SERB supports research in frontier areas of Science and Engineering. A regular faculty / researcher in an academic / research institution can seek research support to carry out his/her research. Board also gives special attention to young scientists below the age of 35 years (relaxable by 5 years in the case of SC/ST/OBC, woman and physically handicapped category) to undertake independent research in newly emerging and frontier areas of science and engineering. Read More

No. The Board funds all the areas of Science and Engineering without discriminating between disciplines. The proposal will be funded if it has novelty and the investigator has the competence to execute the project.

No. The Board funds only one project to an Investigator at a time, except in cases where calls for proposals are invited for specific areas/schemes/programs.

Yes. Co-Investigator(s) are allowed in CRG grant, provided the proposed work requires complementary expertise for its implementation. Separate budget can also be provided to the Co-Investigator (s) only if they belong to different institutions.

No. Funding decisions are made based on merit of the proposal, competence of the Investigator(s), and the infrastructure available in the implementing institution, and not on the category of institutions the Investigator is working.

Yes. SERB prior approval is required for the transfer of project before the expiration date of the approved project period (duration period should be at least 1 year). Project transfer should be intimated to SERB well in advance at least two months prior to the date of transfer.

SERB strongly encourages investigators to complete their projects within the sanctioned duration. Due to unforeseen the study could not be executed within the sanctioned period SERB consider the No-Cost Extension. However, PI needs to make a no-cost extension request in the SERB online portal three months before the project completion period. Kindly note that No-cost extension is subject to approval of budget availability in the grant and the work progress made during the sanctioned period.

Annual work progress report should be submitted every year calculated based on the project start date. The financial documents should be submitted immediately after completion of financial year ie after 31st March of every year.

Valid mandatory bio-ethical clearance documents (IAEC, IEC, IBSC, IC-SCR, NAC-SCRT, wild life etc.) as applicable to the project should be submitted once the project is technically recommended by the PAC and approved by the SERB. Title of such clearances should be issued specifically on the title of the project or specific objectives of the project. Provisionally approved or submission of documents to the respective bio-ethical committee for approval will not be accepted.

All the received proposals will be scrutinized for their eligibility as per the CRG specified guidelines. Next stage, Program Advisory committee (PAC) constituted for the purpose will screen the proposal based on the technical merit, credential of the investigator(s), feasibility of executing the project and etc. The Proposals that are screened in will be sent to external reviewers and to the committee members for their detailed technical view on the project. Based on the overall technical merit of the proposal and the competence of the investigator, PAC will grade all the proposals for further approval of the competent authority in SERB.

No. Breakthrough research in any discipline of Science and Engineering.

Yes. The SUPRA is a special call.

Yes. Co-Investigator(s) are allowed in SUPRA project, provided the work proposed require complementary expertise for its implementation. Separate budget can also be provided to the Co-Investigator (s) even if they belong to different institutions.

No. The Board funds only one SUPRA project to an Investigator at a time. www.serbonline and www.serb.gov.in

The proposal should be submitted online only, through the website www.serbonline.in. The format, guidelines and other details of the scheme are available in the same website. No hard copy of the proposal will be accepted.

In the current year, R&D proposals are solicited in the following areas:

1. SERB Centre for Energy Transformation and Storage (Call is closed)
2. SERB Centres on AI-based Earth Systems Modeling (Call is closed)
3. SERB Centres for Antibody Engineering (Call is closed)
4. SERB-IRHPA National Biosafety Level (BSL 3 / ABSL 3) Facilities (Call is open) Click here for more details

The component of grant is similar to other project submitted to SERB. However, the amount of grant is higher than regular projects. The duration of the project is 5 years. The host institute should have a sustainability plan to continue the research activities beyond the normal duration of 5 years. Commitment of the Institute should be specified in the proposal.

The proposals submitted for support are peer reviewed by the experts in the area. Specific expert committee will evaluate the proposals. SERB board takes the final decision following its appraisal and approval mechanisms. The sanctioned projects will be monitored through Management Advisory Committee constituted for this purpose.

No. The applicant should be an active researcher belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe category working on regular basis in academic institutions/national labs or any other recognized R&D institutions in the field of Science and Engineering.

Yes, except TARE.

No. Researchers / Scientists who are running an ongoing project under this program as on the date of submission of the proposal, are not eligible to apply.

The project proposals for consideration under EMEQ scheme can be submitted only when the call for proposal is made. The call will be made in the website www.serbonline.in and www.serb.gov.in

The funding is provided up to a maximum of Rs. 50.0 lakh (excluding overhead charges) for a period not exceeding three years. The budget should be proposed based on the requirement for the successful implementation of the project. The final decision regarding the budget will be made by the Task Force Committee.

Yes, except TARE.

No. This scheme is specially meant to support scientists belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe only.

You are eligible to apply in both the schemes provided the proposals are distinctly different.

No. The Board funds all the areas of Science and Engineering without discriminating any discipline. Research proposals outside the normal activities of such institutions (i.e. National R&D Programs, Programs in newly emerging and front-line areas of research etc.) will be preferred. Further, proposals involving purely survey-oriented work and routine studies will not be normally considered. The proposal will be funded if it has novelty and the investigator has the competence to execute the project.

International travel is not supported under the EMEQ project.

The following documents should also be included along with the proposal

• Projects which involve Recombinant DNA work should be examined and certified by Institutional Biosafety Committee.
• Projects, which are clinically oriented or projects, which involve experiments with human and/or animal material, should be examined and certified by Institutional Ethics Committee.
• Proposals in the area of Earth Sciences should contain the geological map of the region to be studied.

No. SERB does not discriminate Project Investigators working in Private Universities/Institutions. Funding decisions are made based on merit of the proposal, competence of the Investigator(s), and the infrastructure available in the implementing institution, and not on the category of institutions the Investigator is working.

SRG is a one-time grant and carries a maximumresearch grant of Rs. 30 Lakhs (excluding overheads) for a period of two years.The research grant covers equipment, manpower, consumables, manpower, travel and contingency apart from overheads.

SRG project period is of 2 years. Extension of the project period is not encouraged. Only in very rare and exceptional cases, depending on the necessity and progress of the project,no cost extension will be considered. Such period of extension will be limited to a maximum of six months.

The Call for applications will be notified through the website www.serbonline.in and www.serb.gov.in. The application form along with a proper research proposal highlighting the research work to be undertaken should be submitted online through the website www.serbonline.in during the call opening period.

All applications should be submitted through the SERB online portal www.serbonline.in.

Co-PI or Mentors are not allowed in this scheme. However, foreign nationals are mandated to have an Indian Co-PI.

No. The applicant must hold a regular academic/research position in a recognized academic institution/ or national laboratories or any other recognized R&D institutions. Only after joining a research or academic institution, one can apply for the grants under this scheme.

In general, a PI is allowed to operate only one SERB project at a time. Exceptions are allowed for some specific calls under cetain topics/programs/schemes. In all other cases, PIcan submit another proposal under regular schemes of SERB six months prior to the completion of the ongoing SRG project.

The PIs should upload annual Progress Report and financial statements at the end of each financial year. The release of the next instalment of the grant will be considered only after submission of (a) Proper Utilization Certificate (separately for recurring & Non-recurring) and Statement of Expenditure, financial year wise and (b) Annual Progress Report through the SERB online portal.

Change of host institute will be considered only (i) from a private/public/government institution to any other public/government institution or (ii) General administrative transfers in government or public funded institutions. Change of institute will not be considered for any other cases. Change of host institution can be undertaken only after obtaining due approval from SERB. The transfer of the fellowship along with balance grant and the assets to the new institute is allowed, provided the administrative authority of both institutes agree in writing. NOC from the previous host institute and Endorsement Form from the new host Institute must be sent to SERB through the online portal.

For termination of the project, PI need to inform the SERB through the host institution immediately. The implementing institute should not incur any expenditure from the date of termination of the project or the date of resignation of PI. The institute must also arrange for submission of relevant documents.

