The NSF International Research Experience for Students will strengthen Brooklyn-India ties


Nikhil Gupta, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, has received a new National Science Foundation (NSF) International Research Experience for Students (IRES) grant to establish a US-India internship program. 

This project, which aims to provide students with a comprehensive experience in the area of additive manufacturing (AM), also called 3D printing, takes them from laboratory scale research to industrial scale manufacturing. 

The partnership, which includes New York City College of Technology (CityTech) in collaboration with the National Institute of Technology – Karnataka (NITK), and the Indian Institute of Technology – Kanpur (IIT-K), will be coordinated in India by Mrityunjay Doddamani, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at NITK. Also participating in the project is Gaffar Gailani, associate professor and director of the Center of Medical Devices and Additive Manufacturing at CityTech.

The eight-week summer program, which starts in 2021, will place six U.S. students in NITK labs and provide opportunities for hands-on research, industry exposure, and cultural interactions.

Gupta, recipient of the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society’s 2020 Brimacombe Medalist Award, pointed out that the project gives students real-world industry experience.”

“It allows them to benefit from the strong, global manufacturing base in India, and preparing them to participate in today’s global economy. The state of Karnataka is a major science and technology research hub in India.”

Karnataka hosts research laboratories of many U.S. companies, including General Motors (GM), IBM, GE, Caterpillar, and Boeing. Also located there are manufacturing facilities of such companies such as Ford Motor, FM, Caterpillar, Lockheed Martin, and GE Wind.

The six students chosen for the program will include at least one from the New York City College of Technology in Brooklyn and at least one from NYU Tandon. 

The program application will open in November 2020.