1. Joint collaborative project BITS Pilani India and Linköping University Sweden, funded under SPARC scheme  of MHRD, Government of India.
   

• Title :Novel sensors for monitoring and reuse of agricultural runoff water (Ongoing)
  
• Indian PI : Prof. Sunil Bhand (Birla Institute of Technology & Science)
• Indian Co-PI(s) : Prof. Utpal Roy (Birla Institute of Technology & Science), Prof Gautam Bacher (EEE&I)
• International PI : Prof. Magnus Willander (LiU, Sweden )
• International Co-PI(s) : Prof Bengt Danielsson
• Duration 2 years : Aug 08, 2023, Aug 07, 2025
• Amount: Rs. 59  lakh

2. CSR funding by Birla Carbon (ABG) Ongoing

• Title of the project : Recovery of resources from worn-out tires for enabling circular economy  
• Duration: 5 years for 2 full time PhD fellowship
• Project activity funding : 3 years  (total funding about Rs. 50 lakh)
• PI of the Project: Prof Sunil Bhand (Chemistry)
• Co-PI : Prof Utpal Roy (Biological Sciences)
• Start date: Jan 2021

Completed Research Projects

3. Joint collaborative project BITS Pilani India and Lund University Sweden, funded under SPARC scheme  of MHRD, Government of India.

• Title : Novel micro and nano sensors for antibiotic resistance measurement
• Indian PI : Prof. Sunil Bhand (Birla Institute of Technology & Science)
• Indian Co-PI(s) : Prof. Utpal Roy (Birla Institute of Technology & Science)
• International PI : Dr. Bin Xie (LU, Sweden )
• International Co-PI(s) : Dr. Nelida Leiva Eriksson (LU, Sweden)
• Duration 2 years : March 2019 to Feb 2021 EXTENDED UP TO MARCH 31, 2022
• Amount: Rs. 51 lak

4. Joint collaborative project funded by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), under   Malaria Elimination Research Alliance (MERA), India  

• Title of the project: 28S Ribosomal RNA Capture Assay for the Sensitive Detection of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax
• Sanction date and duration : Sep. 01, 2020 (2 years)
• PI of the project: Prof A.K .Das (Biological Sciences, Pilani Campus)
• Co-PI  : Prof Sunil Bhand (Chemistry, KK Birla Goa Campus)
• Co-PI :  Prof Sanket Goel  ( EEE, Hyderabad Campus)
• Co-PI : Dr A Talukdar (Medical College & Hospital Kolkata)Total approved amount. Rs 1.25 crore, 1st year sanction of Project Rs. 80 lakh.

5. Multi-institute Consortium Project entitled “Nano-based detection of organophosphate pesticides using metal-organic framework conjugates” funded by NASF, ICAR Govt. of India.

Duration of Project: Jan. 2017-Dec .2019 (3 years)

Total amount Rs. 212 lakh (BITS Goa share Rs. 43.20 lakh)

Consortia of BITS Pilani K.K.Birla Goa Campus, Amity Institute of Nanotechnology and Indian Agricultural Research Institute IARI, N Delhi

Prof Sunil Bhand is CCPI from BITS Goa (Department of Chemistry)  

1 SRF supported for 3 years

1 Major Equipment procured worth Rs. 19 lakh procured

6. Multi-institute Consortium Project entitled “Development of sensing system for residual pesticide and harmful chemical detection in fruits and vegetables" funded by  R.D Tata Trust, Mumbai

 Duration: Aug. 2016-Jul 2018. (Extended  up to Oct. 31, 2018)  2.3 years

Total amount Rs. 212 lakh.  BITS Goa with a share of Rs. 53.5 lakh

Consortium of CDAC Kolkata, BITS Pilani K.K.Birla Goa Campus, Jadavpur University Kolkata for a period of two years and 3 months.

Prof Sunil Bhand is PI from. Co-PI Dr Gautam Bacher (EEE). 

1 Research Associate supported for 2.3 yrs

2 Major equipment worth Rs 20 lakh procured

7. Title of the project: “Development of field portable device for the analysis of contaminant in water” funded by BRNS, DAE GOI No. Ref No: (36)/14/25/2014-BRNS-445  (Up to Dec 2018)

Funding & duration: Rs. 24.138 lakh : 3 years (start June 2015), Staff: 1 SRF

Principal Investigator: Prof. Sunil Bhand ( Department  of Chemistry)  

Principal Collaborator: Dr R. Balasubramaniam, Ashwin Rathod (PED,   BARC) Dr VK Suri (MGM ,Mumbai)

1 portable Equipment procured worth Rs. 5 lakh

1 Patent filed

8. National Facility of DAE –Indus II Synchrotron Source: (usage of X-Ray Lithography beam Line).

Novel micro biosensor device for heavy metal analysis in vegetables CSR-IC- BL40/CRS-137-2014-15/1233 for fabrication of micro devices using BL-9 at RRCAT DAE Indore. 2 years PI: Prof Sunil Bhand, Dr Gautam Bacher Co-PI. Dr V. Dhamgaye and Dr G S Lodha, RRCAT, DAE. (2 years 1 year renewal twice) travel and accommodation and equipment time paid by RRCAT DAE Indore. 2014-15 and 2015-16

9. Industry Project: A proof of concept proposal on Bio- Sensory Computing for Detection of Pesticide in Tea

CDAC Kolkata, BITS Goa and TRA Jorhat DR-22(5)/XII Plan Project/Bio-sensor/2015. 3 months (total cost 41 lakh) sanctioned in Jan 2016 ended March 2016.