The PIs must seek the consent of SERB if he/she intends to be away from the implementing institute (except for field work related to the project) continuously for a period more than eight weeks.

The following documents should to be sent to the SERB after the duration of the project is completed:
Final Consolidated Statement of Expenditure (in duplicate), giving expenditure financial year wise (FY) from date of start till date of completion;

Utilization Certificates (FY wise) for all FYs (in duplicate) matching with Statement of Expenditure figures in that FY;

Project Completion Report (PCR) with list of publications, patents filed.
DD/ cheque for the unspent grant, drawn in favor of 'Fund for Science & Engineering Research' Principal Investigator is responsible for the timely submission of progress report, utilization certificate, project closure report (PCR), refund of unspent balance amount etc. at end or early closure of the project.

No, PIs with ongoing projects under CRG and other project grant schemes (except EMEQ) are not eligible for MATRICS support.

Co-PI is not permitted under the scheme.

No.The applicant should have at least four years of service remaining before superannuation as on the date of submission of the proposal.

No. The applicant should be working on regular basis in academic institutions/national labs or any other recognized R&D institutions.

Proposals under MATRICS scheme can be submitted only when the call for proposal is made. The call will be notified at www.serbonline.in and www.serb.gov.in

No. SERB does not discriminate Project Investigators working in Private Universities/Institutions. Funding decisions are made based on merit of the proposal, competence of the Investigator(s), and the infrastructure available in the implementing institution, and not on the category of institutions the Investigator is working.

No. If Air India does not have direct flight, you should go to the nearest hub (in this case Hong Kong) by Air India, and beyond that you can avail the service of Private Airlines.

No. You should travel by Air India even if the cost is more and the Board will reimburse the Air fare.

If tickets are not available on Air India, or for any other reasons, if you decide to travel by Private Airlines, You should get prior permission from Ministry of Civil Aviation. Without the Permission letter, SERB will not be able to reimburse the travel expenses.

You should approach the Director, SERB. Depending upon the merit of the case it will be forwarded to JS&FA, DST for further consideration and approval.

No. You should have completed three years. The duration of three years will be counted from the date of start of last conference to the date of start of the one you intend to apply now.

The Board receives large number of applications. The selection is made based on many parameters. Most important of them being the track record of the applicant as evidenced from the list of publications in SCI journals during the last 5 years and also importance of the conference. The Committee will try to accommodate candidates from different institutions and different category( students, women and senior researchers) of researchers wherever possible.

No. The Scheme supports travel which are of international character. Any invitation of individual nature, even if they are important, will not be considered for support.

You can use the travel support to hone your research skill at Cambridge University. But you should indicate the plan while seeking the support, and should return and settle the travel bill within 90 days.

Application should be submitted online only not earlier than 180 Days and not later than 60 Days, before the start date of the event.

Mandatory For All Appplicants :

1. Certificate from the Convener Download Template
2. Endorsement Letter from the Head of Institution. Download Template
3. Announcement Brochure.
4. Technical Program with session Wise details and name of session chair/co-chair.
5. List of Keynote Speakers. Download Template

Additional enclosure (for events being organized by Registered Societies) :

1. Local Chapters of the Society if not registered separately should submit their application only through their registered body. (Grants, if approved, will be released only in favor of main Society).
2. Registration Certificate of Society.
3. Memorandum of Association & Byelaws.
4. Audited Statement of Accounts of the Society for previous three years.
5. Latest Annual Report along with society elected members list.
6. Audited Income & Expenditure Statement and Utilization Certificates in respect of the grants received from SERB during previous three financial years.
7. NGO Darpan Portal Proof Document (For more information, please visit ngodarpan.gov.in)
8. Affidavit (Bond) on Rs. 100/- stamp. Download Template

Additional enclosures (for events being organized by private Colleges including Private Medical & Engineering Colleges) :

1. Letter of Affiliation/recognition thus obtained from regulatory bodies vis., UGC, AICTE, Central/State Universities;
2. A Resolution passed by the Governing Council thereby authorizing the Head of the Institution to receive the financial assistance from SERB.
3. Audited Income & Expenditure Statement and Utilization Certificates in respects of the grants received under this scheme during previous three financial years.
4. NGO Darpan Portal Proof Document (For more information, please visit ngodarpan.gov.in)
5. Affidavit (Bond) on Rs. 100/- stamp. Download Template

The support is provided under the:

1. Domestic Travel for Young and Senior Scientists (Indian Only)
2. Contingencies (Stationary items, Working Tea / Lunch, Audio-Visuals etc.)
3. Pre-Conference Printing (Announcements, abstracts etc.)

No, only partial support is provided. Organizations should indicate the details of any support expected from other agencies, including host institute.

No, the support is only meant for the participation of Indian scientists.

No, the grants-in- aid can only be released in favor of Head of the Institution (in case of the Central/State Institutions, Laboratories, Universities & Colleges) OR President/Secretary (in case of the registered Societies) as per RTGS.

No, the support is available for organizing the event within the country.

Yes, the event can be organized jointly with any other institute(s)/organization(s).

As per the directive of Government of India, an NGO i.e. Society / private College including Private Medical & Engineering College / Trust / Entity etc. should be registered on "NGO Darpan Portal", URL- http://ngodarpan.gov.in/ and must have the "Unique Id" provided by the NGO Darpan Portal. Therefore an NGO / Society / Trust is required to provide the Unique Id proof of their corresponding organization to SERB along with application for support to organize a specific event of societal importance.

An applicant / a convener can submit only one application at a time.

An applicant / a convener can submit only two applications, if the first one is not recommended then only the second one may be submitted within a Financial Year. If both applications are not recommended, still the applicant cannot submit the new application within that Financial Year.

No, one cannot submit a fresh application without closure of the approved / ongoing application(s) / file(s).

The applicant should hold PhD/M.D/M.S/M.D.S/MVSc. degree. The applicant must hold a regular academic/research position in a recognized academic institution.

This scheme covers all areas of Science, Technology, Mathematics, Engineering, Life Science and Quantitative Social Science.

You can download these formats through www.serbonline.in the portal under Core Research Grant (CRG) format only.

The term “Regular” in the context of this scheme refers to the applicants who are appointed against the sanctioned post or in a tenure post but are likely to be renewed after the end of the tenure.
Not Eligible: Research Associates, Guest Faculty, Visiting Scientist, Project Fellows, Faculty members whose contract is renewed every year; and those who are on temporary capacity are not eligible. (In cases where it is not covered in any of the above, SERB has the right to determine the eligibility).

Faculties recruited through UGC-Faculty Recharge Program, INSPIRE Faculty, Ramanujan and Ramalingaswamy Fellows are also eligible to apply provided they have at least three and half years of tenure remaining at the time of submission of application.

SERB-SURE is a one-time grant and carries a maximum research grant of Rs.30 lakhs for a period of three years. The research grant covers minor equipment, research personnel, consumables, travel, contingency, other costs (analytical charges, equipment user charges, fieldwork charges, etc.,) and overhead.

No. The Board funds all the areas of Science, Engineering, and quantitative social sciences without discriminating between disciplines. The proposal will be funded if it has novelty and the investigator has the competence to execute the project.

No. The applicant should not have any ongoing or completed R&D project sanctioned by SERB except those scientists who received grants only under NPDF/ITS/Seminar & Symposia.

Co-Investigator is not mandatory in this scheme. However, in the case where the PI will be superannuating during the duration of the project a Co-PI from the same host Institute with at least 5 years of service remaining, should be included in the proposal. In other cases, if required by PI, he/she may include a Co-PI in the proposal. However, the Co-PI is not eligible for taking any research grant from the sanctioned project.

Yes, but no funding will be given to the Co-PI.

Yes, you are eligible to apply to this scheme as a PI.

