Shiv Nath Rai Kohli Memorial Mid-Career Best Scientist Award - 2023

Shiv Nath Rai Kohli Memorial Mid-Career Best Scientist Award - Year 2023

Panjab University has instituted an annual "Shiv Nath Rai Kohli Memorial Mid-Career Best Scientist Award" comprising a cash prize of Rs 100,000/- (Rs. one Lac) and a plaque with a citation from Scientists/Researchers in institutions of higher learning located in Chandigarh/Punjab. For call for nominations for "Shiv Nath Rai Kohli Memorial Mid-Career Best Scientist Award: 2023 kindly visit https://rdc.puchd.ac.in/show-noticeboard.php?nbid=1 

The Award is open in any field of Sciences, Humanities, Medical Science, Dentistry, Microbial Science, Commerce, Business Management, Languages, Sports Science, Library Science, Computers, Engineering - any stream, and others. It is based on research work done in India, independently or in a team, or collaboration with other Indian institutions.

Panjab University invites applications in a prescribed format from prospective mid-career Scientists/Researchers up to the age of 50 years by 31 December 2023.

The application must reach the office of Director, Research & Development Cell, Panjab University Chandigarh by 31 January 2024.

Online applications will be preferred.  However, a hard copy if complete in all respects will not be rejected.

Self-nomination is permitted.

Query, if any be addressed to Director, Research & Development Cell, Panjab University Chandigarh email: directorrdc@pu.ac.in

Catchment Area:

Panjab University, Regional Centres of Panjab University and its affiliated colleges, Central University of Punjab, member Institutions of CRIKC, State Universities & Research Institutions of Punjab

Eligibility conditions:

1.  Any researcher/scientist below the age of 50 years at the end of the year before the year of convocation. For instance, for the convocation to be held in 2024, the age of the applicant/nominee must not be above 50 years by 31st December 2023.

2.   Number and quality of published research papers in indexed journals, and patents in any field (sciences, humanities, medical science, dentistry, microbial science, commerce, business management, languages, sports science, library science, computers, engineering any stream, and others) based on work done in India, independently or in a team or collaboration with other Indian institutions will be considered.

3.     The papers/patents selected once by the award winner will not be considered again.

4.     The award winner (individual or in a team) will become eligible to apply again only after 5 years.

5.     Patent(s) awarded to the applicant must be in the name of the institution (not personal).

6.      There should not be any established case of plagiarism or criminality against the applicant/nominee.

7.     The awardee will be required to deliver a public lecture / talk on her/his award-winning research work for the general public which will be arranged by the Panjab University or any member institution of CRIKC.

 Evaluation criteria:

The research output will be evaluated in terms of bibliometric analysis including no. of research papers published in SCI journals (excluding paid journals), Number of papers, number of citations, h-index, cumulative impact factor, the novelty of the research, executive value of patent(s), etc. It will be purely on merit and open to all.

Academic Record Capping

      Research Publications (0.5 marks for each research publication published in SCOPUS): Capping = 15

      Number of Citations (0.1 marks for each citation in SCOPUS excluding self-citation): Capping = 25

      h-index as per SCOPUS (1 mark for one h-index in SCOPUS): Capping = 35

      Cumulative impact factor/CiteScore (1 mark for 5 impact factor): Capping = 10

      Number of Patent granted (5 marks for 1 patent): Capping = 15


 “In order to ensure that there is no discrimination with respect to the fields of research, the bibliometric data analysis from SCOPUS for the following five major groups of disciplines will be normalized with respect to Median Impact Factor/Citations/value of h-Index of the disciplines. The normalization for the last 5 years of the year award will be worked out and duly announced at the time of the award: 

Group 1. Biological / life / Agricultural Sciences including plant, animal, microbial, biophysical, biochemical, genetical, molecular, biotechnological and Immunology allied sciences.

Group 2. Chemical / Pharmaceutical/ Toxicology/ Pharmaceutics / Physical / Material / Geological / Earth sciences, Environmental sciences / Ecology and allied subjects

Group 3. Mathematical and Engineering Sciences - Mathematics/Statistics/Engineering & Technology / Architectural/ Computational/ Computer/ derived and allied sciences,

Group 4. Social Sciences - Arts/Humanities /Economics / Econometrics Finance / Languages including journalism / Laws /Sociology/Phycology/Philosophy/Defence Studies and allied subjects

Group 5. Clinical Sciences – Medical, Dentistry, Neuroscience Nursing, Veterinary and allied sciences”

In order to offer equal representation/recognition to each of the five major groups, the selection will be made from among the candidates representing the group not awarded during the first cycle of the last five years. 

The first year (2017) award was bagged by the scientist representing Chemical / Pharmaceutical/ Toxicology/ Pharmaceutics / Physical / Material / Geological / Earth sciences, and Environmental Sciences (Group 2 above). 

The second-year (2018) award was won by the scientist representing Biological/life/ Agricultural Sciences including plant, animal, microbial, biophysical, biochemical, genetical, molecular, biotechnological, and Immunology allied sciences (Group 1 above). 

The third-year (2019) award was won by the scientist representing Mathematics/Statistics  / Engineering & Technology / Architectural / Computational / Computer / derived and allied sciences  (Group 3 above).

The fourth-year (2020) award was won by the scientist representing Clinical Sciences – Medical, Dentistry, Neuroscience Nursing, Veterinary, and Allied Sciences (Group 5 above).

The fifth-year (2021) award was won by the scientist representing Social Sciences - Arts/Humanities, etc. (Group-4).

For the six-year (2022) award was bagged by the scientist representing Chemical / Pharmaceutical/ Toxicology/ Pharmaceutics / Physical / Material / Geological / Earth sciences, and Environmental Sciences (Group 2 above)

For the six-year (2023), i.e. the current year, the award is open for the best mid-career scientist from any of the above groups (i.e. groups 1, 3, 4, & 5).