Single Portal at National Level to Invite R&D Proposal for All Schemes from All Funding Ministries

Over 66 institutions/schemes provide Funds for Research in diversified areas within India. Present system in India for availing the research grant is to invite proposal independently by different agencies either electronically or through hard copy with multiple copies that may go up to 8 copies in Ministry of steel, 10 hard copies in Ministry of environment and forest and 20 hard copies by SERB. It is observed that almost all of them ask the information more or less in the same format. The project proposal will have a covering letter, certificates from Institution, utilization certificate. Researcher is also required to give an undertaking that; research proposal is not under consideration anywhere else for its funding. Most of the grant agencies don’t set a timeline on how much time it would take for the grant of the proposal. Time factor if not given due importance would become obsolete/ non- attractive. Investigator may lose its interest in doing research. From the above, it is felt that, single digital platform for the call of research proposals would reduce burden bring transparency, uniformity and robustness.