SERB-SURE project period is of 3 years. Extension of the project period is not encouraged. Only in very rare and exceptional cases, depending on the necessity and progress of the project, the no-cost extension will be considered. Such a period of extension will be limited to a maximum of one year.

An applicant is eligible to submit only one proposal during a call. The call for applications will be notified through the websites www.serbonline.in and www.serb.gov.in.

Yes, you can submit a proposal.

No, only academic Institutions are eligible under this scheme.

The PIs should upload annual Progress Reports and financial statements (UC / SE) at the end of each financial year. The release of the next instalment of the grant will be considered only after the submission of (a) Financial year-wise Utilization Certificate (separately for recurring & Non-recurring) and Statement of Expenditure and (b) Annual Progress Report through the SERB online portal.

Change of host institute will be considered from a private/state government university/college to any other state government university/college only. Change of host institution can be undertaken only after obtaining due approval from SERB. The transfer of the project along with the balance grant and the assets to the new institute is allowed, provided the administrative authority of both institutes agrees in writing. NOC from the previous host institute and Endorsement Form from the new host Institute must be sent to SERB through the online portal.

For termination of the project, PI need to inform the SERB through the host institution immediately. The implementing institute should not incur any expenditure from the project's termination date or the PI's resignation date. The institute must also arrange for the submission of relevant documents and refund of the unspent balance along with the interest amount to SERB.

The PI must seek the consent of SERB if he/she intends to be away from the implementing institute (except for field work related to the project) continuously for a period of more than eight weeks.

The following documents should be sent to the SERB after the duration of the project is completed:

1. Final Consolidated Statement of Expenditure (SE), giving expenditure financial year wise (FY) from date of start till the date of completion.
2. Utilization Certificates (UC) for all FYs (separately for recurring & non-recurring) matching with Statement of Expenditure figures in that FY.
3. Project Completion Report (PCR) with the list of publications, and patents filed.
4. DD/ cheque for the unspent grant, drawn in favour of “Fund for Science & Engineering Research”.

1. Should be an active scientist with a record of outstanding performance apparent from the award of SS Bhatnagar prize and or fellowship of science academies (including engineering, agriculture and medicine).
2. The scientist should be in service at the time of nomination to this fellowship.
3. The nominee should be an Indian national working in institutions in India. The nominee is not availing any other fellowship including personal fellowship amount and research grant (part of the fellowship) from any Government sources.
4. However, any financial award conferred on the recipient by way of one-time payment or of recurring nature purely in recognition of his/her past accomplishments and without any explicit obligation in future will not violate his/her eligibility for the J C Bose Fellowship. Similarly, he / she will be free to receive any other regular research grant(s) available from various sources in project mode.

All Areas of Science (in the broadest terms) are covered by this Fellowship.

The J.C. Bose Fellow will receive personnel Fellowship of Rs.25,000/- per month and a Research Grant of Rs.15.00 Lakh per annum. Rs.1.00 Lakh is provided as Overheads for the host institute.

68 years.

The JC Bose fellowship can be continued after superannuation provided a host institution is willing to accept the fellowship and provide all necessary infrastructure and administrative support.

The nominations for the J.C. Bose Fellowship are accepted throughout the year through online only(www.serbonline.in) and there is no last date of acceptance of the nomination.

Heads of Institutions, JC Bose fellows, Presidents of Science Academies can send the nominations.

The J.C. Bose Fellowship duration is 5 years.

A letter is sent by the Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB) to the Individual as well as to the host Institute informing the award of J.C. Bose Fellowship. On receipt of this offer letter, the Individual has to send acceptance letter indicating the month when she/he wants to start the Fellowship, and then the Institute will forward the Undertaking certificate from the host institution(available in the website) and acceptance letter to SERB. Based on this letter, the Board will process for necessary approvals and a Sanction Order will be issued to the host institute (and a copy to the J.C. Bose Fellow). When the grant money is received at the host institute, the J.C. Bose Fellow can start her/ his Fellowship.

The Grant for the subsequent years is released after receiving the two hard copies of Statement of Expenditure (SE) and Utilization Certificate (UC)in the prescribed format (available in the website). The SE and UC are to be submitted financial year wise i.e. from 01stApril to 31stMarch. For the first year it would be from the Date of Start (DOS) to 31stMarch and subsequently from 01stApril to 31stMarch.

Yes, it is taxable.

A J C Bose fellow can change the host institute during implementation of J.C. Bose Fellowship. She/He has to forward NOCs from both the Institutes along with final financial papers indicating balance unspent grant from the old institute, undertaking certificate and appointment letter from the new Institute indicating the joining date and duration of the appointment.

JC Bose fellows can avail only one fellowship including personal fellowship amount and research grant (part of the fellowship) only from one Government source. However, they are not allowed to avail any other fellowship of a similar kind from any Government source. Any misinformation in this regard may lead to full recovery of J C Bose fellowship with penal interest from the fellow.

(a) The fellowship can be renewed for a period of 5 years after rigorous assessment of research performance of the fellow during the tenure of the fellowship. The fellows will be required to submit a document highlighting the research work done during the previous 5 years, with complete list of publications/patents, and manpower trained during the tenure of the fellowship in the prescribed format (available at the website). The criteria for renewal will be based on research performance. Any other accomplishment such as occupying leadership position will not be counted as factors.

(b) Minimum exit of 25% of the fellows will be enforced while giving the extension of the fellowship.

There is complete flexibility in using the research grant of Rs. 15.00 lakh. Funds under this "Research Grant" head (Rs. 15.0 Lakh) can be utilized for hiring of manpower, consumables, national travel for self, students, other research staff, visiting scientists and international travel and per diem per year for self for research purposes, chemicals, equipment items, other unforeseen contingencies, repair of equipments, books and journals, etc. and any other research and academic activity, subject to the ceiling of sanctioned Research Grant budget head.

The Ramanujan Fellowship is meant for brilliant Indian scientists and engineers from all over the world to take up scientific positions in India and who want to return to India from abroad. The Fellowship is scientist-specific and very selective.

Individual Scientists and Technologists should approach the Institutions of his/her choice for hosting them for the fellowship and host Institute should submit their nominations to SERB for the fellowship through serb online portal.

All Areas of Science (in the broadest terms) are covered by this Fellowship.

The Ramanujan Fellows can work in any of the scientific institutions and universities in the country other than the institute where he/she has obtained his/her doctorate degree.

Yes, Ramanujan fellows are eligible to apply for Core Research grant proposal.

Following are the eligibility criteria for applying Ramanujan Fellowship:

• The fellowship is open to brilliant Indian scientists and engineers from all over the world who are below the age of 40 years, who wants to return to India from abroad.
• The applicant should possess a higher degree or equivalent, such as Ph.D. in Science/Engineering, Masters in Engineering or Technology/MD in Medicine, etc. and have adequate professional experience.
• These Fellowships are very selective and only those who have a proven/outstanding track-record as evident from their research publications and recognitions would be eligible.
• In case a fellow is offered a permanent position, he/she will be in-eligible for the fellowship and other grants.
• This fellowship is meant for working in new areas and laboratories in order to expand their research capabilities, other than the one, where the candidate has obtained his/her doctorate degree.
• Nominations from the Ph.D guides of the candidate and nominations from the same institute where they opted their Ph.D, will not be considered.
• The age of the candidate should not be more than 40 years.
• The candidate should be working abroad at the time of his nomination for the fellowship.

The Ramanujan Fellowship duration is for 5 years only.

A letter is sent by the Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB) to the Individual as well as to the host Institute informing the award of Ramanujan Fellowship. After this the Individual has to join the fellowship within six months of the date of awardletter and to send his / her Acceptance Letter to the Host Institute, indicating the tentative month when he wants to start the Fellowship, and then the Institute will forward his Acceptance Letter to Science &Engineering Research Board along with the details of the bank for transfer of fund through RTGS(in the prescribed format). Based on this letter SERB will process the case for getting administrative and financial approvals and then a Sanction Order is issued to the Host Institute (marking a copy to the Ramanujan Fellow) and a copy to the Drawing and Disbursing Officer, SERB for disbursing the grant under Ramanujan Fellowship. Date of start of the fellowship will be the date on which grant is received by host institute.

