India Newsletter – February 2017
In the second edition of our India Newsletter, we cover all the latest news updates from the Royal Society of Chemistry's activities in India.
RSC Advances becomes gold open access
RSC Advances, the largest chemical sciences journal in the world, has become a gold open access journal. This provides researchers free access to a broader scope of high quality research and offers new, affordable open access publishing options for authors around the world.
In January 2017 we published our first fully gold open access issue, featuring 75 articles from authors in 28 countries. The articles cover all areas of the chemical sciences, and include six papers from Indian researchers.
Over the last 6 months, RSC Advances has been making the transition to a gold open access journal. Since October 2016, we are pleased to say that submissions are higher than anticipated and we have maintained the broad topic and country spread that RSC Advances is known for. We have already published over 1200 open access articles, all of which are freely available permanently to everyone who wants to read them and available to all those who need them.
Dr Andrew Shore, Editor of RSC Advances, says: "Maintaining the current high quality standards of RSC Advances is hugely important – our associate editors will continue to apply RSC Advances's rigorous acceptance criteria and only accept work that offers a significant advance in the field. My priority is for the impact factor to remain competitive and attractive to new researchers."
The Royal Society of Chemistry believes that open access publishing needs to be available to everyone and therefore our article processing charges (APCs) are some of the lowest in the industry. For Indian authors the APC is currently £250 ($300), and it is also possible to apply for a waiver.
It is important to have advocates within the community and we are delighted that Professor Amitava Das (CSIR-Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Bhavnagar) will continue on the RSC Advances editorial board. We are also delighted that Professor Giridhar Madras (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore) has agreed to join the editorial board, having previously been an associate editor for the journal. We will also continue to have strong representation from India within our associate editor team and reviewer panel.
Professor Madras says that the changes will help to make research accessible to all. "I think the most important benefit of open access is that published research can reach all institutions in India. Many institutions cannot afford to buy access to journals and thus their researchers are deprived of current research. I think RSC Advances bridges that gap in ensuring that the best research is available open access."
You can find more information on open access on our open access page. If you have any specific questions regarding RSC Advances and open access, please contact the team.
Tell us what you think
The Royal Society of Chemistry is undertaking a study to understand researcher, publishing author and policy maker experiences of open access (OA) publishing.
As a part of our research, we would like to gather feedback from our researchers, readers and partner community to understand your views on open access publishing. If you would like to participate, please complete this online survey.
Thank you for sharing your valuable comments.
Newton workshops success
Our partnership with the British Council led to six successful Newton Bhabha Researcher Links workshops in 2016.
Over 200 scientists from the UK and India shared their cutting-edge research to tackle global challenges such as water, energy, sustainability and antimicrobial resistance in a series of Newton-Bhabha workshops held during 2016.
The programme provides chemists in both India and the UK with an excellent foundation to build strong and sustainable relationships, enabling knowledge exchange, as well as addressing global challenges.
Read the full story on our news page.
Royal Society of Chemistry’s publishing workshops receive good response
Over 600 members attended the three publishing workshops we held in locations across India in 2016.
Each workshop focused on details of scholarly publishing and the effective communication of research for PhD, postdoc and early career researchers, and were held in three different cities:
- Monday 19 September 2016 CSIR – Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI), Bhavnagar, Gujarat (West India)
- 21 September 2016 Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (Central India)
- 23 September 2016 National Institute of Science Education and Research Bhubaneswar (East India)
Representatives from four Royal Society of Chemistry teams delivered six presentations at each of the three publishing workshops. Topics included:
- Effectively communicating your research using manuscript, poster, power point slides
- How to author a book
- Ethics, best practices in peer review and plagiarism in publishing
The workshops received a good response, with requests received to conduct such workshops at other institutes in other cities.
Thanks for arranging the workshop. Had a great time and experience attending this workshop as it was my first scientific workshop ever. And wish to look forward more such workshops and events to enhance our knowledge in the field of research and chemistry.
Suresh Dhakndee PhD, delegate, CSMCRI Bhavnagar workshop
To learn more about other similar activities of the Royal Society of Chemistry in India, please visit the events web page.
New journal and book launches
Read on to find out more about our latest journal, Sustainable Energy & Fuels (announced in September 2016), and take a look at the books now available to buy or pre-order through our online bookshop.
Journals
Sustainable Energy & Fuels
Sustainable Energy & Fuels is an interdisciplinary journal for the development of sustainable energy technologies. Currently open for submissions, the journal will publish research that contributes to the development of sustainable energy technologies, with a particular emphasis on new and next-generation technologies. It will be an essential resource for energy researchers, cuts across major disciplines such as materials science, chemistry, physics, engineering and biology, and covers evolving and emerging areas, including:
- solar energy conversion including photovoltaics and artificial photosynthesis
- energy storage including batteries and supercapacitors
- catalysis for energy technologies, including the sustainable synthesis of fuels and chemicals
Please visit the journal’s web page for more details.
Books
Issues in Toxicology series: The Comet Assay in Toxicology 2nd edition
Editors: Alok Dhawan (CSIR Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow), Diana Anderson (University of Bradford, UK)
Solid Rocket Propellants: Science and Technology Challenges
Authors: Haridwar Singh and Himanshu Shekhar (Defence Research & Development Organisation, Pune)
Coming soon: summer 2017
Functional Supramolecular Materials: From Surfaces to Molecular Organic frameworks (MOFs)
Editor: Rahul Banerjee (CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune)
This book aims to provide a comprehensive overview the structure and function of organic and metal–organic supramolecular materials.
