MEDIA RELEASE
Australian Women Researchers Awarded Fellowships for STEM Collaboration with India
Five Australian women researchers have received fellowships to collaborate with Indian STEM experts on key topics, including urban rainwater harvesting, data-driven insights into brain diseases, and air quality forecasting using AI.
The fellowships are part of the Australia India Women Researchers’ Exchange (AIWE) Program, an initiative led by the Australia India Institute and funded by the Australian Government Department of Education.
Lisa Singh, CEO of the Australia India Institute, underscored the significance of supporting women in STEM through bilateral research collaboration.
“As the world’s third-largest producer of science and engineering publications, India is home to a diverse and dynamic research environment that is driving global innovation,” Ms Singh said.
“These fellowships provide early-career women researchers with the opportunity to collaborate with India’s leading scientists and institutions, tapping into its renowned expertise in STEM research.”
Through the program, five early-career researchers from Australian regional university campuses will spend six to eight weeks in India, working alongside a research mentor in their field of study.
- Indu Bala from the University of Adelaide will collaborate with Dr B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar to develop an advanced model to optimise urban rainwater harvesting systems.
- Paula Cartwright from James Cook University will work with the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, experts in remote sensing, to improve water quality monitoring in coastal ports.
- Azadeh Noori Hoshyar from Federation University will partner with Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology to advance research on brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
- Ekta Sharma from the University of Southern Queensland will collaborate with the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to forecast urban air quality.
- Pabasara Wanniarachchige from the University of Wollongong will partner with the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, to study geothermal reservoir dynamics to enhance the efficiency and safety of geothermal energy production.
Today’s announcement follows the earlier selection of five Indian women researchers from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, who will travel to Australia as part of the exchange program.
Ms Singh said the Institute is proud to support women researchers, who represent about 30 percent of STEM researchers worldwide.
“Opportunities like these fellowships help to address the underrepresentation of women in STEM and pave the way for future generations of women to take on leadership roles in these critical fields,” she said.
“We eagerly anticipate the outcomes of these collaborations and their contributions to advancing STEM research and fostering stronger ties between Australia and India.”
For more information on the AIWE Program, visit the Australian Researcher Cooperation Hub-India, a digital platform promoting researcher engagement between Australia and India.