For Fellows who will be availing the Ramanujan fellowship after 31.12.2018, the revised funding pattern of Ramanujan fellows is as follows:

i) Ramanujan Fellow is entitled for a Fellowship of Rs.1,35,000/- consolidated per month(including HRA component)

ii) The fellowship will carry a research grant of Rs.7.00 Lakh per annum. and overhead charges of Rs.60,000/- to the host institute until the fellow is not having any position in India. and overhead charges of Rs.60,000/- to the host institute until the fellow is not having any position in India.

iii) In case the selected fellow gets any position such as permanent, tenure track or contractual position, he/she, will become in-eligible for receiving fellowship including research grant and overhead under the fellowship and has to relinquish the Ramanujan fellowship in total.

iv) For fellows who have already started availing this fellowship on or before 31.12.2018,(viz. sanction order of SERB issued on or before 31.12.2018) such fellows on acquiring a job(permanent, tenure track or contractual position) will be allowed to draw the research grant and overhead charges as indicated at (ii) above. Only the fellowship component will be discontinued as indicated by (i) above.

The above-said fellowship components (i) & (ii) will be payable to only those awardees till such time they do not hold any position viz. permanent, tenure track or contractual position. In case the selected fellow gets any position such as permanent, tenure track or contractual position, after issue of these modified guidelines he/she, will become in-eligible for receiving grant under the fellowship and has to relinquish the Ramanujan fellowship in total as indicated above (i) & (ii).

For fellows who have already started availing this fellowship on or before 31.12.2018,(viz. sanction order of SERB issued on or before 31.12.2018) such fellows on acquiring a job(permanent, tenure track or contractual position) will be allowed to draw the research grant and overhead charges as indicated at (ii) above. Only the fellowship component will be discontinued as indicated by (i) above.

SERB gives only consolidated fellowship of Rs.1,35,000/- p.m (including HRA component) per month

No, A person can opt either to avail his/ her salary from the Institute or Fellowship amount under Ramanujan Fellowship and it is applicable to the fellows those who have started the fellowship on or before 31.12.2018(after the issuance of the sanction order on or before 31.12.2018 as per terms and conditions of latest O.M. dated 01-01-2019).

Fellows who get a permanent position after 31.12.2018 (issuance of sanction order happened after 31.12.2018), will relinquish the Ramanujan fellowship in total in case they get salary from institute on getting permanent, tenure track or on contractual basis.

(i) Yes, in case the Ramanujan fellow who is availing fellowship (first sanction order issued on or before 31.12.2018), such fellows on acquiring a permanent job at other institute, will be allowed to transfer the fellowship and he can draw only research grant and overhead charges. The fellow should intimate to SERB about his permanent position immediately subsequently he can request for approval for change of host institute at a new institute within one month of shifting to new institute by submitting NOCs from both institution and appointment letter with detailed terms of references/conditions and the F.Y papers till the last date of working at earlier institute. The same is applicable for those fellows who want to transfer their fellowship to other Institute but without getting a permanent position.

(ii) However, if a Ramanujan Fellow who is availing the fellowship (first sanction order issued after 31.12.2018), gets a permanent, tenure track or contractual position at other institute, then he/she will not be eligible to receive the Ramanujan grant.

A person can avail one International Travel per year under Ramanujan Fellowship.

The Grant for the subsequent year are released only after receiving the Statement of Expenditure (SE) and Utilization Certificate (UC) in the prescribed format (available in the website). The SE and UC are financial year wise i.e. from 01st April to 31st March. For the first year it would be from the Date of Start (DOS) to 31st March and subsequently from 01st April to 31st March. In addition, a work report of for that FY is also required.

The project staff can be paid as per the SERB order issued time to time. Latest orders are available at SERB website.

No, Ramanujan Fellowship is meant for reverse brain drain i.e. inviting brilliant Indian scientists and engineers who want to return to India from abroad to take up scientific positions in India.

The selected candidates must join their host institute within 6 months from the issue of the Ramanujan Fellowship Award letter, else the award will be cancelled automatically.

No, Institute can nominate Indian scientist for Ramanujan Fellowship only from outside India, having no position or employment in India.

1. Candidate can choose to work at any S&T institution including University/ department or other academic institutions and national R&D laboratories in India other than the institute where he/she obtained his/her doctorate degree, provided the institution where they wish to pursue research is willing to provide the necessary R&D, administrative and basic infrastructural support to facilitate research.

2. The nomination has to be filled by the host Institution, by the head of organisation/ university/ institute or an authorized academic personnel of the institute/ organisation/ university.

3. Selection will be made by Search cum Selection Committee specially appointed for the purpose.

1. SERB would release fellowship grant of Rs.1,35,000/- per month(including HRA component) per month and Research grant of Rs.7,00,000/- p.a and overheads of Rs.60,000/- p.a. financial year wise, limited only to 60 months from the date of commencement.

2. Grant for subsequent years would be released based on the scientific review of the work done, submission of SE & UC and annual progress report.

3. During the tenure of the fellowship the awardee is not entitled to any kind of salary. However, he/she can apply for research grant to various funding agencies through their host institute. The information on the details of projects applied/sanctioned by the agencies may be made available to SERB from time-to-time.

4. SERB may be kept informed about IPR issues and technology/product/process developed/commercialized, if any, during the tenure of the fellowship.

5. SERB reserves the right to discontinue this fellowship at any stage and change the terms & conditions of the fellowship.

The SERB recommended Ramanujan fellow is equivalent to Scientist-D/Assistant Professor for the TA/DA etc.

SERB encourages Ramanujan fellow to get guideship at their respective host institute based on the applicant research experience, so then they can supervise M.Phil/Ph.D scholars which will help them in their academic career development.

The upper age limit for the fellowship is 35 years at the time of the submission of application. Age relaxation of 5 (five) years will be given to candidates belonging to SC/ST/OBC/Physically Challenged & Women candidates.

The Fellowship amount for NPDF is Rs. 55,000/- per month. For those who have submitted their Ph.D. degree, Rs. 35,000/- per month will be offered till they are awarded the eligible degree. The fellowship is taxable under the Income Tax rules of India.

The fellowship is tenable only in India and can be implemented in any of the recognized academic institutions, national laboratories and other recognized R & D institutions. The host institution should provide necessary administrative and infrastructural support.

The fellowship is purely a temporary assignment, and is tenable initially for a period of 2 years.

The fellowship is generally not availed at the same institution where one hasobtained or worked for the PhD/M.S/M.D degree. Also, the fellowship cannot be availed with the doctoral thesis supervisor or co-supervisoras a mentor.

The fellows are not eligible to receive fellowship/salaryfrom any other Government or Non-Governmental source during the tenure of the SERB National Post-Doctoral Fellowship.

National Post-Doctoral Fellow will be entitled to receive grants under the following budget heads.

Sl. No.	Budget Head	Amount
1	Fellowship	Rs. 55,000/- p.m. + HRA (Rs. 35,000/ p.m. + HRA for candidates who have submitted the thesis but degree not yet awarded)
2	Research Grant	Rs. 2,00,000/- per annum
3	Overheads	Rs. 1,00,000/- per annum

The applicant must first identify the host institution and a suitable Mentor in the host institution under which the proposed research objectives will be pursued.

The call for applications for SERB- NPDF will be notified through the website www.serbonline.in and www.serb.gov.in. Usually one month window will be provided to submit the application along with other documents. All applications should be submitted through the SERB online portal www.serbonline.in.

The Mentor should hold a regular academic or research position in the host institution. The fellowship cannot be availed with the doctoral thesis supervisor or co-supervisoras a mentor.

