A new fellowship program worth $2.4 million from India's Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) will support the advanced studies of their Ph.D. students.

Starting next year, the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the government of India and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will be implemented and will continue for the next five years.

The moa is recently signed by the CMU president, Subra Suresh and Professor T.K. Chandrashekar, Secretary of the Science and Engineering Research Board of the Government of India

The agreement has signed in the presence of SERB chairman and secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, Professor Ashutosh Sharma.

"We look forward to working with the Board to develop the next great generation of scholars, scientists, and engineers who will help address many of the 21st Century human challenges," President Suresh cited in CMU campus news. Suresh is an Indian American and former director of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF).

Reports added SERB is delighted to partner with CMU on the doctoral fellowship program and through this program, talented Indian scholars will be able to pursue research in frontier areas which are of relevance to India.

"I am sure this partnership will gain strength in the years to come," said Chandrashekar. The latter is a member of the Global Research Council, which was founded by president Suresh when he was the director of the NSF.

Each academic year, five selected Indian students will grant this doctoral fellowships including allowances.