Deadline: 3-May-22
The Program “Fund for Industrial Research Engagement (SERB-FIRE)”, led by Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) under Industry Relevant R&D (IRRD) scheme, with support from industry members, intends to address the challenges in the research and innovation space in India, by creating an ecosystem that would accelerate the growth in the research work with national impact, and drive the R&D landscape efficiently and effectively.
Through the SERB Industry-Academia Programs, the government and other industry partners create a pool of funding, resources and network that would enable strong research project with breakthrough impact on some of the major issues of the country.
The program with a co-funding mechanism between SERB and industry, with equal share, has been commenced.
The Scheme for funding Industry Relevant R&D (IRRD) of SERB aims to utilize the expertise available in academic institutions and national laboratories (“academic partners”) to solve industry specific problems for larger benefit of society. The Program titled ‘Fund for Industrial Research Engagement (FIRE)’ under IRRD supports ideas that address well-defined problems of industrial relevance in project mode. SERB signed partnership agreements with a few selected industries including GE India Industrial Private Limited (GE India). Funding support by SERB and GE India shall be on equal basis of 1:1 ratio for projects jointly executed by academic partners and GE India under the program.
Thematic Areas
R&D proposals are solicited from scientists in specified themes. The themes fall under the following research areas:
- Healthcare Technologies (5 Themes)
- A scalable image quality transfer approach for differential diagnosis of dementia using MR oximetry at low field strengths.
- Meta-learning framework for Imaging applications.
- Patient-specific Precision Surgical Aids.
- Oncology Digital Model for Home Infusion
- Smart Patient Summaries for Oncology
- Aviation Technologies (3 Themes)
- Development of miniatured auto-focus high resolution camera for Inspection which can map the Airfoil defects.
- Understand and Model MTR Evolution in Titanium-64.
- Developing Robust containment system for high-speed rotating components in aircraft systems.
- Renewable Technologies (2 Themes)
- Development of a modelling framework with appropriate meso and micro scale models for accurate wind resource estimation.
- Matrix performance improvement in composite structure using Carbon Nano Tubes
Guidelines
- Applicants [Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-Principal Investigator(s) (Co-PI(s))] should be Indian citizens. The applicant(s) must hold a regular academic/research position in a recognized academic institution or national laboratory or in any other recognized R & D institution in India.
- The funding is provided for a period of two years. The research grant is provided for minor equipment (essential), manpower, consumables, travel and contingency. “Overheads” is also be provided to the implementing institution as per prevailing norms of SERB.
- All the rights, duties and obligations pertaining to any intellectual property, profit sharing/royalty and / or related aspects shall be discussed and agreed separately in writing with the participating academic institute(s) and GE India under definitive agreement(s), in order to enable GE India to commercialize and benefit from the developed solutions.
Eligibility Criteria
- Proposals are invited from scientists working in research institutions including academic institutions, R&D Laboratories under the category of Breakthrough Applied Research, which seeks to work towards transformative impact pertaining to the research priority for a specific industry sponsor.
- Application should fall under any one of the thrust areas or their combinations. Applicants are advised to go through the problem statements as given in the annexure and should clearly specify the problem/s that they are going to address. Single or multiple Principal Investigators can submit the research plan.
- Applicants [Principal Investigator (PI) and / or Co-Principal Investigator(s) (Co-PI(s))] should be Indian citizens. Foreign nationals (including OCI and NRI) are also eligible to apply provided they fulfil the eligibility criteria notified by SERB and The Gazette of India Notification of Ministry of Home Affairs vide. S.O. 1050(E) dated 4th March 2021 in respect of OCIs.
- The applicant(s) must hold a regular academic/research position in a recognized academic institution or national laboratory or in any other recognized R & D institution in India with at least 3 years of service remaining. The term “Regular” 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.
For more information, visit http://serb.gov.in/pdfs/what-new/Call_for_applications-%20First_cycle_2022.pdf