All applications should be submitted through the SERB online portal www.serbonline.in. Usually one month window is provided to submit the application along with other documents. The following documents are mandatory.

• Research proposal (see www.serbonline.in for the correct format).
• Proof of Date of Birth (Class X certificate or Date of Birth Certificate).
• Proof of Caste (only for cases seeking age relaxation).
• Proof of Ph.D. Degree or proof of Ph.D. thesis submission certificate.
• Endorsement Certificate signed by Mentor and Head of the Host Institution (format can be downloaded from www.serbonline.in).
• Undertaking Certificate by the applicant (see online portal for its format.
• Reprints of your two best publications.
• CV of the Mentor (see online portal for its format).

The applicants are advised to follow detailed instructions provided in the SERB online portal www.serbonline.in

The selection process on an average takes at least two months from the last date of submission of the applications. All selected candidates shall receive an Email notification through the SERB online portal, who are then required to download the offer letter.

Flexibility is provided to the Fellow and theMentor for utilising the Research Grant as per the needs of the research work. Generally, the Research grant can be used for purchasing minor equipment, consumables and contingencies. The grant can also be utilised for travel in India for attending workshops/conferences and other research related activities. In this regard, the host institution’s norms shall apply for TA/DA.

There is no provision for providing manpower under this scheme. The Fellow is expected to undertake research himself/herself during the entire duration of the fellowship.

The Fellows shoulduploadannual Progress Report and financial statementsat the end of each financial year. The release of the next instalment of the grant will be considered only after submission of (a) Proper Utilization Certificate and Statement of Expenditure, financial year wise and (b) Annual Progress Report through the SERB online portal.

Change of Mentor/Host Institution is generally discouraged and can be allowed only in exceptional cases.

Change of Host Institution shall be undertaken only after obtaining due approval from SERB. The new host institute in any case should not be the institution from which the applicant has worked for his Ph.D. or obtained his Ph.D. degree.

The transfer of the fellowship along with balance grant and the assets to the new institute is allowed, provided the administrative authority of both institutes agree in writing. NOC from the previous host institute and Endorsement Form from the new host Institute &new Mentor must be sent to SERB through the online portal.

If the one wishes to terminate the fellowship and leave the institute, he/she shall inform the SERB through the host institution immediately. The implementing institute should not incur any expenditure from the date of termination of the project or the date of resignation of fellow.

The NPDF is entitled to leaves as per norms of the host institution. Participation in scientific workshops held in India or abroad will betreated as on duty. Maternityleave, as per the Govt. of India instructions issued from time to time, would be available to femalecandidates in all categories.

SERB reserves the right to terminate the Fellowship at any stage if it is convinced that appropriate progress is not being made or the grant has not been utilized properly.

The fellows must seek the consent of SERB if he/she intends to be away from the implementing institute (except for field work related to the project) continuously for a period more than eight weeks.

The following documents should to be sent to the SERB after the duration of the Fellowship is completed:

• Final Consolidated Statement of Expenditure (in duplicate), giving expenditure financial year wise (FY) from date of start till date of completion.
• Utilization Certificates (FY wise) for all FYs (in duplicate) matching with Statement of Expenditure figures in that FY.
• Project Completion Report (PCR) with list of publications, patents filed.
• DD/ cheque for the unspent grant, drawn in favor of 'Fund for Science & Engineering Research'
• Mentor and PDF candidate are responsible for the timely submission of progress report, utilization certificate, project closure report (PCR), refund of unspent balance amountetc. at end or early closure of the project.

PI should be within 35-55 years at the time of submission of nomination.

No, you can avail only one fellowship at a time from government source.

Yes, the Fellowship received under SERB Power Fellowship is taxable.

All Areas of Science & Engineering are covered by this Fellowship.

1. Fellowship of Rs. 15,000/- per month in addition to regular income.
2. Research grant of Rs. 10 lakhs per annum.
3. Overhead for the institute.

The SERB Power Fellowship duration is for 3 years only, without any possibility of extension.

A person can avail SERB Power Fellowship only once. Successful POWER Fellows cannot be nominated for a second time.

The nominations for the SERB Power Fellowship are accepted throughout the year through online portal only(www.serbonline.in) and there is no last date of acceptance of the nomination.

Heads of Institutions or Fellows of National academies can send the nominations.

The Grant for the subsequent years is released after receiving Statement of Expenditure (SE) and Utilization Certificate (UC)in the prescribed format (available on the website). The SE and UC are to be submitted financial year wise i.e., from 01stApril to 31stMarch. For the first year it would be from the Date of Start (DOS) to 31stMarch and subsequently from 01stApril to 31stMarch.

A SERB Power fellow can change the host institute during implementation of SERB Power Fellowship. She has to forward NOCs from both the Institutes along with final financial papers indicating balance unspent grant from the old institute, undertaking certificate and appointment letter from the new Institute indicating the joining date and duration of the appointment.

No, there is no provision for extension.

No, women scientist cannot hold both POWER Fellowship and POWER Grant at the same time.

Selection of POWER Fellows will be made twice a year by a specially constituted Search-cum-Selection Committee.

Research Grant of Rs. 10 lakh per annum can be used for minor equipment, manpower, consumables, contingencies, and domestic travel.

In first step, an applicant will fill the application form on online portal. After submission of the form, a mail containing a link will be sent to the nominator by SERB. In second step, nominator will click on the link as provided in the mail to find the details of the application. After verification of the details, he/she will forward the nomination to SERB.

No, SERB POWER Fellowship research grant cannot be used for international travel.

Yes, you have to take permission from SERB.

Yes. Research fellowship of Rs. 60,000/- per year (in addition to the researcher's own salary) will be provided subject to completion of minimum 90 days research work per year in the host institution. Research grant of Rs. 5 lakhs per annum (50% each to host and parent institution) and overheads will be provided.

Parent institute must undertake all project implementation related work including purchase, preparation of UC/ES, relieving PI for research work in the host institute, etc. as of any other funded projects.

Fresh and ongoing research work not supported by any externally funded individual centric projects.

Only central institutes / national research labs and Central Universities are eligible as host institute.

The term "Regular" in the context of SERB refers to the applicants who are appointed against the sanctioned post or in a tenure post but are likely to be renewed after the end of the tenure.
[Note: Research Associates, Ad-hoc faculties, Guest Faculty, Visiting Scientist, consultant, Project Fellows and Faculty members whose contract is renewed every year are not eligible.] (In cases where it is not covered in any of the above, SERB has the right to determine the eligibility)

90 days working in host institute includes, working days, summer vacation, winter vacation, public holidays, Saturdays and Sundays, provided host institute allows to work and issue attendance certificate by the end of the year.

Age of the institute will not be considered, as long as it is affiliated by UGC / AICTE / MCI or other competent organizations of Government of India / State Governments.

Distance is not fixed, you need to justify the reasons for selection of institute whatso ever the distance, which will be evaluated by the committee. PI are advised to find the expertise/mentor nearer to their parent institute. Preference may be given to the candidates proposing host institute nearer to parent institute.

A mentor can forward any number of applications, but only one candidate will be allowed to work with a mentor depending up on the merit of the proposal.

There are no fixed numbers.

The basic concept of this project itself is to execute the project in collaborative mode where the expertise of the mentor should be useful in executing the project work of the applicant. Accordingly, the expertise of mentor and applicant should fulfil the requirements of the proposed project work.

The upper age limit for the award is 45 years at the time of the submission of application. Age relaxation of 5 (five) years will be given to candidates belonging to SC/ST/OBC/Physically Challenged & Women candidates.

The basic concept of this project itself is to execute the project in collaborative mode where the applicant should work with the mentor and get trained at higher level. For which the minimum attendance period of 90 days is mandatory and hence the proposals without fellowship component will not be considered.

It is mandatory to fulfil the minimum 90 days research work per year in the host institution.

