CFAs: WEnyan Scholarship Program – India

The program aims to support women students from marginalized communities/low-income groups in Maharashtra to pursue education & career opportunities in research & entrepreneurship in New Materials, Pharmaceuticals, Basic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Agro-Chemicals, Specialty Chemicals, Sustainability, and allied areas.

WEnyan is a scholarship and mentoring program for supporting women in Chemistry and allied areas. This Program offers Research Scholarships for students and Prototyping Grant for early stage entrepreneurs.

Objectives

• To increase enrolment of women in higher education STEM programs.
• To reduce dropout rates of women post‐graduation.
• To skill women in high end scientific techniques; training/orientation for innovation in STEM, making them employment ready.
• To promote women-led, science-based start-ups.
• To create a supportive ecosystem for women in science to build professional networks, mentoring groups, meet women role models and overall benefit from peer to peer learning and develop leadership skills.

Focus Areas

• Fundamental Chemistry
• Fuel Cells/Batteries
• Pharmacology/Drug Discovery
• Material Science
• Herbal Formulations
• Nutraceutical
• Agro-Chemistry
• Environment/Sustainability

What you will get?

• This Program offers:
  • Industry Visits
  • Entrepreneurial Skill Development
  • Peer-to-Peer Networking
  • Mentorship by Women Role Models
  • Financial Support
    • Women Pursuing Undergraduate Degrees in Science & Engineering (UG): Up to 10,000 INR /month, for 3 months
    • Women Pursuing Post-graduate Degrees in Science & Engineering (PG): Up to 15,000 INR/month, for 6 months
    • Early Stage Women Entrepreneurs: Prototyping grant up to 2 Lakhs INR & Scholarship up to 15,000 INR/month, for 6 months

Impact

• Potential Gains from the program
  • Interactive sessions with women role models
  • Customized Mentoring sessions with women leaders
  • Peer to Peer networking
  • Exposure to the Indian science‐based start‐up ecosystem & opportunities
  • Industry and R&D lab visits
  • Hear from industry, academic, and entrepreneurial women leaders in Chemistry about their work
  • Learn about PKC’s new Role Model Lecture Series: Women in Chemistry & Sustainability

Eligibility Criteria

• Scholarship Program Category A (Academic Research Project)
  • Women in Final year of graduate program (B.Sc./B.Tech./B. E./B. Pharm. and equivalent degree)
  • Women in Final year of the graduate program (M.Sc./M.Tech./M. E./M.Pharm. and equivalent degree)
• Scholarship Program Category B (Entrepreneurship – Product development & Prototyping)
  • Women keen on pursuing full-time entrepreneurship within one year of completion of graduate/ postgraduate degree
  • Women pursuing Ph.D. where the research is associated with product or prototype development (in first or second year)

For more information, visit PKC.