Dr Rajani Panchang of SPPU wins Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship, ETEducation
Pune: Dr Rajani Panchang, assistant professor in the department of environmental science of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), was awarded the Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship for academic and professional excellence 2025.
The fellowship, administered by the United States–India Educational Foundation (USIEF), supports Indian researchers working on climate-related studies in America for 8 to 12 months. Panchang will work for 9 months beginning mid-Nov with renowned marine scientist Pamela Hallock.
Her research will focus on assessing how marine bio-calcifiers—particularly coral reef foraminifera—respond to ocean acidification, a growing consequence of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide.
A statement issued by SPPU stated that as part of her fellowship, Panchang will conduct field studies along the Florida Reef Tract and laboratory experiments to quantify how these shelled organisms adapt or decline under acidifying conditions. Her research will also integrate analyses of atmospheric data and long-term biological records collected since the 1980s.
“By understanding how resilient or vulnerable these organisms are to ocean acidification, we can better project the biological and economic impacts of climate change and shape sustainable ocean policies,” Panchang told TOI. She added that empowering local youths to identify biological indicators of ocean acidification could reduce the cost, time and carbon footprint involved in high-end ocean monitoring systems.
The Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship program aims to build long-term capacity between India and the US to address climate challenges through collaborative scientific research.
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