Drs. Amit Awasthi and Sweety Samal have been awarded the Intensification of Research in High Priority Area (IRHPA)-SERB grant funded by Department of Science and Technology to support COVID-19 anti-viral research. This is a collaborative project with The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), THSTI and Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai. The project has been awarded for 3 years till 2023. THSTI will support in conducting animal studies both in mice and hamsters in screening and identification of promising COVID-19 antiviral drugs.