The awards ceremony “Presidential Awards for Inventions – Year 2017 to 2020” was held on the 1st of August 2024 at the BMICH, under the patronage of His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka, Honourable Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Academic staff members from the Faculty of Science of the University of Kelaniya, received three Bronze Medals and a Merit Award for inventions resulting from undergraduate and postgraduate research projects.

The invention "Remotely Controllable Regulator Connected in Series with Resistive and Inductive Loads (18447)," patented in 2019 by Dr. Wetthasinhaghe Sameera Kelum Perera, was awarded a Bronze Medal in the Technical Field of Applied Sciences and Technology at the ceremony. This invention resulted from an undergraduate research project mentored and supervised by Professor Sudath Kalingamudali of the Department of Physics & Electronics. After completing his PhD at Kent State University, the inventor joined Intel Oregon, USA, as a Process Engineer on the 1st of July 2024. This is the first Presidential Award for Inventions that the University of Kelaniya received in its 65-year history. Most importantly, this was the first innovation to be commercialized and launched as a product by the University of Kelaniya.

The invention "A Novel Synergistic Herbal Formulation for Endometriosis (19051)," patented in 2019, was awarded a Bronze Medal in the Technical Field of Traditional Medicine, during the ceremony. This invention resulted from a postgraduate research project mentored and supervised by Professor Janitha Abeywickrama Liyanage of the Department of Chemistry, as the Principal Supervisor. The inventor is Senior Lecturer Dr. Hema Padmini Wakkumbura from the Department of Kaumarabruthya and Stree Roga of the Gampaha Wickramarachchi University of Indigenous Medicine.

The invention "A Method for Improving the Shelf Life and Oxidative Stability of Bakery Products Using Coconut Oil Cake (Poonac) Extract (19795)," patented in 2020, was awarded a Bronze Medal, and "A Method for Improving the Shelf Life and Oxidative Stability of Bakery Products Using Psidium guineense Sw. Leaf Extract (19796)," patented in 2020, was awarded a Merit in the Technical Field of Food, during the ceremony. These inventions resulted from a postgraduate research project mentored and supervised by Professors Kapila Seneviratne and Nimanthi Jayathilaka of the Department of Chemistry. After completing her PhD, the inventor, Dr. Chathuri Maheshika Senanayake, joined the Department of Biosystems Technology of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.