SME Ph.D.

Fellowship Grant
Guidelines and Selection Criteria

Overview The SME Ph.D. Fellowship Grant (the “Fellowship”) is intended to provide financial
support to qualified candidates with professional experience, and a desire to pursue an
academic career, with the means of acquiring a doctoral degree in the field of Mining or
Extractive Metallurgy/Mineral Processing (EM/MP) at a U.S. accredited university.
Fellowship payment is made directly to the student.

Grants receiving complete funding from an individual, company or organization in any

given year(s) may qualify for “naming rights” recognizing the individual, company or
organization as the Grant underwriter.

Timeline The Fellowship adheres to the following timeline:

Date Task
Dec. 1, 2018-Jan. 31, 2019 Applications accepted
February 1 Selection Committee begins review of applications
March/April 15 Interviews are conducted for top candidates
May 15 Final approval from SME & SMEF Boards
June 1 Fellowship awardees announced
August 15 First disbursement of Fellowship funds
SME Annual Conference Recipient(s) recognized at various SME functions

Qualifications Fellowship applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. The Fellowship is strictly limited to graduate students who are currently enrolled
or have been formally admitted in a U.S. academic institution and are/will be
majoring in a Ph.D. or D. Engr. degree granting program with emphasis in Mining
Engineering or EM/MP.
2. Must be a full-time graduate student during the duration of the Fellowship and
demonstrate satisfactory progress towards degree completion with the intent of
accepting a tenure-track academic position with emphasis in Mining Engineering
or EM/MP.
3. Must be enrolled in degree granting program that requires an in-residence,
doctoral-level research experience.
4. Candidates currently enrolled in a doctoral degree program must be in good
academic standing, as defined by their university, at the time their application is
submitted.
5. Applicants must sign a nonbinding declaration that he/she understands that the
Fellowship is intended to support a candidate who is committed to pursuing a
professional career as a tenure-track Assistant or Associate Professor as stated
above.
6. Both international and U.S. citizens are eligible to apply for the Fellowship.
7. Must be an SME member in good standing.
Page 2

Application Interested candidates will submit the following information:

Requirements o General application form (last part of this document)
o Curriculum vitae
o Proof of graduate enrollment
o Official academic transcript(s) in English (scanned copies are acceptable)
o 3 letters of recommendation (including one from the student’s academic
advisor). Such letters should reference previous academic performance and
professional experience.
o Proof of visa status (if applicable)
Candidate’s packet of information may be submitted to:
SME Academic Grant Program
12999 E. Adam Aircraft Circle
Englewood, CO 80112-4167
-or-
scan all documents (8.5 x 11) and email to:
[email protected]

Recipient The Grant Selection Committee will conduct: (1) a review of applications, and (2) a
Selection formal interview of the top candidates. Once the final candidates have been selected,
their names will be submitted to the SME Board of Directors and the SME Foundation
Board of Trustees for final approval. Results of review and rankings are strictly
confidential and will not be released.

Award The Ph.D. Fellowship is intended to cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and other
school related expenses, as well as a stipend for living expenses, at a rate of $60,000 per
year for a maximum of 4 years. Successive grant years are not automatically renewed;
awardees wishing to continue the Grant for successive years must submit a written
statement of intent along with their annual report by June 1. The annual report and
statement of intent will be reviewed by the Committee; the recipient’s eligibility to
continue will be verified and conveyed to the recipient. The intent of the Grant is to
provide the recipient with support towards achieving a Ph.D. and securing a faculty
placement. The Fellowship Grant is not extendable beyond the recipient’s graduation
and earning of a Ph.D., thereby fulfilling the mission and intent of the Grant.

Recipient At the conclusion of each academic year, the awardee will submit an annual report that
Obligations summarizes the following activities from the preceding year:
o Courses taken (along with credit hours and grades earned).
o Statement of research and scholarly activities (publications and
presentations).
o Statement of teaching activities.
o Major accomplishments, awards and milestones.
o Letter of intent to continue with the next year of the program.

