Sunil Kumar and Sumati Murli Fellowship Announcement

The Gupta-Klinsky India Institute (GKII) at Johns Hopkins University is pleased to announce the first edition of its annual GKII Sunil Kumar and Sumati Murli Fellowship, established in honor of former JHU Provost Dr. Sunil Kumar and Dr. Sumati Murli.

This merit-based award provides two $8,000 grants to JHU PhD students from any school or division to support innovative research projects that foster collaboration between Johns Hopkins University and Indian partners. It is our goal to deepen the university’s engagement with India and promote academic excellence in both countries. The first round of applications is open now, and the deadline to apply is Dec. 16, 2024.

“This fellowship is a mechanism for GKII to facilitate cutting-edge research and skill development in students,” former JHU Provost Dr. Sunil Kumar and Sumati Murli jointly said. “It also has the added goal of increasing international collaboration to further strengthen the incredible local partnerships we have developed.”

The award was announced in March 2022 to honor Dr. Kumar’s outstanding leadership and contributions, and those of Dr. Sumati Murli. GKII is grateful for Dr. Kumar’s strategic guidance and support during its founding years and his tireless dedication to the JHU community.  

Dr. Sunil Kumar is currently the president of Tufts University and assumed office on July 1, 2023. He is the 14th president of Tufts and the first person of color to hold the office. He also serves as a tenured professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Tufts University’s School of Engineering. Prior to Tufts, Kumar served as the 15th provost of Johns Hopkins University from 2016-2023 and as Dean of the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, as well as the George Pratt Shultz Professor of Operations Management from 2011-2016.

Dr. Sumati Murli is the Director for Clinical Research Administration in the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (SKCCC) in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Murli holds a PhD in Biology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has extensive experience in cancer research and drug development, in both academic and biopharmaceutical environments. Dr. Murli oversees clinical research operations in the SKCCC and is well versed in the processes of large non-profit research institutions.