On May 18, 77 researchers will be conferred with the Chief Minister's Nava Kerala post-doctoral fellowships in the state, announced Higher Education Minister R Bindu. 

The two-year fellowships were instituted to promote research that can further overall development and modernisation of the state, and the selection process of the awardees this year has been completed. The Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) recommended the researchers for the fellowship after consulting with expert committees in each discipline. 

The fellowship provides researchers with Rs 50,000 in the first year for full-time research and Rs 1 lakh in the second year. The research period might be extended by a year, if required. The fellowship intends to promote research ideas in social, economic, agricultural and industrial sectors, in line with the Rebuild Kerala Initiative. While Life Sciences was awarded 21 fellowships, Chemical Science got 10 new fellows and the subjects of Climate Change and Geological Studies got eight fellowships each. 

Higher Education Minister R Bindu said the selection process for the two-year fellowship has been completed. The fellowship intends to promote the best research ideas in social, economic, agricultural and industrial sectors that also are in tune with the objectives of the Rebuild Kerala Initiative. The fellowship provides Rs 50,000 in the first year for full-time research and Rs 1 lakh in the second year.