Honors, awards, grants

Research Grants

• JPAL/MIT Research Grant (submitted), (PI: Robyn Meeks)

• International Growth Centre, London School of Economics, 2025 (PI: Ayesha Ali)

• World Bank, 2022/23 (PI: Maria Vagliasindi)

• University of Technology Sydney Grant, 2022 (PI: Adeline Delavande)

• Essex University Grant, 2022-23 (PI: Adeline Delavande)

• University of Michigan, 2022-23 (PI: Basit Zafar)

• JPAL/MIT Energy Research Grant, 2022-23 (PI: Robyn Meeks)

• AUS Comprehensive Faculty Research Grant (Large) 2020-23 (PI: Myself)

• UK Government/DFID Grant, 2021-22 (PI: Robyn Meeks)

Major Honors and Awards

• In 2023, through a national competitive process, I was selected as the Dean of the NIPP at NSPP, Pakistan's premier training institute for senior bureaucrats. The appointment  was finally and officially approved by the President of Pakistan. However, against my initial wish, I had to respectfully decline the offer due to my prior commitment with the AUS and a few research projects that I was already involved with. 

• Among the three lead faculty, along with Dr. Ayesha Ali (LUMS) and Dr. Chris Greig (Princeton University), who helped preparing, organizing and delivered the CERP-Princeton Energy Training Program for specialists and civil servants in Islamabad (2023 & 2024).

• Published an refereed paper with my talented and self-driven undergrad student, Julia Jose (2023).

• Got first prize on a coauthored paper at the 1st International Conference on Economics and Sustainable IBA, Karachi (2021).

• Judge for the Undergraduate Global Research Award - Dublin (2016). 

• Lead organizer for Noble Laureate Lecture by Professor Peter Diamond at AUS (2016).  

• Member Scientific Committee of the Middle East Economic Association (2016).

• Member Graduate Students Research Award Committee, SAI, Harvard University (2015).

• Co-chaired AUS-Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) Workshop (2014).  

• Nominated for the Teaching Excellence Award, AUS (2010).

• Kendrick Free Market Research Award, WVU (2007).

• Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corporation Doctoral Publication Award, WVU (2007)

• Dadisman Supplementary Scholarship, WVU (2006/07)

• Full Doctoral Scholarship, WVU (2005/07)

• Full Doctoral Scholarship, KSU (2003/05)

Media Coverage of Research

• The Academic Times

• Journalist’s Resource of Harvard Kennedy School

• The Slate

• Oxford University Press Blog

• Daily Business Recorder

• Dawn International

• Gallup International

• Several times my research was spotlighted and commented by the faculty and experts at Harvard, Princeton, UC Berkeley, University of 

      Pittsburgh, META (among others), on X, LinkedIn, FB.