Hari Om Ashram Prerit Senior Scientist Award

What is the Hari Om Ashram Prerit Senior Scientist Award?

The Hari Om Ashram Prerit Senior Scientist Award is a national scientific honour administered by the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, a unit of the Department of Space, Government of India. According to the PRL opportunities page, the award was instituted to commemorate the birth centenary of Pujya Shri Mota, founder of the Hari Om Ashram, Nadiad, and is presented to an eminent Indian scientist for innovative and outstanding contributions to science and technology.

The Hari Om Ashram Prerit Senior Scientist Award carries a cash prize of Rs 4,00,000, together with a silver plaque and a citation. It is a recognition of a body of work built over a career, not a research grant or a stipend. The award sits alongside a companion PRL honour, the Hari Om Ashram Prerit Dr Vikram Sarabhai Research Award, but the two are distinct awards with separate criteria.

Because this is a recognition award rather than a benefit scheme, there is no citizen application process. Understanding who nominates, who is eligible and how a nomination is made is the main thing a reader needs from this guide.

Who is eligible for the Hari Om Ashram Prerit Senior Scientist Award?

Eligible nominees

• An eminent Indian scientist recognised for innovative and outstanding contributions to science and technology.
• The award targets senior, established researchers whose work has had a lasting impact in their field.

Who cannot apply

• Scientists cannot apply for the award themselves. Self-nomination is not part of the process.
• Students, research scholars and early-career researchers are not eligible for this particular award, which is aimed at senior scientists with a substantial track record.
• Anyone who is not put forward by an eligible nominator is not considered.

Who may nominate

According to PRL, nominations may be submitted by heads of academic and research institutions, vice-chancellors, deans of universities, Fellows of the Indian academies of science and engineering, and past recipients of the award. The nomination must be endorsed by one of these authorities for the candidate to be considered.

What documents are required for the Hari Om Ashram Prerit Senior Scientist Award?

How to apply for the Hari Om Ashram Prerit Senior Scientist Award

There is no individual application. The nomination route runs through PRL as follows.

1. Wait for the call. A nominator watches the PRL opportunities page for the announcement inviting nominations for the award, along with the closing date.
2. Prepare the nomination. The nominator, an institution head, vice-chancellor, dean, academy Fellow or past awardee, compiles the nominee's biodata, a statement of contributions and supporting documents.
3. Submit to the Director. The nominator emails the nomination package to the Director of PRL with the subject line referencing the award, within the announced deadline.
4. Selection. PRL evaluates the nominations through its award committee and announces the recipient. The winner receives the Rs 4,00,000 cash prize, the silver plaque and the citation.

Prospective nominees who believe their work merits consideration should approach an eligible nominator — for example the head of their institution: rather than attempting to apply directly, since direct applications are not accepted.

How much does the award provide?

The Hari Om Ashram Prerit Senior Scientist Award provides a one-time cash prize of Rs 4,00,000, a silver plaque and a citation. It is not a recurring payment and does not fund a research project; it is an honorarium recognising a lifetime of scientific contribution.

Help and where to verify

PRL publishes the award call, the list of past awardees (covering 1998 to 2018) and the nomination instructions on its official website. Because this is a nomination-based honour administered by a single institution, there is no public scheme helpline; queries are directed to PRL, Ahmedabad, through the contact details on the award page. Always confirm the current deadline and the exact nomination email address on the PRL opportunities page before submitting, as the call is announced periodically rather than on a fixed annual date.