Questions Questions regarding the SME Ph.D. Fellowship may be directed via email to
[email protected].
 SOCIETY FOR MINING, METALLURGY & EXPLORATION INC.
Ph.D. Fellowship Program
Guidelines and Selection Criteria

In accordance with its tactical mission, the SME Education Sustainability Committee (ESC) has sought to identify
the prominent challenges threatening the long-term viability of U.S. academic programs offering degrees which
emphasize Mining and Mineral Processing/Extractive Metallurgy, as well as formulate meaningful, actionable
recommendations to mitigate these challenges. One of the paramount issues of immediate concern is the
absence of a viable means (pipeline) to address the current number of faculty vacancies and the looming labor
deficiencies associated with retirements over the next decade.

The challenges associated with faculty scarcity is cumulative and extends from recruiting appropriate candidates
with a desire for pursuing a career in academia and the ability to successfully complete a Ph.D. degree, through
the tenuous process of achieving tenure at a given academic program. To address this threat, SME and the SME
Foundation are supporting a two-fold initiative: (1) the development of a 4-year graduate fellowship for
qualified Ph.D. students who are committed to pursuing careers in academia and (2) the awarding of Career
Development Grants intended to assist new faculty in establishing research and publication records necessary to
achieve tenure and promotion.

This document provides an overview of the program guidelines and selection criteria for the SME Ph.D.
Fellowship program:

Program Structure
This program is intended to provide financial support to qualified candidates with professional experience, and a
desire to pursue an academic career, with the means of acquiring a doctoral degree in the field of Mining or
Extractive Metallurgy/Mineral Processing (EM/MP) at a U.S. accredited university. The SME Ph.D. Fellowship
(the “Fellowship”) is intended to cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and other school related expenses, as
well as a stipend for living expenses, at a rate of $60,000 per year for a maximum of 4 years. However,
successive grant years are not automatically renewed.

Ultimately, the success of the Fellowship program will be measured by the number of doctoral students that
succeed in finishing their degree programs, accept tenure-track academic positions at institutions with
accredited mining or EM/MP engineering programs, and achieve tenure. While this is a long-term metric,
specific stages of the program will be assessed annually, including the academic performance of Fellowship
recipients, graduation rates relative to the time required for degree completion, and successful employment in
an academic department.

Eligibility Guidelines
 The designated name of the award is the “SME Ph.D. Fellowship”.
 The Fellowship is strictly limited to graduate students who are currently enrolled or have been formally
accepted in a U.S. academic institution and are/will be majoring in a Ph.D. or D. Engr. degree granting
program with emphasis in Mining Engineering or EM/MP.
 Applicants must be a full-time graduate student during the duration of the Fellowship and demonstrate
satisfactory progress towards degree completion. The term “full-time” and “satisfactory progress” will be
defined by the policies of their academic institution and annually verified and approved by SME.
 In addition, all applicants must be enrolled in degree granting program that require an in-residence,
doctoral-level research experience in order to be deemed eligible. This requirement will effectively prohibit
doctoral students who seek to earn their degrees on-line from qualifying for the Fellowship.
 Candidates currently enrolled in a doctoral degree program must be in good academic standing, as defined
by their university, at the time their application is submitted.
 As part of the application process, potential applicants must sign a nonbinding declaration that he/she
understands that the Fellowship is intended to support a candidate who is committed to pursuing a
professional career as a tenure-track Assistant or Associate Professor at a U.S. academia institution with
 accredited undergraduate degrees programs with emphasis in either mining engineering or EM/MP. This
declaration does not, in any way, establish a legal obligation for the Fellowship recipient but is merely
intended to clearly emphasize the program objectives.
 Both international and U.S. citizens are eligible to apply for the Fellowship. Responsibility for compliance
with visa and immigration regulations regarding the ability to legally study and work in the U.S. is solely that
of the Fellowship recipient. Proof of a valid student visa will be required for international students as part of
the application process.
 Women and under-represented minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.
 Despite the program’s objectives, SME is not responsible for the placement of Fellowship recipients upon
the completion of their degree nor does SME in any way guarantee employment in an academic position
upon graduation.
 The Fellowship is awarded entirely at the discretion of SME and the availability of funding. This includes any
implied obligations associated with the continuation of Fellowship awards after the first year; successive
grant years are not automatically renewed.

