Dr Akshyeta Suryanarayan, an Indian researcher from Delhi, has been named one of the eight recipients of the 2024 Zayed National Museum Research Fund.

She is a Gerald Averay Wainwright Postdoctoral Fellow at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge. Her awarded project, Understanding Long-Term Vessel Use in South-Eastern Arabia Through Organic Residue Analysis, explores ancient cultural practices in the region and offers new insights into the UAE’s archaeological heritage.

The announcement was made on Thursday, 3 April. This year, the 1 million Dirham fund was granted to eight researchers from a pool of 79 applicants representing countries including the United Arab Emirates(UAE), India, Italy, and the United States (US), the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.

Mohammed Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said, “The Zayed National Museum’s Research Fund reflects Sheikh Zayed’s vision of understanding our past and promoting knowledge of the region’s culture. It supports scholars while helping to preserve the UAE’s tangible and intangible heritage.”

The fund aims to advance research that deepens understanding of the history and heritage of the UAE and the wider Arabian Peninsula. The selected projects are expected to contribute meaningful discoveries and enrich the cultural narrative of the region.