J.B.S. Haldane Fellowship in Biodiversity & Evolutionary Biology
Biodiversity conservation is perhaps the biggest challenge facing humanity. The great naturalist Sir Attenborough calls the ‘spiraling decline of our planet’s biodiversity’ the ‘true tragedy of our time.’ [1] Further, there is recent realization among economists that sustainable economic growth requires treating Natural Capital, of which Biodiversity is the major component, on par with Produced Capital and Human Capital. [2]
India has substantial human capital, and in recent decades, has made great progress in produced capital. It is also blessed with great Biodiversity. It includes three of the world’s 36 Biodiversity Hotspots - the Western Ghats, the Eastern Himalayas, and the Indo-Burma region, and is rated #8 in the list of most Biodiverse Countries. Being at the junction of three biogeographic realms - the Afrotropical, Indo-Malayan, and Palearctic, it has elements of each of these. Sadly, much of its biodiversity is at risk; indeed the Indo-Burma hotspot is among the most threatened of all.
Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except under the Light of Evolution, and understanding Biodiversity and evaluating approaches to its conservation are no exception - be it understanding the patterns of coexistence of species, their niches and competition, the tangled web of ecological links between them, or the effects of human interventions, even if well-intentioned. [3]
J.B.S. Haldane was one of the key architects of the modern quantitative understanding of Evolutionary Biology. A polymath, he was also an ardent popularizer of Science, and believed Science to be a necessary pursuit to improving the human condition globally. In later life, he moved to India, took up Indian citizenship, and seeded the subject of Evolutionary Biology there, often using his personal funds to help students or buy lab equipment. Many generations of Indian scientists have drawn inspiration from Haldane and his science.[4]
The trust is therefore honored to sponsor the “J.B.S. Haldane Fellowship in Biodiversity & Evolutionary Biology”, 12 months long and pre-doctoral, under the umbrella of Biodiversity fellowships coordinated by Prof. Krushnamegh Kunte of NCBS. We hope this will be a contribution to Haldane’s vision of using basic Science to understand and solve humanity’s problems, in using Evolutionary Biology to address the most serious challenge of Biodiversity Conservation
Further details and instructions for applications are available at the website of Prof. Kunte. This trust has no role in the selection or execution of the fellowship other than of sponsorship. (Note: The link is to a http site, please ensure your browser does not redirect to https resulting in an error. Or use the explicit text http://biodiversitylab.ncbs.res.in/biodiversity-fellowships).
India has substantial human capital, and in recent decades, has made great progress in produced capital. It is also blessed with great Biodiversity. It includes three of the world’s 36 Biodiversity Hotspots - the Western Ghats, the Eastern Himalayas, and the Indo-Burma region, and is rated #8 in the list of most Biodiverse Countries. Being at the junction of three biogeographic realms - the Afrotropical, Indo-Malayan, and Palearctic, it has elements of each of these. Sadly, much of its biodiversity is at risk; indeed the Indo-Burma hotspot is among the most threatened of all.
Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except under the Light of Evolution, and understanding Biodiversity and evaluating approaches to its conservation are no exception - be it understanding the patterns of coexistence of species, their niches and competition, the tangled web of ecological links between them, or the effects of human interventions, even if well-intentioned. [3]
J.B.S. Haldane was one of the key architects of the modern quantitative understanding of Evolutionary Biology. A polymath, he was also an ardent popularizer of Science, and believed Science to be a necessary pursuit to improving the human condition globally. In later life, he moved to India, took up Indian citizenship, and seeded the subject of Evolutionary Biology there, often using his personal funds to help students or buy lab equipment. Many generations of Indian scientists have drawn inspiration from Haldane and his science.[4]
The trust is therefore honored to sponsor the “J.B.S. Haldane Fellowship in Biodiversity & Evolutionary Biology”, 12 months long and pre-doctoral, under the umbrella of Biodiversity fellowships coordinated by Prof. Krushnamegh Kunte of NCBS. We hope this will be a contribution to Haldane’s vision of using basic Science to understand and solve humanity’s problems, in using Evolutionary Biology to address the most serious challenge of Biodiversity Conservation
Further details and instructions for applications are available at the website of Prof. Kunte. This trust has no role in the selection or execution of the fellowship other than of sponsorship. (Note: The link is to a http site, please ensure your browser does not redirect to https resulting in an error. Or use the explicit text http://biodiversitylab.ncbs.res.in/biodiversity-fellowships).
