Meet Kerala's Pranav S, recipient of Australian National University's FRT programme

Indian Express

3 days ago

'I had a dream to visit a foreign country for higher education, but I did not think that the opportunity would come this early,' said Pranav S, a native of Kerala's Kollam, and one of the shortlisted students for the Future Research Talent (FRT) programme. The programme is jointly awarded by the Australian National University (ANU) College of Science and Medicine, the ANU College of Systems and Society, and the ANU College of Law, Governance and Policy to students. Every year, 46 students from selected Indian institutions are shortlisted based on their pitch.
Pranav, who is among 45 other students, is working on a project titled 'Early childhood shocks and their impact on older age health outcomes' under the supervision of Dr My Tran and Dr Jinhu Li, in the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at ANU. Under the programme, students get approximately 2.5 to 3 months or 10-12 weeks at ANU to collaborate on a research project, and the value of each FRT award is A$8,500, which is approximately Rs 4,77,490.
Pranav is a five-year Integrated course student in Economics at the University of Hyderabad (UoH), and was not aware of the FRT programme; however, a mail from the University changed his career trajectory.
'I wasn't initially aware of the programme, but after doing some research, I decided to give it a try. In the first round, the University invited project pitches. The biggest challenge I faced was identifying a project that aligned with my area of interest. At that crucial point, I turned to some friends, seniors, and especially my mentor from the Economics department, Professor G. Sridevi, for guidance,' he said.
To help future aspirants, Pranav outlined the application and selection process for the FRT programme. Applications open every December, and students are shortlisted based on their research pitches, which are reviewed by ANU. The first round is conducted in collaboration with partner institutions, which nominate candidates for specific projects through an internal selection process.
'The FRT scholarship primarily considers academic merit and prior research experience. Applicants must submit a CV and a Statement of Purpose (SOP), both of which play a crucial role in the evaluation. You can select up to three preferred projects from the list of available options. The FRT team then evaluates the profiles, consults with project supervisors, and finalises the selection based on their rankings,' Pranav explained.
'Visiting Australia was my first international trip and I was quite nervous about how things would be managed,' he said. He told indianexpress.com, that the ANU team made them comfortable. Before visiting the country, they did some email interactions to know each other and for documentation for the visa, as they are in the country under the Temporary Research Activity 408 SubClass Visa.
'People at ANU are super systematic in their approach. They have clear thoughts and ideas. So, when we reached the University, they spoke at length about the departments and people. My supervisors were also really supportive, they also knew that like I was coming for the first time in a foreign country, so they tried to assist me in every possible way,' he added.
Without a hurry to start the programme, they gave time to the Indian students to settle and get to know their office spaces. 'The people in the space are supportive and full of positive vibes. They help you with the project and make sure you are comfortable,' said Pranav S, whose mother works as an accountant in a private firm in Kerala.
Sharing about his day as an FRT researcher at the Australian National University, Pranav claimed that the work culture in the University is balanced.
'A researcher isn't required to be present in the department every day unless the project specifically demands it. In my case, the department provided a wonderful office space, which allows me to work more efficiently. So, I come in from Monday to Friday, usually from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, with regular breaks. The emphasis here is on what we gain from new academic exposures,' said the student, who scored 95.6 per cent in the Class 12 CBSE examinations.
When asked about his project's objective, he shared that his research explores the intersection between Economics and public health aspects. Through this research, the team aim to find the existing gaps in the study of early childhood shocks and measuring its impact on the healthy ageing population. The study is conducted concerning the Indian population.
During his initial stay at ANU, he got the opportunity to meet and interact with Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay and Professor Chenupati Jagadish.
Sheen Kachroo is the Senior Sub-Editor working with the Indian Express Digital. ... Read More