Each semester, the Mittal Institute offers grants to Harvard students to further their research, language study, or internship opportunities. For summer 2025, 12 students received funding to pursue projects across five countries. Their work spans a wide range of topics, from examining antibiotic access in India, to studying death and dying in Tibetan Buddhism, to immersing themselves in the languages of Pashto, Sanskrit, and Tamil.
Below is an overview of the winners — stay tuned during the fall semester when we hear more about what they learned.
Summer 2025 Grant Winners
Research Grants
Muhammad Adil Ahsan
PhD in Public Policy candidate, Harvard Griffin GSAS, 2027
Doctor’s Orders vs Divine Wisdom (Pakistan)
Leren Gao
PhD candidate, Harvard Divinity School, 2029
Death and Dying in Tibetan Buddhism: Pre-dissertation Research in Nepal and Bhutan (Nepal/Bhutan)
Abhinav Ghosh
PhD candidate, Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2026
Back to Basics? Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Reforms in India (India)
Elizabeth Karron
PhD candidate, History of Science Department, Harvard University, 2030
Access to Antibiotics in India: Domestic Government Initiatives and Multinational Business Influence (India)
Nikhil Kumar
PhD candidate in Public Policy, Harvard Griffin GSAS, 2028
Digital Platforms, Informal Intermediaries and Temporary Rural-Urban Migration in India (India)
Jōsh Mysoré
Social Studies and Computer Science candidate, Harvard College, 2026
Cyber Ghar: Digital Spaces and the Indian Diaspora from Mauritius to America (India)
Vaishnavi Patil
PhD candidate, Department of Art + Architecture, Harvard University, 2025
Imaging Motherhood: Evolution of the “Mother-Child” Image in South Asia, 1st-8th Century CE (India/Nepal/Bhutan)
Language Grants
Sri Sathvik Rayala
Master of Theological Studies, HDS, 2026
Intermediate Tamil Course Needed for Graduate Research and Curricular Training (USA)
Nishtha Shah
Harvard College, 2028
Intensive Sanskrit Study in Pune by American Institute of Indian Studies (India)
John Weaver
Harvard College, 2026
Summer Sanskrit Program by American Institute of Indian Studies (India)
Wafa Zaka
PhD candidate, Department of History, Harvard University, 2030
Pashto Language Study for Research on Migration and Colonial Legacies in the North-West Frontier (USA)