NCU News
Exact sciences
Scholarship holders from India at NCU
Two researchers from India have received scholarships for their research stays at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń as part of the Ulam NAWA 2025 programme. The young researchers will receive a total of over PLN 650,000 for their research.
The Ulam Programme of the National Agency for Academic Exchange enables outstanding individuals with a PhD degree to come to Poland to develop scientific projects, conduct research and pursue postdoctoral studies in any discipline in cooperation with national universities or research institutions. Depending on the project, the stay in Poland can last from 6 to 24 months. This year's edition is the seventh edition of one of the NAWA's largest flagship programmes, which supports the internationalisation of Polish research units.
One of the scholarship holders is Avinash Prabhakarrao Ingle, PhD, from Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth Agricultural University in Akoli District, India. His project, entitled 'Development of nanomaterials for the enhanced production of bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass', will run for 24 months and will commence in June 2026. The research, supervised by prof. dr habil. Patrycja Golińska from the Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, will focus on the use of nanotechnology for more efficient production of biofuels from plant waste. The total value of the grant is PLN 328,500.
Selvam Mathi, PhD, who obtained his doctorate at Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu, India, will also be conducting his research at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. His project, entitled 'Engineering Advanced Bi-HCF Electrocatalysts for Efficient Solar-Driven Hydrogen Production from Diverse Water Sources', aims to respond to the urgent need for sustainable and decentralised hydrogen production by developing low-cost, high-performance electrocatalysts. The research focuses on the development of an adaptive catalytic system that will be efficient in pure electrolytes while maintaining structural and functional integrity in complex solutions rich in impurities. Mathi will develop his research in Poland under the supervision of dr habil. Anna Ilnicka, NCU Prof. at the NCU Faculty of Chemistry. The fellowship will last 24 months and will start on 1 July 2026. The total value of the grant is PLN 328,500.
This year, 324 applications were submitted to the Ulam NAWA programme, with scientists from 52 countries applying for the opportunity to conduct research in Poland. After the evaluation process, 71 projects were selected to receive support. The most represented countries are India, Italy, Iran, Poland, China, Brazil, Pakistan and Australia. Researchers from Georgia, Malaysia, Ghana, South Korea and Switzerland will also participate in the programme for the first time.
Avinash P. Ingle, PhD obtained his doctorate from the Department of Biotechnology at SGB Amravati University, where he worked from 2013 to 2016. He then spent three years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Biotechnology, Lorena School of Engineering, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He currently works as a researcher (Ramanujan Fellow) at the Centre for Biotechnology, Department of Agricultural Botany, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, Maharashtra, India. He has edited 11 books from various publishers in the fields of bioenergy, biotechnology and nanotechnology. In addition, he has published approximately 90 book chapters and over 100 reputable scientific publications in prestigious journals. His research interests mainly include nanobiotechnology, biofuel technology and sustainable agriculture.
Selvam Mathi, PhD is a researcher in the field of materials science, specialising in electrocatalysis, energy conversion and storage, and advanced functional materials. He obtained his PhD from Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu, India, and was also a postdoctoral fellow at Hunan University in China. His research focuses on the design of transition metal-based nanomaterials for water splitting, urea oxidation, oxygen reduction, carbon dioxide reduction, and energy storage devices.
