Department of Physics Academics Secure Prestigious UGC Research Grants for 2026

The Department of Physics at the University of Jaffna is proud to announce that three of its senior academic staff members Prof. K. Vignarooban, Prof. M. Thanihaichelvan, and Snr Prof. Punniamoorthy Ravirajan—have been awarded the University Grants Commission (UGC) Research Grants for the year 2026.

In an outstanding testament to the research caliber of the Faculty of Science, all five UGC research grants awarded to the University of Jaffna for 2026 were secured by faculty members within the science discipline, with the Department of Physics claiming three of these competitive national grants.

This achievement underscores the department’s leadership in tackling critical national and global challenges through cutting-edge innovation—spanning sustainable energy storage, machine learning-driven biosensing, and novel hydrovoltaic power generation.

Awarded Research Projects & Principal Investigators

  • Prof. Kandasamy Vignarooban

    “Design of polymer electrolytes based on Sri Lankan natural resins for next generation energy storage devices”

    Focusing on green energy solutions, this project explores the utilization of local natural resins to engineer high-performance, sustainable polymer electrolytes for next-generation battery and energy storage technologies.

  • Prof. M. Thanihaichelvan

    “Deconvoluting Electronic Properties in Liquid-Gated CNT Network FETs via Machine Learning for Biosensing Applications”

    Bridging solid-state physics and data science, this research integrates machine learning algorithms with carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (FETs) to enhance resolution and sensitivity in liquid-gated biosensors.

  • Prof. Punniamoorthy Ravirajan

    “Non-Carbon Nanomaterials for Stable Hydrovoltaic Power Generation – Property Relationships and Application to Sri Lankan Water Source”

The Department of Physics Extends its warmest congratulations to Prof. K. Vignarooban, Prof. M. Thanihaichelvan and Prof. P. Ravirajan on receiving these well-deserved grants. Together, these project grants will bolster our research infrastructure, support postgraduate training, and reinforce the Department of Physics as a core hub for pioneer scientific inquiry in Sri Lanka.