No as per revised eligibility guidelines, only candidates holding Ph.D. degree in Science / Engineering or MS / MD in Medicine are eligible to apply.

NO, however candidates are allowed to work with a different mentor from the same institute where Ph.D. degree was awarded.

Researchers having any funded projects are not eligible to apply.

You can apply for any Central institutions having relevant R&D infrastructure.

Selection for TARE scheme will be purely competitive mode based on the scientific merit of the proposal.

No, but PI are expected to bring out joint publications with the mentor from the results emanated out of this project and is mandatory to acknowledge SERB funding for the research work.

No, the TARE awardee is expected to do research on his / her own.

Applicant should not hold any ongoing research projects or any fellowship at the time of submission of application. You are not eligible to avail any other project from DST/SERB until you complete TARE project.

Call for nominations would be made and awards would be granted once in a year.

PI should be within 40 to 50 years as on December 31 of the year in which call is made.

Yes. STAR is an award of recognition and can be concurrently held with other SERB projects.

The Project Completion Report (PCR) of completed project are evaluated by concerned Programme Advisory Committee (PAC), and the performance are graded based on quality of research work done in the project, its impact, publications, patents, manpower generated, etc.

No. It is essential to send the PCR of the completed project for evaluation by the concerned PAC.

Only publications in which SERB grant is acknowledged will be taken into account as project output.

No. The PIs of excellent rated projects should also fulfill other eligibility criteria. The selection committee would choose the awardees based on performance of the completed project and other research work. Up to 30 STAR awards would be granted per year.

The PI cannot apply directly for the award. Entry would be by nomination by the Head of the Institution.

No. Only projects which have been completed in previous three financial years will be considered.

Yes, subject to fulfilling other eligibility criteria, the nomination would be considered.

Call for application would be made and awards would be granted once in a year.

Yes. TETRA is an award of recognition and can be concurrently held with other SERB projects.

No. You can submit only one application at a time mentioning about the patent details having the best translational potential.

Only publications in which SERB grant is acknowledged will be considered as project output.

No. The selection committee would choose the awardees based on potential of translation for applied or granted patent.

No. Only PIs of ongoing projects and all extramural projects completed in previous three financial years will be considered.

Please refer the section eligibility criteria given on the specific section of NSC Award at SERB website.

1. Research Proposal with brief Introduction, Objective, Methodology, Budget and expected outcome (upto five pages) (For Mode-1 nominations only)
2. Endorsement Letter by the head of the Host Institute (Format)
3. Certificate from the Nominee (Format)

Yes, you can but after withdrawing your position from the foreign institution and getting a No Objection Certificate from the same institution to apply under NSC Award.

Researchers working in areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) and Medicine are eligible to apply under this fellowship.

Your nomination will be reviewed by an approved NSC Advisory Committee (NSCAC).

The final decision on all nominations is based on the recommendations of NSC Advisory Committee. The high level committee comprises of eminent experts in the field of S&T. The SERB solely depends on the recommendations of the Selection Committee.

This will usually follow approximately four to six weeks after the selection committee meeting. Please note that we cannot provide any personalised information before this juncture so as not to delay the notification process.

Yes, you can but the decision on the plea will be taken, after thorough discussion and deliberations in the successive NSCAC meeting only.

No, it is not possible to apply for both modes at same time. However, if your nomination is not accepted for recommendations, you may apply to any other program as long as you fulfil the eligibility requirements in the successive call(s).

The essential aspect of the nomination is the individual nominee track record. Please refer to the eligibility and assessment criteria sections for more details on the selection criteria.

A letter is sent by the SERB to the nominee as well as to the host Institute informing the award of NSC. After receiving the same the nominee has to join the chair within six months of the date of offer letter and to send his / her Acceptance Letter to the Host Institute, indicating the tentative Date / Month when the nominee wants to start the award. Then the Institute will forward his Acceptance / Joining Letter to Science & Engineering Research Board along with the updated details of the bank for transfer of fund through RTGS (in the prescribed format). Based on this letter, SERB will process the file for getting administrative and financial approvals and then a Sanction Order is issued to the Host Institute. The start date, as per joining letter date of the nominee, of the award will be mentioned in the Sanction Order.

The selected NSC fellow, in both modes, cannot avail any other fellowship, during the tenure of the award but they are free to seek additional funds for pursuing research from other funding agencies excluding fellowship/honorarium/ salary. However, if they want to switch over and carry out any other fellowship, then they are required to submit the surrender certificate first with other relevant documents i.e. final Statement of Expenditure, Utilization Certificate, Project Completion Report and unspent balance to SERB and then only they should start the other fellowship.

No, you cannot delay the implementation date after issuance of the sanction order for the award. Your joining date of the institute will be counted as the date of start for the fellowship.

It is strongly advised to have one host institution for fund transfer & account management. However, you may get into collaboration with any other institute or organization.

In general the host institute will receive overhead @ Rs.1,00,000/- per annum, apart from this there is no provision to provide additional funds.

Yes, the Grant received under NSC Award is taxable as per I.T. rules.

IMPRINT-India initiative was both novel and unique. Despite unprecedented interest, wide spread enthusiasm and unique scope and utility of the initiative, a need was felt to sharpen the focus, streamline the process of review and allotment, and simplify the procedure and mechanism of funding. Thus, IMPRINT has now graduated into the next edition, IMPRINT II, with wider scope, simpler guideline for participation and better synergy among investigators, partners and collaborators. It is also realised and appreciated that IMPRINT IIshould be more inclusive by expanding the catchment of implementing institutions, by adopting a more demand-driven strategy for evolving solutions and by incorporating the specific externalities of the states of India so as to make translation and adaptation of technology easier for the end users. SERB (Science and Engineering Research Board) in the Department of Science & Technology (DST) is the nodal agency for implementing the IMPRINT II initiative working along with the National Coordinator. The SERB created a separate vertical under its overall set up with allocated resources and a time bound action plan for selection, funding and management of research projects under IMPRINT. Secretary (HE) and Secretary (DST) are the Co-chairpersons of the Apex Committee, while the National Coordinator of IMPRINT and Secretary of SERB are the Co-chairs of the Steering Committee of this vertical. The Expert Pool of Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) is being extensively used to constitute the Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) for each Domain and blind peer review of the proposals and knowledge management of the outcome of IMPRINT. In order to improve connectivity with the end-users, IMPRINT II has attempted to bring on board the stakeholder ministries right from the conceptualisation stage so as to nurture a participative ecosystem of project formulation, maturation, execution and delivery. Further integration of the programme for achieving national development and our commitment to global goals is proposed through sub-programmes covering states of India and partnership with the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Specific focus is proposed to be given to collate, analyse and document all the communications and consultations during Round-I and those proposed in Round-II in order to come up with the policy document and roadmap to research in engineering sciences within the next couple of years. The Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY) scheme will be subsumed within IMPRINT II and no further call for proposal submission under UAY would be issued.

IMPRINT IIA (on-going)
A national call for submission of preliminary proposals were made from interested researchers in March 2017. Out of 2145 preliminary proposals submitted, only 122 full proposals were selected through a two-stage peer review process involving 10 domain specific Program Advisory Committees (PACs) and the Steering Committee. The selected projects are now ready to get started.

IMPRINT IIB (on-going)
The Steering Committee of IMPRINT has decided to select a few more promising projects from the basket of proposals received under IMPRINT IIA without diluting the quality of peer review. A few such deserving proposals will be selected under this category and be approved and executed as an extension of the just concluded IMPRINT IIA, as, IMPRINT IIB.

