CAMBRIDGE, MA–Project Prakash Foundation announced receiving a $2.8 million grant for a term of three years from Rural India Supporting Trust (RIST).
For two decades, Prakash has merged the humanitarian mission of bringing sight to congenitally blind children in India with the scientific enterprise of studying learning and brain plasticity following many years of visual deprivation.
This innovative grant will support both these vital efforts in India by expanding scale. In addition, the project will expand in scope to include research on deafness and brain plasticity by using empirical data resulting from its work with Prakash children.
“We are thrilled that RIST has chosen to support and amplify Project Prakash’s dual mission of service and science,” said Pawan Sinha, Professor, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, and founder of Project Prakash. “This grant will enable us to scale our efforts to address curable childhood blindness and, leveraging our expertise in vision, embark on critical research into deafness, impacting countless young lives in rural India.”
“At RIST, we are visionaries that look for interventions that address critical healthcare needs through innovative approaches. We are proud to support Project Prakash’s scientific and evidence-based approach to treating childhood blindness in underserved and vulnerable populations,” says Paul Glick, Executive Director, RIST. “Through our partnership, we hope to enhance both the quality and accessibility of healthcare services in India.”
“This is a game changer for Prakash”, says Deepti Nijhawan, Executive Director, Prakash. “We are excited about expanding the number of children we serve and are immensely grateful to RIST for their generous support that will enable this effort”.
The project, aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal #3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) and Goal #4 (Inclusive Education), will be implemented across five Indian states: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and the North-Eastern states of Nagaland, Mizoram, and Meghalaya.
The project period will run from March 1, 2025, to February 29, 2028.
Project Prakash Foundation, Inc. is dedicated to bringing light into the lives of curably blind children in India while simultaneously advancing understanding of human brain development. The organization combines direct medical intervention with cutting-edge scientific research to achieve its dual mission.
The Foundation was founded by Pawan Sinha, Professor, Department of Brain and Cognitive
Sciences at MIT. Professor Sinha is a recipient of the PECASE (the highest US Government award for young scientists), the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship in Neuroscience, the John Merck Scholars Award for research on developmental disorders, the Jeptha and Emily Wade Award for creative research, and the Troland Award from the National Academies. His work has been featured in prominent media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, ABC News, National Public Radio, and TIME magazine. He has also
published extensively in leading scientific journals, including Nature, Science, Nature Neuroscience, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Since 2007, Rural India Supporting Trust has worked with organizations across India to bring accessible, affordable and quality services to vulnerable communities. Their core mission envisions an equitable India that supports and empowers every individual to realize and achieve their potential. With a strong focus on healthcare, education, disability inclusion and environment – RIST believes in maximizing impact through valuable
partnerships and interventions across the country.
