Subtropical Biodiversity Conservation Grant for Invited Foreign Experts, from College of Forestry, Guangxi University, China (No. Y336001923 – 2019) (8th - 20th December 2019)
President’s Award for Scientific Publications 2015 awarded by H.E. the President of Sri Lanka (6th November 2018)
The Best Oral Presentation Award in Plant Ecology at Ecological Society of Japan Annual Meeting held at Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan (14th – 18th March 2017)
Fellowship of the Kyoto University’s Faculty of Agriculture Fund for Education and Research to attend the Conservation Asia 2016: Joint Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology and Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation: Asia-Pacific Chapter held at National University of Singapore (29th June – 02nd July 2016)
Monbukagakusho Scholarship from the Government of Japan to follow the Doctoral Program at Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Japan (1st October 2014 – 30th September 2017)
British Ecological Society Training and Travel Award to attend the 11th INTECOL Congress, Ecology: Into the next 100 years on 18 – 23, Aug 2013 in London, UK – (2013)
National Science Foundation Travel Grant to attend the 11th INTECOL Congress, Ecology: Into the next 100 years on 18 – 23, Aug 2013 in London, UK – (2013)
Fellowship from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) for the Program of Field Studies in Tropical Asia training on Advanced Field-course in Ecology and Conservation – (2012)
Fellowship from International Asia Pacific Network (APN) for Global Change Research to a workshop on Asian Development Pathways in the context of transitions towards a Green Economy– (2011)
Prof. H. P. M. Gunasena Gold Medal for the highest academic performance in Plantation Management & Forestry specialization module in the Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka – (2010)
Visiting Student – Plant Ecophysiology and Evolution Group (Prof. Kunfang Cao’s Lab), State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, Guangxi, China (5th October 2015 to 27th August 2016)
Development Oriented Research Grant from Accelerating Higher Education Expansion and Development (AHEAD) Project for studying combined effects of heat and soil water stress on agronomy and physiology of selected field, horticultural and plantation crops of Sri Lanka funded by World Bank (2018 – 2021) | 40 million LKR | Principle Investigator
Department Development Project from Accelerating Higher Education Expansion and Development (AHEAD) Project funded by World Bank for improving Academic English of undergraduates and upgrading Plant Science Laboratory (2018 – 2021) | 18 million LKR | Activity Coordinator and Proposal Writer
Rajarata University Research Grant for studying seasonal variation in the thermal response of leaf photosynthesis in a tropical dry forest tree species from the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (2018 – 2019) | 1.225 million LKR | Principle Investigator
Ashton Award for Student Research from the Arnold Arboretum of the Harvard University, USA to cover the research expenses of my fieldwork of doctoral research in Guangxi Province, South China (2015 – 2016) | 2000 USD | Principle Investigator
Professional Expertise/Training
Invited Resource Person for a workshop on ‘Planting a Corridor’ organized by Dilmah Conservation of Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company, Sri Lanka (22nd December 2019).
Member of Organizing Committee for Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) – Asia-Pacific Chapter in Thulhiriya, Sri Lanka (10th - 13th September 2019).
Principal Organizer of a symposium on ‘Plant physiological ecology for better understanding and conservation of tropical forest plants’ at ATBC – Asia-Pacific Chapter in Thulhiriya, Sri Lanka (10th - 13th September 2019).
Coordinator of 10 Pre- and Post-Conference training workshops for Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) – Asia-Pacific Chapter in Thulhiriya, Sri Lanka (8th - 15th September 2019).
Consultant Scientist for establishing a biodiversity corridor connecting Walankanda Forest Reserve and Iharakanda Proposed Forest Reserve, Endana, Kahawaththa, Sri Lanka for Dilmah Conservation of Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company, Sri Lanka (2018 – ongoing).
Invited Resource Person for a training program on practical aspects of agriculture and biosystems technology for advanced level students in the north central province organized by North Central Province Education Department, (5th December 2018).
Invited Resource Person for a training workshop on ‘forest officers’ toolkit: use of smartphone apps and maps for forest management: a three-day workshop for forest officers’, Sri Lanka Forest Institute, Forest Department, Sri Lanka (8th – 10th August 2018).
Invited Resource Person for a workshop ‘importance of a science career’ for the promotion science stream curricula among prospective advanced level students in Nochchiyagama Secondary School, Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka (2nd July 2018)
Invited Resource Person for a public media discussion on ‘current status of the tropical dry forests of Sri Lanka, conservation challenges and actions broadcasted on Rajarata Service of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Cooperation (2nd May 2018).
Invited Resource Person for a training workshop on science and technology research for science teachers at north central province organized by Sri Lanka Association of the Advancement of Science (SLAAS), Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science, Technology, and Research (19th – 20th March 2018).
Invited Resource Person for Forest Department Field Officers’ Training Programme on Natural Forest Restoration - Dry Zone of Sri Lanka organized by Sri Lanka Forestry Institute and the Forest Department of Sri Lanka (14th – 16th March and 6th – 8th June 2018).
Contact
Official Address
Department of Plant Sciences
Faculty of Agriculture
Rajarata University of Sri Lanka
Puliyankulama,
Sri Lanka.