Recipient Obligations
 Fellowship recipients must remain in good academic standing and make satisfactory progress towards the
completion of their degree, as defined by the policies of their University for a full-time graduate student.
 At the conclusion of each academic year, each awardee will submit an annual report by June 1st that
summarizes the following activities from the preceding year:
o Courses taken (along with credit hours and grades earned).
o Statement of research and scholarly activities (publications and presentations).
o Statement of teaching activities.
o Major accomplishments, awards, and milestones.
o Letter of intent to continue with the next year of the program.
 At the conclusion of each academic period (either semester or quarter), the student must also submit
documentation to SME that shows academic performance for that period before the allocation of funds for
the next proceeding period.
 For awardees wishing to continue the Fellowship in Years 2 through 4, a written statement of intent is
required to be submitted to SME no later than June 1. This document provides confirmation that the
student intends to continue their participation in the Fellowship program for the next 12-month period. As
noted previously, continued funding after the first year shall be entirely at the discretion of SME. The
Fellowship Grant is not extendable beyond the recipient’s graduation and earning of a Ph.D., thereby
fulfilling the mission and intent of the Grant.
 Successive grant years are not automatically renewed; awardees wishing to continue the Grant for
successive years must submit a written statement of intent along with their annual report by June 1 (see
above). The annual report and statement of intent will be reviewed by the Committee; the recipient’s
eligibility to continue will be verified and conveyed to the recipient. The intent of the Grant is to provide the
recipient with support towards achieving a Ph.D. and securing a faculty placement. It is emphasized that the
Fellowship Grant is not extendable beyond the recipient’s graduation and earning of a Ph.D.
 In the event a Fellowship recipient fails to maintain good academic standing or achieve satisfactory progress
in a given academic period (semester or quarter), a one semester/quarter grace period will be automatically
given to rectify the situation. If the student’s performance is still unsatisfactory at the conclusion of the
grace period, the Fellowship will be forfeited. The student may appeal this forfeiture to the SME Fellowship
& Career Development Grant Selection Committee (the “Committee”) which may extend the grace period by
another semester/quarter if the Committee believes it is warranted. The Committee’s decision of whether
to extend this additional grace period is final.
 In the event a Fellowship recipient goes on and off academic probation repeatedly, each grace period will be
viewed as an independent event as long as the student is making satisfactory progress towards degree
completion in the opinion of the Committee.
 Regardless of the reason, if a Fellowship recipient withdraws from the program or forfeits the Fellowship
because of performance, the Fellowship will be offered to another qualified applicant during the next
funding cycle.
 Each Fellowship recipient must be a member of SME and is strongly encouraged to attend the SME Annual
Meeting and participate in the Foundation Dinner, Trustees meeting, and the Educators Forum. Recipients
will be strongly encouraged to also participate in conference programming and become involved in
professional activities and service.

Fellowship Disbursement
 As with other SME student scholarships, the Fellowship will be disbursed directly to the recipient in order to
mitigate restrictions on how these funds are used and the imposition of administrative fees levied by a
university. As structured, no administrative fees will be allocated from the Fellowship to the student’s home
department or university.
 Fellowship funds will be disbursed in equal amounts prior to the beginning of each academic period (twice
per year for University programs on a semester schedule and three times per year for those on a quarterly
schedule).
 For continuing Fellowship recipients (graduate recipients rolling from one year to the next), confirmation of
academic standing and compliance with the terms of the Fellowship will need to be performed prior to the
disbursement of funds in subsequent academic periods.
 While the Fellowship is intended to cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and other school-related expenses,
the individual financial needs and circumstances of graduate students vary widely. As such, a given recipient
may use these funds for living expenses, insurance, research, child care, and “other expenses that are not
directly required for enrollment”. By Federal regulation, these latter expenses may be considered as non-
qualifying and subject to federal tax. It will be the responsibility of the Fellowship recipients to comply with
these IRS regulations and seek professional assistance if necessary. Under no circumstances shall SME or the
SME Foundation assume any tax liabilities that stem from the awarding of these Fellowships. Whenever
possible, SME will provide information to Fellowship recipients on the potential tax ramifications incurred as
a consequence of accepting the grant (IRS Publication 970) but will not assume any substantive role or
responsibility for this tax liability.
 As previously outlined, SME reserves the right to reduce or eliminate the financial allotment associated with
each Fellowship for any reason, including insufficient resources to fund the Fellowship obligations.

