(Sci-ROI) is a US based volunteer run, non-profit organization. Sci-ROI was initiated by post-doc Sri Ram and Professor Aseem Z. Ansari of the University of Wisconsin-Madison under the ambit of WINStep Forward– a nonprofit that promotes scientific and technological exchange between India and the U.S. They planned to formalize an organization which could serve as a platform that would keep graduate students, postdocs and early career scientists aware of the recent developments in the research and entrepreneurial environment in India.
Sci-ROI was officially launched by then Consul General of India Dr. Ausaf Sayeed and WINStep Forward at the Consulate General of India, Chicago in May 2015, with high ranking members of Indian government and leading U.S. and India policy makers addressing Sci-ROI’s first inaugural gathering. Speakers included Prof. T. K. Chandrashekar, Secretary, Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB), Govt. of India and Dr. Rajiv Sharma, Executive Director, Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF). Sci-ROI launched its first annual, multidisciplinary Young Investigators Meeting – Chicago (YIM-C 2016) in September 2016. The conference was co-hosted by The University of Chicago, and was co-mentored by Professor Aseem Z. Ansari and Professor L. S. Shashidhara (Vice President, Indian National Science Academy).
In recent years, the Government of India has put special emphasis on education by increasing the number of its Science and Technology institutions, such as IITs and IISERs. These government initiatives have provided immense employment opportunities and avenues to establish new education and entrepreneurial ventures in India. However, many young Indian scientist and entrepreneurs in the USA lack awareness on such emerging opportunities. Through meetings such as Young Investigators Meeting, participants get an opportunity to expand their knowledge on employment opportunities in the diverse areas of academia, government and industry through engaging with peers, delegates of Indian government/institutions and senior Indian/US leaders.
