Awards & Recognition
To honor, acknowledge, and inspire scholarly brilliance, SHIKHAR 2026 presents a series of prestigious honors recognizing groundbreaking scientific contributions, early-career promise, and outstanding conference presentations across all thrust domains.
Individual Award Specifications
Young Researcher Award
Conferred by JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) at SHIKHAR 2026
info Introduction & Scope
The Young Researcher Award recognizes an outstanding early-career researcher who has demonstrated exceptional promise through original, innovative, and impactful research.
- check_circle Be 28–35 years of age as on 10 December 2026.
- check_circle Be the first author and presenting author of an accepted conference paper.
- check_circle Be currently pursuing a Ph.D. from a recognized institution (Ph.D. completion is not mandatory).
- check_circle Demonstrate excellence through original, high-quality research with significant scientific, technological, industrial, environmental, or societal impact.
- check_circle Register for and present their accepted paper at SHIKHAR 2026.
- upload_file Latest Curriculum Vitae (PDF): Must include academic qualifications, research experience, publications, patents, projects, grants, awards, and other achievements.
- badge Identifiers: ORCID ID and Scopus Author ID (if available).
- video_library Research Video: A 30-second video introducing your research and addressing the prescribed questions.
Applicants should briefly address the following points in their 30-second video presentation:
- 1 Research Problem Addressed
- 2 Novelty and Innovation of the Research
- 3 Scientific, Technological, Industrial, Environmental, or Societal Impact
- 4 Why You Should Be Considered for the Young Researcher Award
timeline Selection Process & Evaluation Stages
Evaluation of the submitted CV, research profile, publications, research achievements, and video presentation.
Evaluation of the oral presentation delivered during SHIKHAR 2026. The final score is consolidated from both stages.
Video Submission Guidelines
Candidates applying for Young Researcher and Women Scientist awards must follow these strict video production standards.
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Strict time limit of 30 seconds. Focus on presenting a concise overview of your research.
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The applicant must personally speak in English. Audio must be clearly audible.
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Minimum 1280 × 720 (HD) resolution is required; Full HD (1080p) is highly recommended.
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Landscape orientation (16:9 aspect ratio) is preferred for optimal viewing.
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The applicant must be clearly visible during the presentation to establish authenticity.
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No professional videography required. Basic editing (trimming, text overlays) is permitted.
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Applicants may showcase their lab, instruments, experimental setups, or field sites in the video.
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Must comply with safety, ethical, confidentiality, and institutional IP requirements.
AI Usage Policy & Prohibitions
The video must be an authentic representation of the applicant and their work. AI-generated or AI-manipulated content is not permitted. This includes AI-generated avatars, synthetic/altered voices, deepfakes, lip-syncing, AI-generated video segments, or AI-generated responses/content.
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AI-generated video content is prohibited.
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Deepfake technology is prohibited.
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AI voice cloning is prohibited.
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AI-generated avatars are prohibited.
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Image manipulation using AI is prohibited.
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Violations may result in disqualification.
* Note: If the use of AI-generated or AI-manipulated content is identified at any stage, the applicant may be disqualified from consideration for the YRA/WSA. The Award Committee may seek clarification or supporting information if the authenticity of a submission is in question.
Accepted Video Platforms & Link Instructions
Submit your video URL from any of these approved hosting platforms during application.
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Upload your research video to any supported platform.
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Accepted platforms include YouTube, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, Vimeo, or any other reliable cloud storage service.
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The submitted link must be publicly accessible or shared with appropriate viewing permissions.
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The video must remain accessible throughout the evaluation period.
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Test the submitted link before final submission.
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Password-protected or inaccessible links may lead to rejection.
- There is no provision to upload the video file directly through the registration form. A publicly accessible link must be submitted.
- The submitted link must allow the Award Committee to view the video directly without requesting access, entering a password, or obtaining additional permission.
- The link must remain active and publicly accessible throughout the award evaluation process and until the conclusion of SHIKHAR 2026.
- Applicants are strongly advised to test their video URL in an Incognito/Private browser window before submitting it. Inaccessible, expired, or restricted links may result in disqualification.
- Applicants are responsible for ensuring that any research facility, equipment, data, personnel, or other material shown in the video complies with applicable institutional, safety, ethical, confidentiality, and intellectual-property requirements.
General Award Guidelines
Please review all 13 general guidelines governing award eligibility, evaluations, and conferring at SHIKHAR 2026.
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The Young Researcher Award (YRA) and Women Scientist Award (WSA) are the flagship conference awards. Only one Overall Young Researcher Award and one Overall Women Scientist Award will be conferred at SHIKHAR 2026.
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The Best Oral Presentation Award and Best Poster Presentation Award will be conferred track-wise, with one award in each category for every scientific track.
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Submission of an application for the Young Researcher Award or Women Scientist Award does not guarantee consideration or selection for the respective award.
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All applications for the Young Researcher Award and Women Scientist Award shall undergo an initial eligibility verification by the SHIKHAR 2026 Award Committee. Applicants will be informed of their eligibility status along with abstract acceptance.
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Only applicants found eligible after verification shall proceed to the award evaluation stage.
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The Young Researcher Award and Women Scientist Award shall be evaluated through a two-stage assessment, comprising: Stage I (50%) – Evaluation of the submitted application (CV, research profile, publications, achievements, video), and Stage II (50%) – Evaluation of the oral presentation delivered during the conference.
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The Young Researcher Award and Women Scientist Award are evaluated independently of the track-wise Best Oral Presentation Award and Best Poster Presentation Award.
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Participants who are not eligible for the Young Researcher Award or Women Scientist Award shall remain fully eligible for consideration under the track-wise Best Oral Presentation Award and Best Poster Presentation Award, subject to the respective evaluation criteria.
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To encourage broader recognition of excellence, recipients of the Young Researcher Award or Women Scientist Award shall not be conferred the track-wise Best Oral Presentation Award or Best Poster Presentation Award. In such cases, the respective track award shall be conferred upon the next highest-ranked eligible participant.
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Incomplete applications, applications containing false or misleading information, or applications that do not satisfy the prescribed eligibility criteria shall not be considered.
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The SHIKHAR 2026 Award Committee reserves the right to seek clarification or supporting documentation from applicants at any stage of the evaluation process.
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The Award Committee reserves the right not to confer an award in any category if no applicant or presentation is found to meet the expected standards of excellence.
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The decision of the SHIKHAR 2026 Award Committee and the Scientific Committee shall be final and binding, and no correspondence regarding the outcome of the awards will be entertained.