Government Offers 50 Per Cent Funding To Relevant Industry Academia Research Projects

A symbiotic collaboration between academia and industry can help the nation grow by leaps and bounds. Recognising this, the Indian government, along with experts from the electronics industry and academic institutions, has launched new R&D schemes and initiatives. These will hopefully lead to the creation of innovative solutions that can address real-life challenges as well as the immediate needs of the industry. In this article, we look at two such ongoing initiatives that can boost the country’s R&D ecosystem further.

- Baishakhi Dutta

The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), under the Centre’s Department of Science and Technology, has joined hands with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) to promote and support industry-relevant R&D by partnering with institutions of academic excellence. This is a unique public-private partnership (PPP) that bridges the gap between industry and academia, to make R&D and the commercialisation of its results an inherent element of Indian life. The initiative includes promoting and implementing two of SERB’s prestigious schemes:

Industry-relevant R&D scheme

The Prime Minister’s Fellowship for Doctoral Research

Industry relevant R&D scheme (Duration: Three years)

The scheme is to encourage and promote research that addresses well-defined problems of industrial relevance. The objective is to use the expertise available in academic institutions and national laboratories to solve industry-specific problems for the benefit of the society.

Areas of research for the project remain flexible as the associations have invited proposals across all relevant sectors. There are a couple of criteria for applicants to be deemed eligible to become academic partners. The applicants must be Indian citizens residing in India, holding a regular academic or research position in an academic institution, national laboratory or any recognised R&D institution. More than one academic partner will be allowed on a project.

Industry partners can be from any vertical or of any size, including MSMEs and industrial R&D centres. More than one industry and/or more than one investigator from one industry can also be associated with a project. Proposals can be jointly designed and implemented by the industry and the academic partners (which include partners from national laboratories or recognised R&D institutions).