The Department of Physics was established in 1933 by the Nobel Laureate C. V. Raman. Illustrious names of Indian Science such as Homi Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai, R. S. Krishnan, G. N. Ramachandran, S. Ramaseshan and T. V. Ramakrishnan have been associated with this department. It is now a well-established research centre for condensed matter physics and astrophysics, with thirty-one faculty members and 202 PhD Students, along with a flourishing undergraduate program. Graduates from the department have gone on to distinguished careers in science and have leading positions in research institutes and industries in India and the world over.
The summer visitor program covers two aspects. The first is the Physics Summer Internship Program. Under this program, the Department of Physics will offer internships to a select group of ten undergraduates from across the country, with an objective to condition them to build a career in science. Through a series of seminars and short projects, the students will be exposed to modern aspects of physics research and training, along with close interaction with faculty and students. The department envisions that these internships will play a critical role in our outreach activity to seek talented undergraduates from various backgrounds who can pursue higher studies in IISc.
Secondly, we would like to extend an invitation to faculties from all around India to work with us. The benefits of the visiting faculty program are the increased collaborative opportunities for students and faculty of the department. We expect increased impactful research resulting from this program. We also propose a complementary Speaker Series program covering seminars on all aspects of physics research, including experimental and theoretical aspects. For both programs, preference will be given to young investigators. For the Speaker Series program, we will also seek talented PhD students and Postdocs, who would otherwise not have an opportunity to interact with a large audience
We are planning to hire a full-time outreach coordinator to foster the spirit of science amongst the youth of India, through a holistic approach of being social-first and youth-friendly. The outreach coordinator will design an effective communication module, which will enable connections to surrounding community i.e., local schools and colleges, in order to make science interesting and accessible. The interest in our department activities is exemplified by nearly 10,000 visitors to the annual physics Open Day. Further, the department Twitter page sees more than 60,000 visits on a monthly basis. The outreach coordinator will be responsible for organizing exciting outreach events, both online and offline. The department will reach a bigger audience and inspire more people towards science by posting updates about departmental research, events, and physics material on social media. The outreach coordinator will also enable a vibrant alumni community by organizing quarterly alumni-centric events.
The funds will provide a stipend for the summer intern (INR 10000 per month for 3 months, for 10 students per year), honorarium for the visiting faculty (INR 60000 per month for 3 months, for 3 faculties per year) and seminar speaker (INR 20000 per speaker, for 20 speakers), and salary for the outreach coordinator (INR 58,000 per month consolidated).
Yearly budget: 19.4 lakhs INR
The department invites contributions from alumni, faculty, friends, well-wishers, industry, and organisations.
Ways to Give
You can donate directly by clicking the contribute button below. For international payments, the users will be charged 3% of the transaction amount as convenience charges.
If you wish to support this project through bank transfer or other means, please contact: development.odaa@iisc.ac.in
US-based donors can contribute through the IISc Foundation. Contributions made to the Foundation will enjoy tax benefits as allowed by the IRS under Section 501 (c3).