The National Research Foundation, which has been the subject of debate ever since it was first mentioned in 2019, is finally going to be established. It is anticipated that the Science and Engineering Research Board will be absorbed into the NRF once it is established as a statutory entity through an Act of Parliament. (SERB).
The National Research Foundation’s goal is to establish a research agenda and place a primary emphasis on seeding research in rural state universities and other organizations. It will strive to scale up research and development to global standards, as well as fund innovations, and it will attempt to bring back Indian scientists who are currently based outside of India on a “homecoming fellowship.”
A takeoff plan for NRF in 2023-24 has been outlined by the Department of Science and Technology, which has recently shared this plan with a parliamentary panel. This was done in order to fine-tune the proposal that was presented to the Cabinet in consultation with the principal scientific adviser to the Prime Minister.
These include sanctioning homecoming fellowships for 100 scientists, early career research support for 500 regular faculty/scientists, 100 science excellence fellowships, 10 NRF professorships, 500 postdoctoral fellowships, a minimum of one center of excellence and national mission project, competitive funding for 1,000 projects, 10 NRF professorships, 500 postdoctoral fellowships, a minimum of one center of excellence and national mission project, a minimum of one center of excellence and national mission project, a minimum of one center of
The department has informed the panel that one of the primary goals will be to “seed research at universities and colleges where it is either non-existent or in annexed stage, particularly state universities, and where over 90% of the country’s faculty and students work and study.”
In order to achieve this goal, the NRF will seek to employ research mentors in the shape of NRF professorships. The pool will be developed through the utilization of the knowledge of both active and retired academic members. NRF will introduce postdoctoral fellowships to attract young talent, for which it will select and support over 500 exceptional researchers. These fellowships will be funded by NRF. National scholarships will be awarded to scientists who have demonstrated exceptional performance. Each year, institutions and research laboratories will be asked to submit proposals for the establishment of centers of excellence and national mission projects in fields such as machine learning, environmental science, and other related fields. According to the plan that was presented to the panel, many of these will have the goal of working in an interdisciplinary fashion.
Another objective is to provide financial support to “capable people with good ideas.” This grant mechanism will take into consideration initiatives both in the United States and abroad. There will be a specific window for addressing and funding industrial research involvement, and it will be accomplished through the establishment of thirteen R&D platforms in collaboration with industry. The National Research Foundation (NRF) will receive roughly a quarter of a billion rupees ($200,000,000) from the budget. Through its many different financing programs, the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), which was established by an Act of Parliament, offers monetary assistance to researchers, academic institutions, research laboratories, industrial concerns, and other organizations.
