MSU research fellow bags US grant

Vadodara: A PhD student from MS University’s department of archaeology and ancient history has been awarded a prestigious grant from Leakey Foundation, a US-based funding agency.
Devara Anil, a temporary assistant professor at the department at faculty of arts, has been given the funding to investigate animal fossil remains and associated archaeological materials from a site in Andhra Pradesh (AP). He has received a grant of $20,000.
Leakey Foundation was originally formed in 1968 to support the work of Dr Louis S B Leakey, who had discovered hominin species including homo habilis, Australopithecus in East Africa. He was one of the 20th century’s great anthropologists and a pioneering scientist and a passionate advocate of science outreach.
The grants sanctioned by the foundation are highly competitive. The Leakey Foundation supported Louis and Mary Leakey’s fieldwork and the groundbreaking research of young scientists such as Jane Goodall, Don Johanson, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galdikas. Every year, the foundation receives hundreds of applications from around the world.
“I am happy that my project was accepted for funding, and I hope to get good results out of it. I am thankful to my supervisor professor Ajithprasad and my mentors professor K Krishnan and Dr Vrushab Mahesh who are also part of project for their support, encouragement,” said Devara.