Dr John Mandal (IICT-Hyderabad)

The winners received a prize of Rs 3,50,000, comprising a cash award of Rs 2,50,000 and a travel award of Rs 1,00,000. Additionally, 7 runner-up recipients, were awarded Rs 1,00,000.