Eligibility criteria applied
Principal Investigator (PI): The main applicant or the Principal Investigator (PI) should be an Indian citizen. The PI must hold a regular academic/research position (Faculty member or Scientist or Scientific Officer) of Centrally Funded Technical Institution (CFTI), MHRD funded Central University (CU) or MHRD funded Higher Education Institution (HEI) engaged in research and development (R&D) in engineering and technology (E&T), having at least 4 years of regular service left before superannuation as on date of submission of the proposal. Only one PI is allowed for a given project. Scientists selected for project funding under IMPRINT IIA and IMPRINT IIB are not eligible to apply for funding under IMPRINT IIC as the PI.

The term "Regular" in the context of IMPRINT II refers to the applicants who are appointed against the sanctioned or tenured post that are likely to be continued for at least another 4 years.

[Note: Research Associates, Ad-hoc faculties, Guest Faculty, Visiting Scientist, consultant, Project Fellows and Faculty members whose contract is renewed every year are not eligible.] (In cases where it is not covered by any of the above, SERB has the right to determine the eligibility)

The following points will be given priority during the project evaluation:

1. Projects which address any of the 20 'themes' falling under the 10 Technology Domains and 'topics' thereof.
2. Projects which qualify as translational research initiatives leading to viable technology, prototype or working model development.
3. Projects with industry participation or start-up company involvement that may lead to developing commercially viable products and thereby creating jobs.
4. At least 25% of the project cost should be supported by the Industry out of which at least 10 % of the project cost should be in cash.

Role of PI:
PI will lead the team of investigators, liaise with funding agency/ministry, receive funds through the designated office and mechanism of his/her host Institution, be obliged to submit technical reports, statement of expenditure (S/E) and utilization certificate (U/C) as per IMPRINT II norms, and ensure adherence/compliance to the usual rules and regulations of his/her host Institution in terms of purchase, travel, recruitment, publication, academic and related ethical norms including intellectual property right (IPR), etc. PI may share or transfer funds with Co-PI or partner (not collaborator) as per the project proposal and norms of his/her host institute, but will be responsible to collect all the necessary data/information and submit the technical report, statement of expenditure (S/E) and utilization certificate (U/C) for the project on behalf of the team. The PI must take the responsibility of entering into a separate formal agreement (memorandum of understanding/agreement) with all non-MHRD partner institutes or organizations with the approval of his/her competent authority about modalities of collaboration, sharing of fund/facility/intellectual property (IP) and obligation to meet the objectives and deliverables of the project.

Co-PI:
Any regular employee (faculty, staff, scientist, engineer) of CFTIs, CUs or HEIs (Indian national) belonging to any relevant area of science & Technology from any Government of India or State Government funded/ approved Institution, University, Deemed University, and/or R&D organization can be a Co-PI. In addition, members of a public/private sector industry (Indian national) is also eligible to be a Co-PI. One project may have multiple Co-PI. . It is mandatory that (a) there should be at least one Co-PI from the PI's Institute, and (b) there should be at least one co-PI at each of the participating Institute where fund from IMPRINT II project is proposed to be transferred.

Role of Co-PI:
Co-PI will assist and cooperate with the PI, as stipulated in the project proposal for the success of the project. His/her institute may receive part of the funding as per the requirement of the project through the Institution of the PI and help the PI submit the technical report, S/E and U/C.

Partner:
Any faculty/staff member, scientist, engineer or regular employee of a Government/private funded institution/organization in India may be a partner in projects funded under IMPRINT II.

Role of Partner:
Partner(s) (individuals) will assist PI and Co-PI to realize the stated objectives of the project by offering technical assistance (project formulation, testing, characterization, trial, report writing, etc.), may get a share of the funding as per project requirement through the Institution of the PI (as per rules) and be a co-author in report, publication, patent and technology development as per the mutual agreement and provision of the project (PI to decide/declare beforehand).

Collaborator:
Any faculty/staff member, scientist, engineer or employee of a Government/private funded institution/organization in India or abroad may be a collaborator in projects funded under IMPRINT II.

Role of Collaborator:
Collaborator(s) (individuals) may contribute to the success of the project as deemed fit by the PI/Co-PI and stated in the project proposal (say, by offering technical help, testing/characterization, consultation, advice, etc.), may feature in publication/report if PI desires but not enjoy direct funding from the project.

A new/modified consortium approach is proposed in the IMPRINT IIC Programme to include strong and complementary expertise from across different disciplines and organizations within India to address major technological challenges for breakthrough in selected areas of societal/industrial importance. The Programme challenges the scientists to establish an effective, functional and synergistic consortium and drive all those partners to align to the pre-determined theme/topic for preparation of project proposal and its submission. It is expected that the consortium upholds Inter-disciplinarity that ensures synergy from diverse sources of knowledge and competence and create unprecedented complementarity that can enable formation of the strongest expert group in the country for the chosen theme/challenge and forging a unique strategic partnership for collective and national benefit. It is imperative that the team must select a PI and pledge to work under him/her.

A moderate investment to the tune of Rs. 20-30 crore per consortium is planned with Industrial contribution not less than 25% of which 10% should be by Cash. SERB has announced the themes ( View list )and challenge the scientific community to undertake such opportunities not only to prove their worth but also to make the nation proud of their scientific and technological exploit. The lead institute should also illustrate a sustainability plan in the proposal beyond the approved duration for long-term impact of the consortium and eventual realization of the desired product up to commercialization.

There should be at least two Institutes/Universities and two Industries involved in the Consortia

It is required to specify the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the proposal with suitable evidence and justification at the time of applying and also should specify the target TRL to reach.

The University/Institute will develop a sustainability plan and incorporate it into the proposal and run the Consortium for at least another five (5) years after the completion of project tenure (SERB support) towards for long-term impact of the consortium.

It is decided that all IMPRINT IIC.2 proposals must make an attempt to identify and involve industry partners or potential user group/agency who would offer financial support of maximum up to 50% of the budget and undertake field trial of the prototype developed by the concerned project. At least 25% of the overall project cost should be supported by the Industry out of which at least 10 % of the project cost should be in cash. Industry will transfer the cash component to the partner academic institutes and partner institutes will maintain the separate account of it.

Support in kind and cash can be under following suggested heads (with suitable justification): manpower, consumable, equipment/facility utilization and running charges, field trial/deployment charges, etc. No consultancy charges to the PI/Co-PIs should be considered neither in cash or nor in-kind component.

Eligibility- Who can apply
Principal Investigator (PI): The main applicant or the Principal Investigator (PI) should be an Indian citizen. The PI must hold a regular academic or research position (Faculty member or Scientist or Scientific Officer) of a Centrally Funded Technical Institution (CFTI), MHRD funded Central University (CU) or MHRD funded Higher Education Institution (HEI) engaged in research and development (R&D) in engineering and technology (E&T), having at least 6 years of regular service left before superannuation as on date of submission of the proposal. Only one PI is allowed for a given project.

Co-Principal Investigator (co-PI): The main applicant from other Institute or the co-Principal Investigator (co-PI) where fund is proposed to be transferred, should be an Indian citizen. He/she must hold a regular academic or research position (Faculty member or Scientist or Scientific Officer) of a Centrally Funded Technical Institution (CFTI), MHRD funded Central University (CU), MHRD funded Higher Education Institution (HEI) engaged in research and development (R&D) in engineering and technology (E&T) or any other Central/State Government academic/research Institute having at least 6 years of regular service left before superannuation as on date of submission of the proposal.

Co-Investigator (co-I):
Any regular employee (faculty, staff, scientist, engineer) of CFTIs, CUs or HEIs (Indian national) belonging to any relevant area of science & technology from any Government of India or State Government funded/approved Institution, University, Deemed University, and/or R&D organization can be a Co-I. In addition, members of a public/private sector industry (Indian national) is also eligible to be a Co-I. One project may have multiple Co-I.