Application Process
 Notice about the Fellowship will be distributed through Mining Engineering magazine, SME eNews, email
correspondence, the SME website, and other appropriate social media.
 Interested candidates will submit a hard-copy application package through the mail, or a digital copy via
email, that includes the following information:
o General Application Form.
o Curriculum Vitae.
o Proof of Graduate Enrollment.
o Official academic transcript(s) in English (scanned copies are acceptable).
o 3 Letters of Recommendation (including one from the student’s academic advisor). Such letters
should reference previous academic performance and professional experience.
o Proof of Visa Status (if applicable).
 SME and the Selection Committee reserve the right to request additional information from applicants as
needed.
 The selection process is comprised of two fundamental stages; (1) committee review of applications, and (2)
a formal interview of the top candidates. Once the final candidates have been selected, their names will be
submitted to the SME Board of Directors and the SME Foundation Board of Trustees for final approval.
 Fellowship finalists will be subject to routine background and credit checks.
 Candidate selection will be performed by a simple majority vote of all participating members. In the event
of a tie, the SME Foundation President will serve as the tie-breaker. The results of this voting process will be
held in strictest confidence.
 The specific criteria used in the selection process will include but is not limited to the candidate’s previous
academic performance, professional experience, research/teaching interests and experience, potential to
graduate, career interests/ambitions, and reputation.
 While it is imperative for the success of the program that the Fellowships are awarded to the best available
candidates, the Committee will be cognizant of the distribution of awards between the two academic
emphasis areas (Mining Engineering and EM/MP) and strive for an equitable balance between them.
 In the event that the Committee believes that the applicant pool does not possess one or more viable
candidates, any given Fellowship can be withheld and not awarded in a given year.
 Verification of enrollment and other pertinent information for each of the Fellowship finalists will be
performed by SME Staff.
 The selection process will be confidential.

Application Schedule
The application acceptance period will open December 1, 2018 and close January 31, 2019.

 Dec 1: Fellowship advertisement is released via the SME website, social media, electronic media,
Mining Engineering, and email notifications to academic departments and student chapters.
 Jan 31: SME Fellowship & Career Grant Selection Committee begins review of applications.
 March/April 15: Interviews are conducted for top candidates.
 May 15: Final approval from SME and SME Foundation Boards.
 June 1: Fellowship Grant awardees are announced.
 August 15: First disbursement of Fellowship funds.

Questions
All communications and/or questions regarding the SME Ph.D. Fellowship Grant may be directed via email to
[email protected].
 SME PhD Fellowship Grant
General Information Form
Note: Completed form should be submitted as a PDF.
Responses to questions are restricted to the size of the field. Please keep your responses to an acceptable
amount so that the font size does not become so small that it is not legible.

Section I. General Information:

Personal Information
Legal Name: Adhikari Akash Date of Birth: 07/17/1986
Family/Last/Surname First Middle

Gender: Male  Female 

U.S. Academic Institution of Education: South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Department: Mining Engineering and Management
Advisor Contact Information: Dr. Purushotham Tukkaraja
Department Head Name, Phone, email : Dr. Lance Roberts, 605-394-1973, [email protected]

Are you currently enrolled in a PhD program? Yes  No

If No, are you admitted into a PhD program? Yes  No If so, when is the intended starting point: Fall ______ or Spring______

Contact Information
Cell phone: 412-330-8048 Office phone: Fax:
Email: [email protected]
Address: 14 E Quincy St., Apt 2
City: Rapid City State: SD Zip: 57701

Education
# Degree: Institution/University: GPA Date: (mm/yyyy)
1 PhD South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Present
2 MS University of Pittsburgh 3.97 08/2016
3 BS South Dakota School of Mines and Technology 3.56 08/2011
Note - Add rows as needed
Professional Experience / Appointments
# From: To: Company/Institution/University: Title:
(mm/yyyy) (mm/yyyy)
1 08/2018 Present South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Graduate Research Assistant
2 11/2012 12/2014 Kiewit Corporation Mine Engineer
3 09/2011 11/2012 Golder Associates Mine Engineer
Note - Add rows as needed
Residency
 U.S. Citizens – In which state do you currently hold legal residency status:
Do you hold dual citizenship in another country? No Yes If yes, which country?
Passport Number (if applicable):

