20 Oct 2015-|Gurgaon (Manesar) | Amity University Gurgaon
A Day of Exploring Funding Opportunities at Amity University Haryana
A Day of Exploring Funding Opportunities at Amity University Haryana
Considering the vision and mission of our Founder President and our Chancellor to make world-class research and innovation hub at Amity University “A day of exploring funding opportunities” was organized on 20th October, 2015 with the very enthusiastic support of our Vice Chancellor. For this, eminent Scientists from major Government Funding Agencies DST, CSIR, DBT and ICMR who are experts in handling several minor and mega funding’s and national and international programmes, support etc. were invited. The aim of organizing such an event was of two folds. On one hand, it was aimed to provide AUG faculty, a face to face interaction with those who matters in Government funding circuitry and on the other hand, it was also an attempt to sensitize funding agencies officials who matters to privately sponsored R & D in large and in particular to AUG. The AUG faculty enthusiastically participated in an interactive session and gained advantage of their experience and received first hand information about various funding opportunities, handling of project - application, processing, evaluation and ‘secret’ of successful proposal. The event successfully achieved its aim to nurture and ignite large number of young and dynamic faculties of AUG having potential to do quality research.
The invited guests were welcomed by Prof. P. B. Sharma, Vice Chancellor, Maj. Gen. B. S. Suhag, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Prof. Rajendra Prasad, Director, AIISH & AIB and others in VIP Lounge. The visitors were introduced over meet and greet session over a cup of tea, to Prof. S. M. Paul Khurana, AIB, Prof. J. P. Dudeja, AILTO, Prof. P.C. S. Devara, ACOSTA and Maj. Gen. Mahavir Singh, AMS and other senior faculty members present. The dignitaries seemed visibly impressed with AUG academic ambience and infrastructure.
The programme was held in Conference Hall Academic block –A, which was started at stipulated time with the formal introduction of all the visiting dignitaries by Prof. Rajendra Prasad who pointed the unique gathering of the day of Science Managers from all major Government funding agencies and highlighted to take maximum advantage of such an occasion. After introduction, welcome address was delivered by Prof. P.B. Sharma, Vice Chancellor, who shown his delight to see the presence of high ranked officers from major Government funding agencies sharing the same dais. Honb’le Vice Chancellor endorsed the need of promotion of interdisciplinary sciences and emphasized “TRIPO”D i.e. the integration of TEACHING, RESEARCH and INNOVATION. He also emphasized on developing synergy of understanding in creating job for millions through interdisciplinary sciences including health and engineering .He sensitized faculty present from different AUG institutes, by his word of wisdom and suggested that faculties are here to contribute to the development of science and technology so that the world becomes a disease free and environment friendly planet for generations to come. The Vice Chancellor, following his remarks, introduced all the faculty present to visiting Science Managers and briefly explained their area of research interest. All the visitors were felicitated by Honb’le Vice Chancellor.
Open house interaction
Open house interaction was initiated with the address from Dr. M. Aslam, Adviser, Scientist G Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, New Delhi. He shared his 26 years of experience with DBT, and explained his handling of Center of Excellence for research and innovation awarded to the major centers of research institutes and universities. He mentioned elaborately about Task force on herbal biotechnology and that he is nodal officer of NII, ICGEB and Imphal and in handling DBT-BIRAC program. He guided the AUG faculties for writing good grant/proposal. He told that grant writing is an art and it should be started with relevance. He informed that faculty need to be aware of different calls from DBT, official website and gave an instance that DBT has currently stopped funding for Cancer and Diabetes. He shared priority areas of DBT which included Herbal medicine, Nano medicine, Nano agriculture and trans-genetics.
Dr. Rajesh Luthra, Head, CSIR Human Resource Development Group, New Delhi, emphasized the need to continuously enriching individual curriculum vitae by way of regular publications and academic activities and repeated the slogan ‘PUBLISH OR PERISH’. He guided faculties about the criteria on which funding agencies judge a good and a bad proposal and how one has to cross the benchmark to get the prize (funds). Before starting a project idea, focus on the problem/question is most important that has to be extensively validated by extensive literature survey. He elaborated different heads of the project in detail, for example – Rational to start, budgetary components, manpower etc. in detail. The projects, which get more weightage for funding should be an application based. If one submit a proposal on collaboration with CSIR laboratories that considerably increase the chance of funding. He also emphasized the need for public- private partnership.
Dr. V.K. Shirivastava, Scientist 'G', Head (P&I), Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, shared various facets of the functioning of ICMR. He revealed that ICMR has recently developed is totally online procedure for funding. The focus of ICMR funding has now shifted towards non-communicable diseases such as anemia and obesity and health problems relevant to our country. He informed that based on quantum of funding, ICMR follows, a 3-tier system. First includes the projects up to 30 lacs, second 30-50 lacs and last 70 lacs and above and each tier is handled differently.
Dr. Harish Kumar, Scientist, SERC-Division, Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, spoke about the frame work of DST and its functioning. He told that DST does not have any focus area for funding and it funds all areas of research including Engineering and basic Sciences. It is a policymaking body and works to support and promote Science in the country to maintain the research pool.
The open house was highly interactive. Faculty from various AUG institutes put forward several questions, queries, frustrations, funding opportunities, budgeting details and level of competition to all the panelists. The session had to be stopped finally because of paucity of time. However, with a promise to repeat such interactive meetings in future. It was also suggested that similar meetings should be arranged with NCR industries to learn about their requirements so one can do course correction in his/her research interest for enhancing translation and societal relevance.