• Best Oral Presentation ( second runner-up) for the paper titled " Improved defluoridation and energy production using dimethyl sulfoxide modified carbon cloth as bioanode in microbial desalination cell', authored by Sabarija A M, Sravan Janardhanan, Praveena Gangadharan, and Abdul Rasheed at The 6th International Conference and Postgraduate Colloquium for Environmental Research (POCER). June 9th-11th, 2022 in Langkawi, Malaysia
• Awarded First prize for the paper titled "Characterization of Real-Time Air Quality at Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad Campus", authored by Anju Elizbath Peter, Praveena Gangadharan, Swaroop Sahoo, S.M. Shiva Nagendra, Monish Raj, in 6th Indian International Conference on air quality management (IICAQM). IIT Madras, Chennai, 16-18 December 2015.
• Best Poster Award, for the paper titled “Desalination coupled with wastewater treatment and energy production using Microbial Desalination Cell”, authored by Sabarija A M and Praveena Gangadharan on Research Scholars Day, IIT Palakkad, held on 6th November,2021
• Early career research award (2019), SERB-DST.
• Best Poster Award, for the paper titled “Efficiency in Chromium removal from metal plating industry effluent by Electrodialysis” at the International Conference on Desalination (InDACON-2018), held at NIT, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, India during 20-21 April 2018
• Magudam Award from News 18 Channel , Tamil Nadu, Awarded by the Honorable Vice President of India Mr. Venkaiah Naidu in the year 2017 for the innovation of generating electricity from E-Wastes
• Bhagyalakshmi and Krishna Ayengar Award, Received from Dr. Bhaskar Ramamurthi (Director of IIT M) and Mr. Nandan Nilekani, Co–founder of Infosys and former chairman of UIAD during the 54th convocation held on at IIT Madras for the best Ph.D. project under the category of pollution in the year 2017
• Finalist of Carbon Zero Challenge, organized by the IIT Madras and IWMA with support from U.S. Consulate General, Chennai for the Incubation of Microbial Fuel Cell Technology in the year 2017
• Best Paper Award in the ICESD-2017 conference held at Frankfurt University of Applied Science, Frankfurt, Germany
• Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award in the year 2015, Received from Dr. R.A. Mashelkar (Chairperson, NIF) during the festival of innovations hosted by the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi for inventing E-Waste as electrode in Microbial Fuel Cell for the removal/recovery of wastewater along with energy production
• Best Poster Award in the AP-ISMET Meeting at National University of Singapore, Singapore, in the year 2014
• Women Scientist Scheme -A (WoSA)  from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, for developing Microbial Fuel Cell technology for the removal/recovery of wastewater along with energy production in the year 2014

1. Rijo, Gangadharan, P., Sabarija. (2022). Osmotic microbial fuel cell for groundwater softening, defluoridation, along with salinity reduction and energy production. Journal of Environmental Engineering (Accepted)
2. Gangadharan, P., Rajumon, R., Sibi, R., Peter, A E (2022). Osmotic urine fuel cell to recover water, energy, and nutrients along with salinity reduction. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry  (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-022-01738-2) (Impact Factor: 2.925)
3. Gangadharan, P., Vadekeetil, A., Sibi, R., & Sheelam, A. (2021). Concentrating nutrients and recovering water and energy from source separated urine using osmotic microbial fuel cell. Chemosphere, 285, 131548. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131548) (Impact Factor: 8.943)
4. Gangadharan, P., & Nambi, I. M. 2020. The performance of Cu2+ as dissolved cathodic electron-shuttle mediator for Cr6+ reduction in the microbial fuel cell. Sustainable Environment Research, 30 (19) https://doi.org/10.1186/s42834-020-00059-3 (Impact Factor: 6.763)
5. Gangadharan, P., & Nambi, I. M. 2017 Feasibility Study of Disposed LCD Monitor and Carbon Cloth Electrodes for Synchronized Removal/Recovery of Cr 6+ by Microbial Fuel Cells. International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, 8(8), 557-560. (doi: 10.18178/ijesd.2017.8.8.1015)
6. Gangadharan, P., Nambi, I. M., Senthilnathan, J. & Pavithra V.M. 2016 Heterocyclic aminopyrazine-reduced graphene oxide coated carbon cloth electrode as an active bio-electrocatalyst for extracellular electron transfer in microbial fuel cells. RSC Adv., 6, 68827-68834, (Impact Factor: 4.036)
7. Gangadharan, P., Nambi, I. M., & Senthilnathan, J. 2015 Liquid crystal polaroid glass electrode from e-waste for synchronized removal/recovery of Cr+ 6 from wastewater by microbial fuel cell. Bioresource technology, 195, 96-101, (Impact factor: 11.889)
8. Gangadharan, P., & Nambi, I. M. 2015 Hexavalent chromium reduction and energy recovery by using dual-chambered microbial fuel cell. Water Science and Technology, 71(3), 353-358, (Impact factor: 2.430)