 U.S. Permanent Residents – Country of Citizenship:

Alien Registration Number: Date of Issue: Date of Expiration:


■ International Applicants – Country of Citizenship: Nepal

Passport Number: 08541333 Date of Issue: 02/24/2015 Date of Expiration: 02/23/2025

SME PhD Fellowship Grant Application Form

Academic Standing
For current PhD Students: How long have you been in the current institution: _____________________________
6 months
Number of credit hours completed: _______________________________________________________________
What is your status of progress towards your degree:
 Just started
 Completed qualifying exam, outcomes:
I started my PhD program at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Mining
Engineering in August 2018.

 Completed comprehensive exam (thesis proposal defense), outcomes:

 Thesis proposal approved (all but defense), outcomes: __________________________________________

How long before you can defend your thesis/dissertation: ______ Years ______ Months

Do you feel you have sufficient mentorship towards your thesis: Yes  No  Not sure 

Do you have financial support: Yes  No  (Note: Answering Yes does NOT disqualify the applicant)

For prospective PhD Applicants: Do you have admission for PhD program: Yes  No 

If No, You are not qualified to pursue this Fellowship.

If Yes, please provide the details of the advisor, program/degree, and institution if different than above.

Page | 2
SME PhD Fellowship Grant Application Form

What are your most critical challenges?

The primary objective of my dissertation work is to develop a UAV-based sensing system to monitor underground atmospheric
conditions. After the successful test of the UAV system, our target would be to develop a product for commercial use in the mining
industry. However, such developed products have to be approved by MSHA before they are implemented in the real-world
conditions. While a MSHA-approved permissible product is the ultimate goal, it would be difficult to achieve that standard at this
stage.
The perceived challenges in the project are identified first, followed by potential solutions.
(1) Challenge#1: Metal and Nonmetal mine considerations
Solution: In metal mines, the use of a UAV-based sensing system will be given less emphasis because of its relatively better
atmospheric conditions (less explosive gases and pollutants are produced) in comparison to coal mines. However, the feasibility and
prototype testing are relatively easier in metal mines as it is harder to get a permission to conduct such studies in coal mines
because of the presence of relative explosive environment.
(2) Challenge#2: UAV navigation under GPS-denied environment
Solution: Our team will leverage the previous work conducted by faculty at SDSMT on collaborative localization and mapping using
visual fiduciaries and adapt this system to single UAV solutions operating in GPS-denied environments. With the combination of
Markov decision processes, deep learning, and CLAM successful drone operation within an unstructured and GPS-denied
environment will be achieved.
(3) Challenge#3: Custom design of appropriate lightweight sensors
Solution: Portable and lightweight lasers and detectors will be used in the development of optical sensors. A Diode pumped pulsed
laser will be used because of lightweight (~290 grams) and sufficient laser energy for a Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
(LIBS) based sensor. The LIBS system will be able to provide multi-element measurement in near-real time. For the Raman system,
a single-mode diode laser will be used to achieve a compact and cost-effective approach for molecular detection of aerosol,
particulate matter, and gases. Multiple diode lasers will be tested in the lab and then optimized based on the gases and chemicals of
interest. The diode laser will also be used for absorption measurements as well.
(4) Challenge#4: Real-time data (image/video) acquisition.
Solution: With the influx and interest in collecting and processing massive data streams (generally, video and image streams) over
the last several years, the market has been flooded with low-cost solutions to massively parallel computational platforms with
low-power and weight demands (e.g., Nvidia Jetson’s). The investigative team will integrate existing solutions using GPU and CPU
processing capabilities with low-cost solutions to ensure video/image acquisition is capable of real-time performance.

What are your short term career objectives?

