IIT (ISM) Dhanbad faculty completes Indo-German research fellowship at University of Stuttgart
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Dhanbad, August 3: Dr. Antarip Poddar, Assistant Professor (Grade I) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the…
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Dhanbad, August 3: Dr. Antarip Poddar, Assistant Professor (Grade I) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, has successfully completed the prestigious Paired Early Career Fellowship in Applied Research (PECFAR) at the University of Stuttgart, Germany.
The month-long fellowship was held from June 15 to July 15, 2026, and marks another significant achievement for Dr. Poddar, who was recently selected for the INAE Young Engineer Award 2026 by the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) in recognition of his contributions to engineering research, innovation and technology development.
Research on magnetic microrollers for biomedical applications
During the fellowship, Dr. Poddar collaborated with Jun.-Prof. Dr. Amirreza Aghakhani at the Microrobotic Biomedical Systems (MBS) Group at the University of Stuttgart.
His research focused on understanding the locomotion of magnetic microrollers in complex environments, with potential applications in advanced biomedical technologies, including targeted drug delivery.
Seminars and research collaboration
As part of the fellowship, Dr. Poddar delivered research seminars at the University of Stuttgart and Technische Universität Darmstadt, highlighting his work in biomedical engineering and active matter dynamics.
He also interacted with leading researchers and visited the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) and Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (Fraunhofer IPA) in Stuttgart to explore future collaborative research opportunities.
Fellowship paves way for long-term Indo-German collaboration
Reflecting on the experience, Dr. Poddar said, “The PECFAR Fellowship provided a unique opportunity to collaborate with internationally renowned researchers and work on cutting-edge problems in microrobotics and biomedical engineering.”
He added, “The fellowship has laid the foundation for joint publications, bilateral research proposals, PhD co-supervision, student exchanges, Indo-German workshops and long-term collaborative research. I look forward to translating these collaborations into impactful scientific outcomes benefiting both institutions.”
The fellowship is expected to strengthen long-term academic and research partnerships between IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and leading research institutions in Germany while promoting collaborative innovation in emerging areas of engineering and biomedical science.