• Khan, M. J., Suryavanshi, V. J., Joshi, K. B., Gangadharan, P., & Vinayak, V. (2022). Photosynthetic microalgal microbial fuel cells and its future upscaling aspects. In Handbook of Algal Biofuels (pp. 363-384). Elsevier.

Current Research Projects

• Title: TECHIN-Global Sanitation Centre of Excellence, IIT Palakkad; Role: PI (IIT Palakkad); Funding Agency: CSR-HDFC, India; Duration: 2022-2024;  Rs. Beneficiary : 50 entrepreneurs & GSCOE; Approved Budget : Rs. 20,71,08,278.00; Project Period : 1st Jan,2022 to 31st March, 2025
• Title: Production of biofertilizers from source-separated urine; Role: Co-PI; Funding Agency: DST, India;Duration: 2022-2024; Total amount = Rs. 89,23,790/-.
• Title: Utilization of partially treated grey water and C&D waste for production of low-cost modular toilet units; Role: Co-PI; Funding Agency: DST, India; Duration: 2022-2024; Total amount = Rs. 68,12,046/-
• Title: Real-Time Air Quality and Weather Monitoring System for IIT Palakkad Campus; Role: PI; Duration: 2021-2023; Total amount = Rs. 1,45,96,658 /-.
• Title: Integrating wastewater treatment to groundwater softening and defluoridation using microbial desalination cell; Role: PI; Funding Agency: SERB, India; Duration: 2019-2022; Total amount = 35.2 lakhs.

Completed

• Title: Energy positive microbial osmotic-electro desalination cell for wastewater treatment and high-quality water recovery; Role : PI; Funding Agency: SERB, India; Duration: 2019-2022; Total amount = 39.95 lakhs.
• Gangadharan, P., & Nambi, I. M. 2014-2017. Wastewater treatment coupled with resource recovery and energy production using microbial fuel cell. DST Women Scientist Award fellowship (WoS A), (Amount: Rs. 20.95 lakh).
• Title: CLEANEXT-Energy positive treatment technology for the Removal/Recovery of hexavalent chromium; Role: Mentor; Funding Agency: Carbon Zero Challenge, IIT Madras and IWMA with support from U.S. Consulate General; Duration: 2017-2018; Total amount = 5 lakhs.
   

