IIT Kanpur and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), Washington DC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the Global Climate and Environmental Research Fellowship Program (GCERF). The first agreement was finalized by a delegation from IIT Kanpur led by its Director, Manindra Agrawal, along with National Academy of Engineering President Tsu-Jae Liu and National Academies Executive Officer Greg Symmes.

The MoU was signed during the visit of the IIT Kanpur Karvaan delegation to the United States in September 2026, led by Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur, along with Prof. Braj Bhushan, Deputy Director; Prof. Vinod Kumar Singh, Institute Chair Professor; Prof. Bushra Ateeq, Dean of International Relations; and Prof. Amey Karkare, Dean of Resources and Alumni.

GCERF is a new initiative designed to support US-based researchers in conducting collaborative climate and environmental research with partner institutions outside the USA. This MoU establishes the framework for collaboration between NAS and IITK in support of GCERF, enabling Fellows to contribute to ongoing research at IITK while building sustained professional relationships with counterparts. The focus of the GCERF program is to facilitate bidirectional knowledge exchange and collaboration, while strengthening the critical workforce and research enterprise in climate and environmental sciences for the benefit of both the U.S. and global scientific communities.

As part of this agreement, up to two Fellows will be placed at IITK for a period of up to six months, to further the professional development and training of the Fellows. The MoU would be instrumental in initiating Joint scientific exchange, actionable data tools for climate and environmental sustainability, and long-term bilateral research collaborations.