Competitive extramural and other Research Grants secured at BITS-Pilani Hyderabad

1. As the Lead PI and Principal Coordinator of a multi-institutional project:

Project Title: Allele mining for the epigenetic regulator NGR5 and other yield-associated genes (GID1 and GRF4) and their modulation using multiple genomic and molecular approaches to enhance rice yield under low nitrogen conditions.

Funding agency: ICAR-NASF, Govt. of India.

Duration: 3 years (2022-2025, with scope for extension).

Budget: Rs. ~1.5 crores.

Other participating institutions: ICAR-IIRR Hyderabad, ICAR-NRRI Cuttack, University of Hyderabad.

 2. As the single PI: Ramanujan Fellowship Research Grant:

Project Title: Epigenetics of megabase-scale rRNA gene regulation and genomic instability of rDNA and telomeres.

Funding agency: SERB, Govt. of India.

Duration: 5 years (2018-2023).

Budget: Rs. 38  lakhs

3. As the single PI: CRG grant:

Project Title: To delineate domain-specific functions of Histone Deacetylase 6 (HDA6) in gene regulation and genomic instability and- to develop a novel non-transgenic epigenetic mutagenesis tool for plant improvement via HDAC modulation.

Funding agency: Sponsored by SERB, Govt. of India,

Duration: 3 years (2021-2024)

Budget: Rs. 42,38,696 (42.38 lakhs)

4. As the Principal Coordinator and a PI: Multi-institutional project:

Project Title: To improve the efficiency of genome editing with CRISPR-Cas9 and- to create novel sources of epigenetic variation in plants.

Funding agency: DBT, Govt. of India.

Duration: 3 years (with scope for extension).

Budget: Rs. 85 lakhs (waiting for the release of Money)

Other participating institutes (ICAR-IIRR, Hyderabad, CSIR-NEIST Jorhat)

5. As the single PI: Competitive RIG

Project Title: To elucidate novel mechanisms of SnRK1-AMPK family kinases in plant antiviral defense and human metabolism regulation.

Funded by: BITS-Pilani Hyderabad campus

Duration: 2 years (2019-2021).

Budget: ~ Rs.10 lakhs

6. PI in Center for Human Diseases Research:

Project Title: Ribosomal RNA gene regulation in Oral cancers and development of novel anticancer tools using M1GS ribozymes.

Funded by: BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad campus

Duration: 5 years (2018-2023).

Budget: Variable (to support the specified objectives).

7. Secured ICMR-SRF for a Ph.D. student:

Project title: To develop engineered bacterial M1GS- ribozyme mediated cleavage of 45S rRNA as a novel anti-cancer strategy”

Funding agency: ICMR, Govt. of India

Duration: 2 years (2022-2024)

Budget: 10.5 lakhs

8. As the single PI: BITS Research Initiation Grant:

Project Title: Epigenetics of 45S rRNA gene regulation and rDNA genomic instability”

Funded by: BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad campus

Duration: 1 year (2017-2018).

Budget: 2 lakhs

9. Brought research projects-in-progress from the Laboratory of Prof. Craig Pikaard (Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Indiana University, USA) along with genetic and research reagents (~20 lakhs).