Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Palakkad has chalked out a science quest and a summer internship for school and college students with the objective of fostering scientific curiosity and research interests among them.
ScienceQuest, a 10-day residential programme, is designed for 60 Class XI science stream students from schools across Kerala and Coimbatore. ScienceQuest aims at nurturing love for Science and Mathematics, along with critical thinking and a spirit of inquiry.
Hands-on experiments
Throughout the camp, the students will be exposed to interactive sessions on various STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) topics, as well as a few sessions on humanities and social sciences. They will also participate in hands-on laboratory experiments and have the opportunity to interact with IIT researchers.
ScienceQuest is held annually in memory of M.C. Valsakumar, former physics professor and dean of student affairs at IIT Palakkad. The programme is supported by a corpus fund established by Prof. Valsakumar’s family and friends, along with a CSR contribution from TM Automotive Seating Systems.
This year, the programme selects 60 students based on their academic merit and interest in science. Through interactive sessions, students will delve into diverse science, engineering, and mathematics topics.
Hands-on laboratory sessions will allow them to explore scientific concepts through experimentation. Students will also receive a stipend and travel allowance.
With close to 90 students selected in previous years and positive alumni feedback, ScienceQuest has become a premier science camp. This year’s programme, the fourth in the series, will be held from May 22 to May 31.
Students have to apply before March 31, 2024. Details are available at https://squest.iitpkd.ac.in/.
Summer Internship Programme
The summer internship programme is designed for students pursuing undergraduate or postgraduate studies in science, engineering, and humanities. The programme is open to postgraduate students (including 4th and 5th-year students of integrated master’s programmes) and those who are in the third and fourth year of their BTech degree.
This six-week residential programme aims to inspire students about careers in teaching and research by offering hands-on research training alongside access to a variety of hardware and software analysis tools. Candidates will collaborate closely with researchers at IIT Palakkad on real-world projects.
Selection is based on academic record, aptitude for research, accomplishments, and area(s) of research interest. Interns who complete the programme will receive an internship certificate, apart from a monthly stipend of ₹8,000, totalling ₹12,000 for the entire programme.
Guides and research areas available for the internship programme are listed on the institute’s application portal. IIT Palakkad encourages enthusiastic students from science, engineering, and humanities backgrounds to apply before April 6, 2024. For details, one can visit https://sun.iitpkd.ac.in/.
