Inclusivity Research Grant (IRG)

Objective:
Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has been established through an Act of Parliament (ANRF Act 2023) to undertake initiatives including seeding, growing and facilitating research at academic and research institutions.The ANRF Governing Board in its First Meeting Chaired by Hon'ble Prime Minister discussed several areas of strategic interventions that include global positioning of India in key sectors, aligning R&D with national priorities, promoting inclusive growth, and capacity building. ANRF in its endeavour to facilitate equal participation of researchers from all sectors of society, has initiated the scheme Inclusivity Research Grant (IRG). IRG scheme will provide funding support to researchers belonging to the Scheduled Caste /Scheduled Tribe to undertake research in frontier areas of science and engineering. It aims to provide a platform for researchers to further their capacity and move on to mainstream research programs.

IRG subsumes the Empowerment and Equity Opportunities for Excellence in Science (EMEQ) scheme of erstwhile SERB. IRG will provide enhanced support with flexible norms.


Nature of Support:
  • Funding is provided up to Rs. 60 lakh plus overheads for a period of three years.
  • The measures for ease of doing research include flexibility to utilize resources under recurring head; flexibility in manpower recruitment; enhanced travel, contingency and overhead charges; and support for expenses related to open access publications and patent filing charges.
  • International travel for project-related activities is also permitted.

Guidelines for the program
Eligibility:
  • The applicant should be an Indian National.
  • The applicant should be an active researcher belonging to the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe category working on a regular basis in an academic institution/national lab or any other recognized R&D institution in the field of Science and Engineering.
  • The applicant should hold a PhD degree in Science or Engineering or MD/MS/MDS degree.
  • The applicant should have at least four years of service remaining before superannuation as of the date of submission of the proposal.
  • Researchers/scientists who have ongoing projects under the IRG scheme as of the date of submission of the proposal are not eligible to apply.
  • Co-investigators are not allowed in the scheme.
  • An investigator will be allowed to avail IRG project for a maximum of three times in their career this includes EMEQ projects of erstwhile SERB.


Mode of Application and Selection:
  • The call for applications will be made once a year and will be notified through the websites www.anrfonline.in and www.anrf.gov.in. The project proposal should be prepared according to the guidelines and submitted online through the website www.anrfonline.in
  • The selection will be based on the recommendations of a Task Force Committee that will be constituted for the purpose. If desired by the Committee, the applicants may be called for personal discussion.

How to apply online

For online submission of the application the following points may be noted:

  • Applicant(s) should first register into the online website click here to register
  • After log-in, applicants are required to fill all the mandatory fields under User Profile section, which includes Bio data, photo, Institute Address, etc.
  • Some of the details of your proposal like Project Title (max 500 characters), Project summary (max 3000 characters), Keywords (max 6), Objectives of project (max 1500 characters), Expected output and outcome of the proposal (max 1500 characters), Budget (Research Personnel,Consumables,Travel, Equipment, Contingency, Overheads ) have to be entered at the time of proposal submission.
  • Other relevant information of the proposal has to be uploaded as a single PDF file, not more than 10 MB, as a technical document (TD) Download Template

Documents Required (in PDF format)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Can I apply for project under IRGscheme after my superannuation in academic institutions/national labs or any other recognized R&D institutions in the field of Science and Engineering?

A1: No.The applicant should have at least four years of service remaining before superannuation as on the date of submission of the proposal.

 

Q2: I am working abroad as post-doc, and I want to return to India. I intend to apply for IRG. But I have not yet finalized my place of work. Am I eligible to apply under the scheme?

A2: 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.

 

Q3: Can I apply for a project under IRG scheme when I am already implementing another project such as ARG of ANRF?

A3: Yes

 

Q4: Can I apply for a project under IRG scheme when I am already implementing another project in IRG scheme or the erstwhile SERB EMEQ scheme?

A4: No. Researchers/Scientists who are running an ongoing project under this scheme or erstwhile SERB EMEQ scheme as on the date of submission of the proposal, are not eligible to apply.

 

Q5: Is there any specific time-line for applying proposals under this scheme?

A5: The project proposals for consideration under IRG scheme can be submitted only when the call for proposal is made. The call will be made in the website www.anrfonline.in and www.anrf.gov.in

 

Q6: What is the maximum amount of the grant under the IRG?

A6: The funding is provided up to a maximum of Rs. 60.0 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.

 

Q7: Can I have a Co-PI in IRG project?

A7: No

 

Q8: I belong to OBC category. Can I apply under IRG Scheme?

A8: No. This scheme is specially meant to support scientists belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe only.

 

Q9: If I am from the SC/ST category, am I eligible to apply only to IRG and any other ANRF scheme/program?

A9: You are eligible to apply to any scheme/program provided the proposals are distinctly different.

 

Q10: Does the ANRF have any priority areas for funding under IRG scheme?

A10: No. ANRF funds all the areas of Science and Engineering without discriminating any discipline. 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.

 

Q11: Does ANRF allow to travel abroad under IRG scheme?

A11: International travel is allowed under IRG scheme.

 

Q12: Does ANRF discriminate against Project Investigators working in Private Universities/Institutions in funding?

A12: No. ANRF does not discriminate against Project Investigators working in PrivateUniversities/Institutions. Funding decisions are made based on the merit of the proposal, the competence of the Investigator(s), and the infrastructure available in the implementing institution, and not on the category of institutions the Investigator is working.