If you are interested in book publishing, find out more on our website, or contact the Books team.
Welcome to our new advisory board members from India
- Professor Ligy Philip – Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, India
- Editorial board member for Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology
- Professor Giridhar Madras – Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
- Editorial board member for RSC Advances
Publishing news, events and updates
A new Facebook page for Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry
- For the latest news, hot articles and features, follow us.
Success for flagship career events in Mumbai and New Delhi
We had a strong response to the 2016 ChemCareers events conducted in Mumbai (27 August) and New Delhi (24 September). Over 400 students benefitted from attending, learning about prospective employers, receiving expert advice from professionals and receiving information on career options.
ChemCareers India 2016 partnered with leading chemical companies such as BASF India, Clariant, Huntsman and Reckitt Benckiser, who led panel discussions and interactive sessions with graduate students and research scholars.
Our publishing team also ran a workshop on "how to publish in high impact journals" at the ChemCareers Mumbai and New Delhi events, which received a good response.
Local sections engage actively with the chemical sciences community across India
RSC Deccan Local Section’s national poster symposium
More than 50 research students attended this symposium, entitled ‘Challenges in Organic Chemistry’ presenting their research as a short talk and poster session.
The poster session provided research students a forum in which to share the outcome of their innovative research and facilitate exchange of ideas with people reading the poster.
Leading research scientists Professor Uday Maitra (Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru), and Dr A Kamal (CSIR-IICT) both delivered talks at the symposium. Professor Maitra’s topic was "applications of a soft photo luminescent material for enzyme sensing". Dr Kamal explored "natural products as a source of new drugs", explaining various naturally derived drug candidates such as podophyllotoxin and etoposide.
The symposium was held on 2 December 2016, at University College for Women, Hyderabad.
RSC Deccan Local Section's 'Fun with Chemistry'
We conducted a one-day science event consisting of science talks, chemistry experiment demonstrations and a science quiz for the secondary school students of National Public School.
Deccan Local Section president Dr V Peesapati was on hand to explain the chemistry behind each experiment.
Read the full story on our news page.
RSC North India Local Section’s 25th anniversary celebration
Highlighting the role of chemistry in water treatment technologies through a cleaner, greener approach, the North India Local Section held a Green Chemistry and Water Treatment workshop.
The workshop provided a platform to bring together academia, industry and research organisations for interactions on implementing long term solutions in water treatment technologies.
The workshop started with an inaugural lecture by Dr Satinder Ahuja (Founder, Ahuja Academy of Water Quality) followed by a keynote lecture by Dr Sanjay Bajpai (Associate Head, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India).
Experts from both industry and academic bodies delivered guest lectures on green chemistry and water treatment. Organisations involved included:
- Ambedkar Centre for Biomedical Research (ACBR)
- Department of Science & Technology (Government of India)
- Empereal–KGDS Renewable Energy Pvt Ltd
- Dr. Reddy’s laboratories (Hyderabad)
- School of Water Resources Engineering
- Jadavpur University (Kolkata)
- OSD Minister of State for Commerce & Industry
- University of Delhi
The workshop was well attended, with over 100 participants from research laboratories, universities, industries and R & D institutions all over India taking part. Delegates presented 30 research posters, and the top four were selected and awarded during the valedictory session.
‘Water, water everywhere – not a drop to drink’
Over 150 school students attended the East India Local Section's poster competition.
The event was held on 30 November 2016 in association with the Birla Institute of Technology and Management, Kolkata.
The poster competition was followed by a scientific talk on "Freshwater Scarcity: Quantity, Quality, Food Security, Health Effects and Management issues in developing countries" by Professor Chakraborty (Research Director, School of Environmental Studies, Jadavpur University).
Success for Yusuf Hamied Inspirational Chemistry programme's master trainer
Ms Vimala Oak shares her experience on the Yusuf Hamied programme and her love for teaching.
Traversing 11 states across India, Vimala Oak, a teacher developer with Yusuf Hamied Inspirational Chemistry programme, has so far trained more than 1000 teachers during 60 workshops in less than two years.
Read the full story on our news page.
Salters' Chemistry Camps extend reach into Northeast India
In July 2016, the Yusuf Hamied Inspirational Programme extended its reach into Northeast India, conducting two Salters' Chemistry Camps in Assam.
Salters’ Chemistry Camps provide ninth standard students the opportunity to participate in a one-of-a-kind residential camp at a leading Indian university. Students experience a taster of life in the chemical sciences, through conducting chemistry experiments in university labs, interacting with researchers and gaining exposure to the myriad of career opportunities in the chemical sciences.
Read the full story on our news page.
Events of interest in India
16–18 February – Second International Conference on Materials Science (ICMS2017)
22–24 February – International Conference on Nano for Energy and Water (NEW)
23–24 February – 6th Indian Peptide Symposium
Research grants and funding opportunities
We provide a number of different research grants and funding opportunities for students, researchers and publishing authors. Currently available are:
Conference bursaries
For student members of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Royal Society of Chemistry members in the early stages of their career (typically within five years of completing a first or postgraduate degree)
Small grants for scientific activities
To support researchers’ scientific activities, including (but not limited to) participation at conferences, scientifically enhancing your own meetings, research visits or policy development initiatives.
Travel grants for PhD students and post-doctoral researchers
Grants are available to cover domestic, continental and intercontinental travel to support participation by PhD students and post-doctoral researchers in scientific conference.
We also offer grants to support travel to events, outreach and research, as well as personal support and guidance.
Browse the options for more details.
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