- A Life On Our Planet, My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future, David Attenborough, Witness Books, 2020.
- The Economics of Biodiversity, The Dasgupta Review, HM Treasury Independent Review, Government of UK. 2021 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/final-report-the-economics-of-biodiversity-the-dasgupta-review).
- Biodiversity Conservation - A Very Short Introduction, David W. Macdonald, Oxford University Press, 2023.
- A Dominant Character, The Radical Science and Restless Politics of J.B.S. Haldane, Samanth Subramanian, W.W. Norton & Co., 2020.
2024
Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances (floods in Arunachal Pradesh eliminating outside communication), the fellowship process was delayed by 3 months this first time. We apologize to anyone inconvenienced; and hope to plan for such eventualities in the future so we keep to announced schedules.
Of the over 135 applicants from across India, with diverse backgrounds, about 28 promising candidates were chosen for face-to-face online interviews with Profs. Milind Watwe and Krushnamegh Kunte. These conversations helped understand the candidates’ passion for the subject, their relevant experience, their initiative in pursuing their passion within the limitations of their circumstances, and their conviction for pursuing a career in this field. Of several promising finalists, a deciding criterion was whether this particular fellowship would prove transformative to the candidate.
Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances (floods in Arunachal Pradesh eliminating outside communication), the fellowship process was delayed by 3 months this first time. We apologize to anyone inconvenienced; and hope to plan for such eventualities in the future so we keep to announced schedules.
Of the over 135 applicants from across India, with diverse backgrounds, about 28 promising candidates were chosen for face-to-face online interviews with Profs. Milind Watwe and Krushnamegh Kunte. These conversations helped understand the candidates’ passion for the subject, their relevant experience, their initiative in pursuing their passion within the limitations of their circumstances, and their conviction for pursuing a career in this field. Of several promising finalists, a deciding criterion was whether this particular fellowship would prove transformative to the candidate.
We congratulate the awardee, Mr. Akshay Sudhakar Dalvi, of Sawantawadi, District.Sindhudurg, Maharashtra. (Starts Sept 2024).
Mr. Dalvi received his B.Sc and M.Sc. from S.R.M College, Kudai, and has been passionate about Odonata (Dragonflies) ever since his undergraduate days. He has several publications in peer-reviewed journals in this field. Recently, he has described a new species of dragonfly Macromia kannharaiensis (Tilari cruiser) from Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra, published in the international journal Zootaxa.
He has worked as a field biologist for the Corbett Foundation, on an 'Integrated Rural Development' project in the Amboli region. Mr. Dalvi has a keen interest in studying and exploring the lateritic plateaus of the Konkan region. He intends to focus on ephemeral flush vegetation and associated micro-fauna found in these plateaus. While his studies thus far has been limited to taxonomy and exploring habitats and their characteristics, Mr. Dalvi hopes to use this fellowship to understand these in the context of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology.He also hopes to learn molecular and phylogenetic techniques that were not accessible in his previous institutions.
Mr. Dalvi received his B.Sc and M.Sc. from S.R.M College, Kudai, and has been passionate about Odonata (Dragonflies) ever since his undergraduate days. He has several publications in peer-reviewed journals in this field. Recently, he has described a new species of dragonfly Macromia kannharaiensis (Tilari cruiser) from Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra, published in the international journal Zootaxa.
He has worked as a field biologist for the Corbett Foundation, on an 'Integrated Rural Development' project in the Amboli region. Mr. Dalvi has a keen interest in studying and exploring the lateritic plateaus of the Konkan region. He intends to focus on ephemeral flush vegetation and associated micro-fauna found in these plateaus. While his studies thus far has been limited to taxonomy and exploring habitats and their characteristics, Mr. Dalvi hopes to use this fellowship to understand these in the context of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology.He also hopes to learn molecular and phylogenetic techniques that were not accessible in his previous institutions.