• Sabarija A M, Sravan Janardhanan, Praveena Gangadharan, and Abdul Rasheed (2022). Improved defluoridation and energy production using dimethyl sulfoxide modified carbon cloth as bioanode in microbial desalination cell. The 6th International Conference and Postgraduate Colloquium for Environmental Research (POCER). June 9th-11th, 2022 in Langkawi, Malaysia
• Anju Elizbath Peter, Praveena Gangadharan, Swaroop Sahoo, S.M. Shiva Nagendra, Monish Raj. (2021). Characterization of Real-Time Air Quality at Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad Campus. In 6th Indian International Conference on air quality management (IICAQM). IIT Madras, Chennai, 16-18. (Awarded First prize)
• Sabarija A M, Praveena Gangadharan, Wastewater treatment coupled with defluoridation using microbial fuel cell, International Conference on Environmental Chemistry and Engineering (ICECE-20), 20th September 2020,Warangal, India
• Ankith Surya Ponnamalla, Praveena Gangadharan, Removal and recovery of nutrients and simultaneous generation of electricity from urine, ICGEES NIT Calicut, 5-6^th August  2020.
• Charlotte Joseph, Praveena Gangadharan, Efficiency in Chromium removal from metal plating industry effluent by Electrodialysis,  International Conference on Desalination (InDACON-2018), NIT, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, India, 20-21 April 2018
• Shalu Thomas, Praveena Gangadharan, “Application of PRB Technology for Cr(VI) remediation in groundwater using nano iron and scrap iron particles”, International conference on desalination (InDACON-2018) , Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli and Indian Desalination Association (InDA), April 20 – 21.
• Anupama S.,  Praveena Gangadharan,  “Integrated Forward – Reverse Osmosis system for water reclamation”, The first International Conference on Energy and Environment (ICEE 2018),  NIT Calicut,  Kozhikode, Kerala, India, March 9-10
• Praveena Gangadharan, Indumathi M Nambi, “Feasibility study of LCD monitor and carbon cloth electrodes for synchronized removal/recovery of Cr6+ by microbial fuel cells”, The 8th international conference on environmental science and development (ICESD-2017), Frankfurt University of applied science, Frankfurt, Germany, February 8 – 10.
• Praveena Gangadharan, Indumathi M Nambi, “Hexavalent chromium reduction and energy recovery by using dual chambered microbial fuel cell”, The 2nd Asia Pacific international society of microbial electrochemistry & technology (AP-ISMET) meeting, National University of Singapore, Singapore, July 21 – 23.
• Praveena Gangadharan, Indumathi M Nambi (2014), “Wastewater treatment coupled with chromium metal recovery & energy production using microbial fuel cell”, 25th IPHE national convention on environmental engineering & 3rd international conference and exhibition ENVISION 2025, CLRI, Adyar, Chennai, March 12 – 14, 2014.

• Praveena Gangadharan, Shibu K ,Biosorption of chromium from aqueous solution by tendu leaf litters and maize leaf litters, Focusing on Advances in Civil Engineering, TKM College of engineering, Kollam, Kerala, 21^st February, 2008.
• Praveena Gangadharan, Shibu K , Biomedical Waste Management - A Case Study, Kerala Environment Congress, 2008, Thrissur, Kerala & 22nd April, 2008.
• Praveena Gangadharan, Shibu K , Application of Microbial Fuel Cell in Waste Water Treatment, Kerala Environment Congress, Kollam, Kerala, 28th January 2009.
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• Speaker to the 2021 MRS Fall Meeting and Exhibit in Boston, Massachusetts on December 7, 2021.(Title of the talk: Resource Recovery from Wastewater Using Bioelectrochemical Systems)
• Speaker to the women’s Conclave on 8^th March 2019 organized by DST – JNU, Delhi. (Title of the talk: My trust with destiny in research)
• Resource person to FDP on Recent Advances in Fuel Cells, funded by APJ Abdul Kalam University from 8th to 12th July 2019 in SJCET, Palai. (Title of the talk: Microbial fuel cells- A sustainable approach to harvest renewable energy from waste)
• Expert Speaker to E-Waste World Conference & Expo 2019 from 14-15 November 2019 at the Kap Europa, Frankfurt Messe, Germany. (Title of the talk: Wastewater treatment using E-Waste)
• Distinguished Speaker to International Conference on Advanced Nanomaterials during December 12-13, 2019 at Chettinad College of Engineering and Technology, Karur, Tamil Nadu, INDIA. (Title of the talk: Wastewater Treatment Coupled with Resource Recovery using Microbial Fuel Cell)
• Speaker to e-Faculty Development Program (FDP) cum Workshop on “WASTE TO BIOENERGY” by Department of Life Sciences, School of Basic Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Uttar Pradesh and Department of Agricultural Engineering, Maharashtra Institute of Technology Aurangabad held from June 28 to July 4, 2020. (Title of the talk: Heavy metal reduction and recovery using Microbial Fuel Cells)
• Speaker to e-Faculty Development Program (FDP) on Integrated Urban Water and Wastewater Management July 27 to 31, 2020 ( Title of the talk: Recovery of valuable metals from wastewater using Microbial Fuel Cells)

• Attended a workshop, titled “Upscaling and field-scale application of bio-electrochemical systems for wastewater treatment and bioenergy recovery” on February 26-27, 2020 at Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur.

Life member, Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE)
Member, International Society for Microbial Electrochemistry and Technology

• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/pollution/iit-scientists-develop-a-technique-to-generate-electricity-from-e-waste-in-eco-friendly-manner/articleshow/57334316.cms
• https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2017/oct/24/making-e-waste-matter-1681981.html