I have started PhD program at SD School of Mines in Fall 2018. I took two courses;
Developing & Planning Research, and Seminar. These classes involved writing proposal on
a research topic and presenting and discussing graduate research work with faculty and
students. These classes were extremely helpful to develop and refine my proposal writing
abilities. By the end of February 2019, I plan to finish writing a detailed proposal that will be
submitted to the Alpha Foundation in March 2019. Currently, I am taking Advanced Mine
Ventilation and Environmental Engineering and Advanced Explosives & Blasting courses.
These classes will help me prepare for PhD qualifying exam that I plan on taking in the
summer of 2019. By the end of August 2019, I plan on submitting two conference papers,
first related with the flow of toxic fumes in underground mines and second, related with the
use of UAVs in underground mines to detect pollutants present in the underground
atmosphere.
I am actively involved in Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME), International
Society of Explosives Engineers (ISEE), Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), and
Innovation Club for Entrepreneurs (ICE) student organizations at SD School of Mines. I am
excited about participating in NASA Robotics Mining Competition which will be held in
Kennedy Space Center from May 6-10 in Florida. I will also be presenting my research
related with flow of toxic fumes at the Best in the West Drill & Blast Conference on April 25,
2019. Lastly, I believe that staying fit and healthy is paramount to be successful during my
graduate studies. I will continue to exercise and eat healthy every day to remain at my best
health.

Page | 3
SME PhD Fellowship Grant Application Form

What are your long term career objectives?

I am fully dedicated to achieving my goal to get a PhD degree in Mining Engineering from
SD School of Mines. I have selected my major advisor, Dr. Purushotham Tukkaraja, and
have started developing and writing proposals to secure funding for my research. My
research topic will be "Applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Underground
Atmospheric Monitoring." I plan on publishing about 5 papers by the end of 2020 and
finishing my PhD by the end of 2021.
My long-term goal is to become a tenured Professor. After graduating with a PhD degree
from SD School of Mines, I plan to pursue a job as a lecturer to gain experience in
teaching. During this time, I will expand my understanding on the best ways to teach
students. As I get more experience, I will develop my style of teaching and teaching
philosophy. As a professor, my goal would be to educate the next generation of engineers
and leaders in the mining industry.

What are the motivating factors that are encouraging you to seek a career in academia?
I enjoy the academic environment, the freedom to choose your research area and the
combination of lab and office work. I enjoy refining my technical and soft skills. Currently, I
am learning to write scientific proposals and papers. The project that I am involved in
focuses on cutting-edge research. After working on it for 3 to 4 years, I believe I will
become an expert in the area of utilizing new and developing technologies in underground
environmental monitoring. I understand that getting a PhD will be tough and frustrating at
times, but the ultimate satisfaction of becoming an expert in the subject matter and
contributing to new developments in the mining industry is of prime importance to me.

Do you have a good feel on the general requirements necessary to achieve tenure as an Assistant/Associate
Professor? Yes  No 

Page | 4
SME PhD Fellowship Grant Application Form

Section II. Teaching:

Have you ever taught or were you a TA for a course? Yes  No  If Yes, please fill the following table.
Courses Taught:
# Title: University/Dept: Explain the duties:
1 Mine Ventilation-MEM 401 South Dakota School of Mines/ Mining Engineering & Mgmt Guest lecturer in absence of the faculty, Organized a field trip to SURF lab

Please explain your teaching philosophy:

The quote from Albert Einstein, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well
enough.” is the philosophy I live by. Great teachers have the ability to break down complex
topics into understandable concepts. They have extensive knowledge on the topics they teach.
And they are capable of answering questions with an in-depth understanding of a subject
matter. I believe using real-life examples help in understanding new concepts.
Since every person learns in their own unique way, multiple methods should be used so that
no one is left behind. Not only teachers but students should also contribute in the classroom.
Student participation and interaction should be encouraged. Student participation means that
they are following the subject matter, and by asking questions they will be able to get a better
understanding of the subject matter. Finally, I believe that respecting the students can help
foster the learning process. It encourages them to be open and inspires them to respect each
other.

Page | 5
SME PhD Fellowship Grant Application Form

Section III. Research:

Areas of specialty or research interests:
1) Use of UAVs in Mining
2) Use of Computational fluid dynamics to study the nature of gas flow in Underground Mines
3) Mine Ventilation on Demand