It is mandatory that there should be at least one Co-PI and a Co-I in each of the participating Institute where fund is proposed to be transferred.
PIs of the projects selected for funding under IMPRINT IIA , IMPRINT IIB and IMPRINT-IIC.1 are not eligible to apply for funding under IMPRINT IIC.2 as the PI
The term "Regular" in the context of IMPRINT II refers to the applicants who are appointed against the sanctioned or tenured post that are likely to be continued for at least another 6 years.
[Note: Research Associates, Ad-hoc faculties, Guest Faculty, Visiting Scientist, consultant, Project Fellows and Faculty members whose contract is renewed every year are not eligible.] (In cases where it is not covered by any of the above, SERB has the right to determine the eligibility)

There should be at least two Institutes/Universities and two Industries involved in the Consortia.

It is mandatory that there should be at least one Co-Investigator in addition to the Co-Principal investigator(s) (i.e., at least two persons) at each of the participating Institute where fund is proposed to be transferred.

The following points will be given priority during the project evaluation :

1. Projects which address any of the 20 'themes' falling under the 10 Technology Domains and 'topics' thereof.
2. Projects which qualify as translational research initiatives leading to viable technology, prototype or working model development.
3. Projects with industry participation or start-up company involvement that may lead to developing commercially viable products and thereby creating jobs.
4. At least 25% of the project cost should be supported by the Industry out of which at least 10 % of the project cost should be in cash.

Role of PI:
PI will lead the team of investigators, liaise with funding agency/ministry, receive funds through the designated office and mechanism of his/her host Institution, be obliged to submit technical reports, statement of expenditure (S/E) and utilization certificate (U/C) as per IMPRINT II norms, and ensure adherence/compliance to the usual rules and regulations of his/her host Institution in terms of purchase, travel, recruitment, publication, academic and related ethical norms including intellectual property right (IPR), etc. PI may share or transfer funds with Co-PI or partner (not collaborator) as per the project proposal and norms of his/her host institute, but will be responsible to collect all the necessary data/information and submit the technical report, S/E and U/C for the project on behalf of the team.
The PI must take the responsibility of entering into a separate formal agreement (memorandum of understanding/agreement) with all non-MHRD partner institutes or organizations with the approval of his/her competent authority about modalities of collaboration, sharing of fund/facility/intellectual property (IP) and obligation to meet the objectives and deliverables of the project.

Role of co-PI:
Co-PI will lead the team of investigators of his/her Institute and also liaise with funding agency/ministry, receive funds through the designated office and mechanism of his/her host Institution, be obliged to submit technical reports, statement of expenditure (S/E) and utilization certificate (U/C) as per IMPRINT II norms, and ensure adherence/compliance to the usual rules and regulations of his/her host Institution in terms of purchase, travel, recruitment, publication, academic and related ethical norms including intellectual property right (IPR), etc. Co-PI may share or transfer funds with other co-PI or partner (not collaborator) as per the project proposal and norms of his/her host institute, but will be responsible to collect all the necessary data/information and submit the technical report, S/E and U/C for the project on behalf of the team.

Co-Investigator (Co-I):
Any regular employee (faculty, staff, scientist, engineer) of CFTIs, CUs or HEIs (Indian national) belonging to any relevant area of science & Technology from any Government of India or State Government funded/ approved Institution, University, Deemed University, and/or R&D organization can be a Co-PI. In addition, members of a public/ private sector industry (Indian national) is also eligible to be a Co-I. One project may have multiple co-I. It is mandatory that there should be at least one co-Investigator (two investigators) at each of the participating Institute where fund is proposed.

Role of Co-Invesigator:
Co-I will assist and cooperate with the PI and Co-PI, as stipulated in the project proposal for the success of the project. His/her institute may receive part of the funding as per the requirement of the project through the Institution of the PI/Co-PI and help them to submit the technical report, S/E and U/C.

Partner:
Any faculty/staff member, scientist, engineer or regular employee of a Government/private funded institution/organization in India may be a partner in projects funded under IMPRINT II.

Role of Partner:
Partner(s) (individuals) will assist PI and Co-PI to realize the stated objectives of the project by offering technical assistance (project formulation, testing, characterization, trial, report writing, etc.), may get a share of the funding as per project requirement through the Institution of the PI (as per rules) and be a co-author in report, publication, patent and technology development as per the mutual agreement and provision of the project (PI to decide/declare beforehand).

Collaborator:
Any faculty/staff member, scientist, engineer or employee of a Government/private funded institution/organization in India or abroad may be a collaborator in projects funded under IMPRINT II.

Role of Collaborator:
Collaborator(s) (individuals) may contribute to the success of the project as deemed fit by the PI/Co-PI and stated in the project proposal (say, by offering technical help, testing/characterization, consultation, advice, etc.), may feature in publication/report if PI desires but not enjoy direct funding from the project.

The template of NOC from VAJRA Faculty Institute can be downloaded from the website (www.serbonline.in)

Indian Collaborator(s) from Top 10 Private Institutions as per the NIRF ranking are also eligible to apply if the Institute contributes 50% of the cost.

Research Contingency Grant of Rs. 5.0 lakh per year of research visit per VAJRA Faculty to the Indian host to meet expenses related to the collaborative research will be provided.

Support to VAJRA Faculty to the tune of Rs. 1.0 lakh per year to give lectures in his/her area of expertise in the host Institute.

No Other components such as Overhead, Equipment, Manpower, etc. are provided under the scheme.

There are no specific areas under VAJRA Scheme. The collaboration should be in the frontier areas of science and technology.

The Honorarium disbursed to the VAJRA Faculty is taxable as per the norms of Government of India as applicable in such collaborative research visits.

More than one application can be submitted. But in the event of selection at a time only one application will be entertained.

We welcome collaborations from multiple Institutes. But the physical presence of VAJRA Faculty in the host Institute is to be ensured.

VAJRA Fellowship will be initially for a duration of 1 year. Three months physical presence of VAJRA faculty is expected in a year. It can be renewed further based on the Collaborative Interest and recommendations of a committee, constituted for this purpose.

One research visit by the Indian host to the Institute of the VAJRA Faculty for a period not less than a week and not exceeding 30 days will be supported. Board will provide return economy airfare, not exceeding Rs. 1.5 lakh, per-diem, and accommodation as per the existing norms of the Board.

Collaborative research visit of not more than 2 students, doctoral, preferably co-advised by the VAJRA faculty/ post-doctoral level after 2 years of engagement from the research group of Indian host to the Institute of the VAJRA Faculty for a duration of three to six months will be supported. Board will provide a return economy airfare, one-time contingency grant of Rs. 60,000/- and fellowship equivalent to the norms of the Board.

No, any applicant is eligible to avail this fellowship only once in his / her career.

No. The duration of the proposed visit must be within 02-6 months.

No, SIRE fellowship must be utilized only for the purpose for which it has been sanctioned.

No. SERB will not provide any type of cancellation / rescheduling charges or extra baggage charges.

The maximum age limit to apply under SIRE programme is 40 years. However, SC/ST/OBC and Women candidates will be given age relaxation of 5 years, provided, the applicant has submitted the valid category proof.

Fellowship will be cancelled and given support will be withdrawn at any stage. SERB has all the rights to take any action in consultation with the applicant's parent organization / university / institute etc. including refund of entire amount spent on the SIRE Fellow along with the interest thereon to SERB.

Yes.

Yes.

No. Only those candidates who have completed their Ph.D. from India are eligible to apply.

No.

Yes, however, the institution must endorse the tenure track faculty as permanent faculty.

For supervisors who are in regular employment, rules governing payment of salary, leave, medical, gratuity, GPF and pension etc. of the organization/ institution/ university to which the fellow belongs would continue to be applicable. No liability on any of these accounts will be borne by SERB.

The selected fellows while taking up the SERB overseas fellowship should not draw their regular research fellowship in India.

The candidates selected for the award of the fellowship should commence their research in the overseas institution as per the letter of offer given by Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA and University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.

The exchange visit of the supervisors should be during the tenure of the Ph.D. work of the applicant. Both the supervisors should ensure a residency period of at least two weeks and not exceeding 30 days in their respective foreign institutes.