BITS Goa -PI Prof. Sunil Bhand. (BITS Goa share 5.5 lakh)

1 Patent filed

10. Centre of Research Excellence in Water, Waste water and Energy Management (CORE WWEM)   funded by BITS, Pilani.

Subproject title: Development of Field Deployable biosensor for analysis of bacterial contaminant in potable water

Funding to sub-project : Rs. 91 lakh, Duration : 3 years (2014- March 2017)

PI : Proj Ravij Gupta (Pilani Campus)

• Co PI : Prof. Sunil Bhand ( KK Birla Goa Campus)   biosensor

Co-Investigator(s) I: Prof.  Utpal Roy (Dept of Biological Sciences, K.K. Birla Goa  

Campus)  microbiology

Co-Investigator(s) Prof. Neeru Sood  & Dr Turpti Gokhale : (: Biological Science)

1 RT-PCR Roche procured and in use jointly

1 Patent filed jointly with  Co-PI

11. International: The Swedish Research Council

Title: Functional composite materials and their application in smart sensors

Funding Agency: The Swedish Research Council   Duration: 3 years (2014-2017)

PI : Dr. Cedtic Dicko, Co-P Dr Estera Dey Pure and Applied Biochemistry, Lund University Sweden

Invited PI: Prof. Sunil Bhand (funding for Exchange visit of PI and researcher), BITS Goa.

12. Multi-institute Consortium Project entitled “Imprinted polymer for sensing and removal of selected antibiotic and pesticide residue” Project no. NFBSFARA/PHT-4007/2013-14

Funding Agency: National Funds for Basic and Strategic Research in Frontier Areas of Agricultural Science,  ICAR, New Delhi

Project Funding Period: 1^st October 2013 to 31^st March, 2015. (18 months)

1 major equipment procured (Prober) about 12 lakh

1 microfluidic setup Rs 7 lakh

BITS, Pilani-KK Birla Goa Campus: Prof. Sunil Bhand (Principal Investigator)

BITS Goa, Co-Investigator (Prof. NN Ghosh)

NDRI Karnal: Dr. Y.S. Rajput (Cooperating Centre PI, CCPI)

IIT Delhi: Prof Sudhir Chandra (Cooperating Centre PI, CCPI)

Total Sanctioned Amount: Rs. 156 Lakh,  

BITS, Pilani-Goa Campus funding share Rs. 54.00 lakh

13. nternational Bilateral Project (Indo-UK)

Joint Indo-UK project  under UKIERI-DST Thematic research awards 2012,  “Development and characterization of nanomaterials for biosensors and biocatalysts” (reference number INT/UK/UKIERI/P-41/2013)

Duration 2 years (May 2013-May 2015)

Funding agency: UKIERI (DST and British Council) Amount: Rs 91 lakh

• PI- UK: Prof Paul Millner (Faculty of Biological sciences)   biocatalysis

Indian PI BITS Goa: Prof. NN Ghosh (Department of chemistry)  nanomaterials 

• Co-PI BITS Goa:  Prof Sunil Bhand (Department of Chemistry)   nano-biosensors

14. Multi-institute Consortium Project entitled “Development of biosensors and micro techniques for analysis of pesticide residues, aflatoxin, heavy metals and bacterial contamination in milk Project no. Comp 4/C10125.

Funding Agency: National Agricultural Innovation Project, ICAR, India & The World Bank USA.

• BITS, Pilani-KK Birla Goa Campus: Prof. Sunil Bhand (Consortium PI)
• NDRI Karnal: Dr. Naresh Kumar Consortium (partner)
• IIT Delhi: Prof Sudhir Chandra & Prof Ratnamala Chatterjee (partner)
• Punjabi University Patiala: Prof Neelam Verma (partner)

Total Revised funding  ₹  3107.318 lakh (USD 5 Million)

Project Funding Period: Feb 2008- June 30, 2014.

BITS, Pilani-Goa Campus funding share Rs. 450.4799 lakh

15. Multi-institute Consortium Project entitled “Detection and mitigation of dairy pathogens and adulterants using chemical biology, Project No. C4/C30032

• Funding Agency: National Agricultural Innovation Project “NAIP’ financed    by ICAR (Govt of India &  The   World  Bank, USA). Total funding     amount: Rs. 695.7363 lakh

BITS, Pilani-Goa Campus funding share Rs. 91.34975 lakh

Funding period February 2009- March 30 2014

IIT Roorkee: Dr Naveen K Navani (Consortium PI)

BITS, Pilani-KK Birla Goa Campus: Dr. Sunil Bhand (Consortium Co-PI)

NDRI Karnal: Dr. YS Rajput (partner)

16. International: The Swedish Research Council

Joint Indo-Swedish project entitled “Validation of field-portable and high       throughput       biosensor    techniques for environmental pesticide analysis”

Funding Agency: The Swedish Research Council, Sweden

Total funding Amount: Rs. 27.50 lakh (550,000 Swedish Kroner)

Funding period: June 2003- Dec. 2007.

Prof Bengt Danielsson (Principal Investigator, Sweden)

Department of Pure & Applied Biochemistry

Lund University, Sweden

Dr. Sunil Bhand (Principal Investigator, India)

17. Novel biosensor techniques for monitoring heavy metals and pesticides in  coastal waters and sediments. No. 23(0002)/06/EMR-II

Funding Agency: Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), N. Delhi  under  Monitoring Coastal Hazards program”.

Total funding Amount: Rs. 16.5 lakh

Funding period: Dec. 2006- March 2010 (3yrs)

Principal Investigator: Dr. Sunil Bhand, Department of Chemistry

18. Project completed (as Co-Investigator):

Preparation and characterization of Nano- Ferrite Powders and Polybenzoxazine-  Nanoferrite Composite, (ERIP/ER/060/5042/M/01/929)

Funding DRDO, Period: May 2007-March 2010,

Duration: 3 years