Explain your current research (if started) or your intended research area:
In underground mines, toxic and explosive gases such as Carbon monoxide (CO), Oxides of Nitrogen
(NOx), Oxides of Sulphur (SOx), and Methane (CH4) are regularly monitored to make sure working
conditions for the mine workers are safe. Traditional methods for measuring these gas concentrations
include hand-held devices and laboratory gas testing instruments. These methods are time consuming,
labor intensive, and not available when access to desired area is limited. With the recent developments
in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and sensing technologies, UAV-based sensors have high potential
to collect, analyze, and provide critical safety information to the management and the miners in
real-time. It is anticipated that the UAV based atmospheric monitoring system will be safer, cheaper, and
faster than traditional systems. In this proposed study, the first step is selecting suitable UAV and
sensors, Second, the selected sensors will be mounted on the UAV; and, third, sensor performance will
be tested under laboratory settings to select the best sensors for atmospheric monitoring. The,
developed UAV system will be tested in the underground environment to determine its viability. This
research is aimed to demonstrate whether a UAV based atmospheric monitoring system could be
developed and utilized in underground mines in a cost-effective manner.

Statement of research philosophy:

I believe that research should be conducted ethically. There are several reasons why it is important to
adhere to ethical norms while conducting research. For example, ethical behavior promotes trust,
accountability, and professionalism among researchers. Ethical researchers do not falsify, fabricate or
misrepresent information. I believe that adhering to ethical codes and policies are important because it
holds researchers accountable to the safety and wellbeing of the society.
I have great passion for conducting research in areas related to mine safety. Even though the safety
standards have improved, there are still cases of fatalities and lost time injuries. I believe that we can still
do a lot more to keep miners safe. Humans have tendency to make errors; however, with the use of the
latest technology we can greatly reduce chances of human errors. I plan on using the latest technologies
such as drones, sensors, and SLAM to enhance mine safety.
I am grateful for the opportunity I had to work as an undergraduate researcher while I was getting my BS
degree. At the time, I co-authored a couple peer-reviewed papers. The first one “Isolation and
characterization of cellulose-degrading bacteria from the deep subsurface of the Homestake gold mine,
Lead, South Dakota, USA.” 2009. Cellulose degrading mesophiles and thermophiles; Brevibacillus,
Paenibacillus, Bacillus and Geobacillus were found and further studied for enzyme activities. After several
experiments, we concluded that the enzymes generated from the discovered bacteria has great potential to
degrade cellulosic waste to more usable commodity chemicals like sugars. The second publication is
“Characterization of thermostable cellulases produced by Bacillus and Geobacillus strains.” 2010. For this
paper, we identified eight isolates capable of degrading cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), or
ponderosa pine sawdust. I conducted several experiments with varying the pH, substrate, temperature and
incubation time to find the optimum conditions for the enzymes. The resultant thermostable enzymes
facilitated the conversion of lignocellulose biomass to biofuel, which could have commercial potential.

Page | 6
SME PhD Fellowship Grant Application Form

Section IV. Publications:

Published books or book chapters:

Published peer reviewed journal papers:

Isolation and characterization of cellulose-degrading bacteria from the deep subsurface of the Homestake Gold Mine, Lead, South Dakota, USA. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol, 2009

Characterization of thermostable cellulases produced by Bacillus and Geobacillus strains. Bioresour Technol, 2010

Published conference papers:

Invited presentations:

Other publications (specify the details):

NOTE: If additional space is needed, please mark this box and add the list to the appendix. ADDITIONAL LIST ATTACHED 

Page | 7
SME PhD Fellowship Grant Application Form

Section V. Experience in Mining and Mineral Industry:

Professional history:
Name of the Company: Service Period: F/P1 Responsibilities:
MM/YY To YY/MM
Kiewit Corporation 11/12 To 12/14 F 1. Long/short range mining planning, design, and budgeting. 2. Understand and follow all federal, state, and company health, safety, and environmental require

Golder Associates 09/11 To 11/12 F 1. Evaluation, design and construction of mining and mining related projects in the Western U.S. and elsewhere. 2. Consulting on projects primarily in Western

Wharf Resources 01/10 To 08/10 F 1. Use GPS (Trimble Software) for Mine Surveying (collecting data, uploading and updating mine maps). 2. Use Gemcom Software for Blast pattern design an

Notes: 1. Full time or Part Time

Identified issues in industry that you want to address in your research:

Identified issues:
Data Collection in Underground Mines could be challenging especially if the openings are unsupported, natural or artificial lights and communication infrastructures are not available.

