Fellowship

Fellowship

The CDRI Fellowship Programme empowers researchers to drive innovative, locally anchored solutions for resilient infrastructure.

Through a 12-month seed grant, fellows gain resources to develop scalable, actionable resilience solutions while engaging in peer learning and capacity building initiatives.

By bridging gaps in funding, cross-sector collaboration, and research implementation, the programme helps transformative ideas overcome institutional barriers and achieve meaningful, real-world impact across diverse geographies and development contexts.

Research fellows
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Projects in 26 Countries
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CDRI funding
$ 0

Projects

GIS-Based Landslide Susceptibility Mapping in Afghanistan

Assessing Community Disaster Resilience via Infrastructure Functionality in Bangladesh

Evaluating Cyclone Resilience of Coastal Health Infrastructure in Bangladesh and Japan 

Cyclone Classifier Model for Bottom-up Recovery Uptake in Bangladesh

System Dynamic Model for Urban Climate Resilience in Bhutan

Risk Assessment and Hazard Mapping Power System Infrastructure in Bhutan

Seismic Risk Evaluation of University Buildings in Bhutan

Disaster Resilient Building Construction Practices in Bhutan 

Landslide Risk Mapping, Database, and Mobile app for Bhutan

Community-Based Affordable Flood Early Warning System in India

Enhancing Disaster Resilience of India’s Undersea Cables in India

Assessing Geothermal Pavements Using Stabilized C&D Waste in India

Reducing Disaster Fatalities via District Amateur Radio in India

ML-Based Unified Seismic Vulnerability Prediction Model for Heritage Minarets in India

Building Mountain Disaster Resilience via Multi-Stakeholder Networks in India

DeepINDRA: Leveraging AI and Citizen Science for Flood Resilience in India

Regional Road Network Resilience Using Landslide Susceptibility Model in India

AquaWise: Decision Support Tool for School Water Management in India

Disaster Resilience through Innovative Fog Monitoring & Forecasting in India

Incorporating Infrastructure Resilience into Port-led Development in India

Flood Resilient Hydraulic Design of Bridges Exposed to Climate Change in India

Building Community Resilience to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in India

Feasibility Study for Agri-Voltaic Energy Security in India

Drought Early Warning and Forecast Tool for Arid Regions in India

Disaster-based Financial Decision Framework Using Machine Learning in India

Modeling Impacts on Food Security from Debris Flows in India

Comprehensive Heat Risk Framework for Elderly Commuters in Jodhpur, India

Flood Resilient Floating Community Housing in India

Thermal Stress Testing of Residential Buildings Using Weather Data in India

Inventory of High-Altitude Himalayan Wetlands for Disaster Risk Reduction in India

Monitoring Drought Plans through Social Audit Framework in India

Resilient Infrastructure Planning for Fragile Wetlands System in India

Enhancing Bridge Resilience Amid Climate Change in India

Building Inclusive Disaster Resilience for Persons with Disabilities in India

Innovative Structural Protection for Multi-Hazard Resilient Communities in India

Risk-Informed School Evaluation Tool in India

Seismic Risk Assessment for Hilly Region Infrastructure ​​in India

Real-Time Bridge Scour Detection for Structural Safety in Japan

Evaluating Bridge Network Resilience Using Socio-Technical Attributes in Japan

Strong Motion Shake Map Application for Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia

Designing Solar Battery Infrastructure for Mountain Resilience in Nepal

Ripple Effect of Power Outages on Hospitals in Nepal  

Framework for Landslide-Prone Critical Infrastructure Zoning in Nepal

Urban Cooling: Green Spaces and Water Bodies’ Effectiveness in Nepal

Smartphone-Based Open-Source Flood Discharge Monitoring in Nepal

Managing Landslides and Road Construction in Hilly Region of Nepal 

Fibre Sensor Network for Early Road Collapse Detection in Sri Lanka

Multi-Hazard Risk Indexing of Coastal Critic in Thailand

Earthquake Resilience of Healthcare Facilities in Kocaeli Region in Turkiye

Resilient Infrastructure Planning for GLOF-Prone Western Himalayas

Flood Resilience Decision Toolkit for Coastal Critical Infrastructure 

Seismic Resilience of Social and Critical Infrastructure 

Self-Powered and Self-Conscious Kinetic Façade  

BRACE: Building Resilience of Aging Coastal Bridges to Earthquakes 

Optimizing Coastal Barriers with Crushable Granular Materials  

Wildfire Mitigation in Mountains Using Pine-Based Bio-Composite 

Digital Twin for Multi-Hazard Coastal Infrastructure Resilience

Wildfire Vulnerability Assessment of Indian Built Infrastructure

Evaluating Mangrove Restoration Impact on Coastal Resilience  

Inception of a Global Tsunami Evacuation Model Inception of a Global Tsunami Evacuation Model  

Wastewater Mapping and Wetland Siting for Urban Cooling  

Enhancing Thermal Resilience via Energy-Efficient Home Retrofits  

Sectoral Flood Mapping for Climate Adaptation in Vietnam  

Resources

Aishwarya Pillai

Lead Specialist

Alpana heads institutional partnerships, governance, and resource mobilization at CDRI, advancing cross-sector collaborations that drive resilient infrastructure programming across Member Countries and organizations. With over 25 years of experience spanning international development, global health, and the non-profit sector, she brings deep expertise in fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and delivering strategic change. 

At CDRI, Alpana has been pivotal in forging strategic alliances with governments, international organizations, and philanthropies. She also plays a key role in fortifying institutional systems and board governance mechanisms as the Coalition transitions into an international organization. 

Before joining CDRI, Alpana held senior leadership roles at The George Institute for Global Health, Plan India, WaterAid India, and SOS Children’s Villages, leading institutional fundraising and cultivating strategic partnerships for social impact. 

She holds a Master’s in Finance & Control from Aligarh Muslim University and completed Executive Education at Harvard Business School (CSR India). Her work is driven by a commitment to building enduring, values-based partnerships that accelerate sustainable development outcomes. 

Alpana Saha

Director, Partnerships, Governance, and Resource Mobilisation 

Alpana heads institutional partnerships, governance, and resource mobilization at CDRI, advancing cross-sector collaborations that drive resilient infrastructure programming across Member Countries and organizations. With over 25 years of experience spanning international development, global health, and the non-profit sector, she brings deep expertise in fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and delivering strategic change. 

At CDRI, Alpana has been pivotal in forging strategic alliances with governments, international organizations, and philanthropies. She also plays a key role in fortifying institutional systems and board governance mechanisms as the Coalition transitions into an international organization. 

Before joining CDRI, Alpana held senior leadership roles at The George Institute for Global Health, Plan India, WaterAid India, and SOS Children’s Villages, leading institutional fundraising and cultivating strategic partnerships for social impact. 

She holds a Master’s in Finance & Control from Aligarh Muslim University and completed Executive Education at Harvard Business School (CSR India). Her work is driven by a commitment to building enduring, values-based partnerships that accelerate sustainable development outcomes.