Objective:
The Start-up Research Grant (SRG) scheme aims to assist researchers to initiate their research career in a new institution. It is a two-year grant meant to enable researchers working in frontier areas of science and engineering to establish themselves and move on to the mainstream core research grant (CRG). Criteria for selection would be based on the track record of the applicant and the proposed research plan.
Nature & Duration of Support:
Research grant of Rs. 30 lakh plus overheads for a period of two years.
The research grant will cover equipment, research personnel, consumables, travel and contingency apart from overheads. There is a standard cap for travel, contingency and overheads. Applicant has the flexibility to propose budget under various heads as per requirement.
SRG would be a one-time career grant.
Maximum number of grants awarded per year would be 500 across all subject areas.
Eligibility:
The applicant should be an Indian citizen. Foreign Nationals (including PIO, OCI) working as regular employee in any of the public funded and recognized R&D laboratories/institutions in India are eligible to apply as PI in collaboration with an Indian Co-PI, provided they fulfill the eligibility criteria notified by SERB (SERB Funding Guidelines for foreign nationals dt. 27 Oct 2016).
The applicant should hold Ph.D. degree in Science or Engineering or M.D. / M.S. / M.D.S. / M.V.Sc. degree.
The applicant must hold a regular academic/research position in a recognized academic institution or national laboratories or any other recognized R&D institutions.
[The term “Regular” refers to:
(1) Those who are appointed by the institutions against the ‘sanctioned’ post. Such positions are regularized/confirmed after the probation period is over
(2) Those who are appointed in a tenure post, but are likely to be renewed after the end of the tenure].
The applicant is eligible to apply within two years of joining the institution.
The upper age limit for SRG would be 42 years, with a relaxation of three years for SC/ST/OBC/ Physically challenged and women candidates.
INSPIRE Faculty, Ramanujan and Ramalingaswamy Fellows, Faculties recruited through UGC Faculty Recharge Program are not eligible under SRG.
Research Associates, Postdoctoral Fellows, Ad-hoc faculty, Guest faculty, Visiting Scientist, Consultant, Project Fellows and faculty members whose contract is renewed every year are not eligible under SRG. In respect of casesthat are not mentioned above, SERB reserves the right to determine the eligibility.
Co-PIs are not allowed except in case of foreign nationals.
The applicant should not have received YSS, ECR, CRG (erstwhile EMR) or any other grant of SERB.
Termination and Transfer of the Project
If any Principal Investigator (PI) wishes to terminate the project, they shall inform the SERB through the host institute immediately with proper justifications. 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.
SERB reserves the right to terminate the project at any stage if it is convinced that (i) appropriate progress is not being made (ii) the grant has not been utilized properly(iii) furnishing of false information or suppression of factual information.
Projects sanctioned under SRG cannot be transferred to any other person/s.
Transfer of approved/sanctioned SRG project to another institution will be considered only in the following cases: (i) From private/public/government institution to any other public/government institution (ii) General administrative transfers in government or public funded institutions.
Change of institute will not be considered in any other cases.
Scientific Social Responsibility
SERB has adopted Scientific Social Responsibility (SSR) Policy to imbibe a culture of social commitment among SERB Grantees. The policy intends to effectively utilize scientific infrastructure and expertise of SERB grantees to benefit other S&T stakeholders especially the less-endowed researchers and the society. SERB Grantees need to undertake some SSR activities during their project period. SSR activities need to be chosen after approval and depending on the activities chosen additional budget would be provided under separate head to carry out the chosen activities.
Deadline for submission of complete proposal: 1 March 2023 (5:00 PM, IST)
Deadline for submission of concept note/expression of interest to R&D Department – 15 February 2023, EoD. The project proposal in prescribed format or the concept note as the case may be, should be sent to Dean R&D (dean.research@ddn.upes.ac.in), with CC to Associate Dean (R&D) (smtauseef@ddn.upes.ac.in) well in time.
For more information, please visit https://www.serbonline.in/SERB/srg_Instructions?HomePage=New