Current technologies are effective in indicating the presence of gases but fail to provide rapid, actionable, and real-time situational awareness of underground environments

Page | 8
SME PhD Fellowship Grant Application Form

Section VI. Service Activities:

Professional society memberships:
Name of the Organization: Service Period: Committees or Assignments:
MM/YY To YY/MM
Society of Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 09/08 to present Active involvement in volunteer activities, Poster presentation at SME conference

International Society of Explosive Engineers 09/18 to present Active involvement at the SDSMT chapter
Society of Petroleum Engineers 08/16 to present Regular volunteer at SDSMT chapter

Outreach activities:
Name of the Organization: Time / Description of Activities:
Duration:
Innovation Club for Entrepreneurs 8/20/2018 to present Presentation on "Engineers make great Entrepreneurs", Active member
Nepalese Student Association 8/15/2016 to 8/20/2017 As a Business Manager-organized monthly meetings, managed finances
International Student Incorporation As a Band leader- managed weekly music practice and performances.
8/28/2006 to 8/26/2011 and 8/20/2018 to present

Other professional or public service activities? Please explain:

While at the Mines during 2006-2011, I was involved in several school activities; for instance, I
served on the School of Mines student senate as an International Representative; where I was
involved in Campus Renovation and Beautification Project. As a Vice-President of Cultural
Expo Committee, I helped organize Cultural Expo Program at mines and hosted the program
as an MC where international students from School of Mines and National American University
participated. As a President of Badminton Club, I helped organize badminton playing
schedules. These activities have helped develop my strong teamwork, communication, and
leadership skills.

Page | 9
SME PhD Fellowship Grant Application Form

Section VII. Planned Activities for the Grant:

What topic(s) you will be working on:
1) Applications of UAVs in Underground Mine for Atmospheric Monitoring
2) Simulation of flow of toxic fumes in underground mines using computational fluid dynamics

Which mining sector will benefit from this study/work (mark all that apply):
 Surface Mining  Underground Mining  Coal  Metal  Industrial Minerals
 Mineral Processing  Health and Safety  Environmental
 Other (specify): ______________________________________________________________________________________
Disaster Response, Exploration of enclosed spaces, natural caves.

Anticipated results or outcomes and benefits to mining industry:

The results of the proposed research will have benefits to society by enhancing underground mine safety. The proposed
UAV system will be capable of real-time collection, analysis and visualization of atmospheric conditions which is vital for
the safe operation of underground mines. Furthermore, unlike traditional methods, the developed UAV system will be
operated from a safe distance. This will help to avoid direct exposure of the mine personnel to the highly toxic and
explosive gases while collecting the gases data. This UAV system could be used in many areas from existing mines,
newly developed mines, abandoned mines, to underground tunnels, and unexplored caves. It is anticipated that
UAV-based atmospheric monitoring system will be safer, cheaper, and faster than traditional systems.
This sensing system would facilitate monitoring atmospheric conditions remotely under both regular and emergency
conditions, also could aid first responders in rescue operations. It leverages several innovative technologies including
sensing technologies, UAVs, Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs), optimization algorithms, machine learning, image
processing, motion planning, and control. It utilizes advanced methods to enhance mine safety and health and to improve
the process of mine rescue operations.
The resulting system is anticipated to achieve the following goals:
• It is able to navigate through underground drifts under GPS-denied environments.
• It is able to map underground drifts and working areas and detect any objects of interest in a rescue operation.
• It is able to measure and assess mine atmospheric conditions, and alert mine officials if any potential risk exists.

Do you anticipate that the SME PhD Fellowship will affect your current status and financial support?  Yes  No
If yes, please specify:

If I get the fellowship, I would not have to worry about how to fund my studies. My research
project is multidisciplinary focused. It is challenging and requires dedication and long hours.
Without SME funding, I need to work other jobs to meet my daily expenses, this limits the amount
of my time spent on the project. I would rather spend my time making progress on the project that
will have an impact on the mining industry.
The fellowship will also help to pay for my travel expenses for conferences, seminars, and
trainings. Attending conferences and seminars would give me an opportunity to meet with
delegates conducting research in my areas of interest. When I attend conferences, I focus on
networking and learning new ideas. Also, with the help of the fellowship, I will be able to pay for
training in areas such as drone, sensing, and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM)
technologies.

Page | 10