IIPE-Vizag faculty secures Rs 3.4 crore Imperial College fellowship

Visakhapatnam: An assistant professor working at the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE) in Visakhapatnam has been awarded the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions fellowship under the European Union's Horizon Europe programme.The MSCA fellowship, considered among the world's most competitive research grants, is awarded to researchers with outstanding ideas and potential. The proposal of Dr Deepak Kumar, from the department of mechanical engineering at IIPE, ranked among the top 10 out of 13,000 submissions worldwide. Valued at nearly Rs 3.4 crore, the fellowship will support his research at the Imperial College in London. Kumar, 33, originally hails from Chandener, a remote village in Uttar Pradesh, where scarcity shaped his early years. His parents, who are small farmers, struggled with persistent financial hardship. Pursuing education was a daily challenge for Kumar, who relied on second-hand books till Class XII, walked nearly 10 km each day to school, and balanced studies with agricultural labour and household duties. With unreliable electricity at home, he often studied under the dim light of an oil lamp.Kumar said he will undertake largely independent research while collaborating with academic groups at Imperial College over the next two years. "My work will focus on MEMS and NEMS devices — miniaturised systems used in sensors, actuators, and electronics in next generation technologies. I aim to design advanced contact materials to reduce energy losses and improve efficiency and reliability. This research aligns closely with IIPE's focus on energy innovation," he said.Reflecting on his journey, he said he had little clarity about career paths and initially considered only a basic undergraduate degree. "My trajectory shifted after entering engineering, which opened new opportunities. After completing 10+2 at my native place, I pursued engineering in Ghaziabad, cleared GATE, and went to NIT Srinagar, where I secured a gold medal in MTech (mechanical system design). This distinction enabled me to join IIT Delhi for my PhD, making me the first person from my village and surrounding areas to earn a doctorate in engineering," he added.Following his PhD, Kumar was offered a permanent scientist position at CSIR-CMERI in Durgapur. But he decided to broaden his international exposure, and moved to the United States for postdoctoral research, where he spent over two years at Carnegie Mellon University and a further one-and-a-half years at the University at Buffalo. He presented his work at international conferences in Germany and Japan, gaining recognition in nanotribology and advanced materials."My poor parents made countless sacrifices to support my education. This achievement belongs as much to them as to me. I am sincerely thankful to IIPE director Prof Shalivahan for his constant encouragement, which has been crucial to my academic growth," he said. After completing his fellowship in the UK, Kumar will return to IIPE-Vizag to continue his contributions to teaching and research.