Financial Assistance to Research Work

IETYMS CHENNAI Workshop on research methodologies at Hotel Chennai Deluxe

Speaker : Dr. Subir Kumar Sarkar Professor, Department of Electronics & Telecommunication Engg. Jadavpur University Kolkata-32
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Subir Kumar Sarkar received the B. Tech and M. Tech. Degree from the Institute of Radio Physics and Electronics, University of Calcutta in 1981 and 1983, respectively and PhD (Tech) degree in Microelectronics from University of Calcutta. He served Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) as an Executive Engineer for about 10 years( 1982 to 1992) before coming to teaching profession. In ONGC he was involved in the repair , maintenance, planning, import substitution for sophisticated electronic equipments including computers used for control & monitoring of oil exploration and satellite based wireless communication for communication between on shore -offshore & between remote work sites ---base office communication and software development for oil field related work . He joined as a faculty member in the Dept. of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur in April 1992 (from 1992 to 1999). In 1999 he joined in Jadavpur University in the same dept. where he is presently a Professor. He has developed several short courses for the needs of the Engineers.

He has published three Engineering text books and more than 250 technical research papers in archival journals and peer reviewed conferences. He was a coauthor of a young Scientist awarded paper. Ten scholars have been awarded PhD (Engg) degree under his guidance. He was on the Technical/ organizing/advisory committee of several major international/ national conferences/ symposiums and was the organizing Secretary of International conferences on communications, devices and intelligent systems (CODIS2004) . As Principal Investigator he has successfully completed four R&D projects and three more are running. He has visited several countries like USA, France, UK, Switzerland and Japan for Technical reasons like training, presenting papers or visiting sophisticated laboratories. In 2005 he was invited as a post doctoral Research scholar in the Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering , Virginia Commonwealth University to work on quantum computing, spintronics, quantum dot memory and electronic transport in Nanostructures and published two journal papers from the work. His most recent research focus is in the areas of simulations of nanodevice models ,transport phenomenon, single electron & spintronics devices and their applications in VLSI circuits , ad hoc wireless networks, wireless mobile communication and watermarking . He is a life Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, life member of Indian Association for the cultivation of Science.

Listof MajorFunding Agencies

1. All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) 2. Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) 3. Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) 4. Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) 5. Department of Space (DOS) 6. Department of Science & Technology (DST) 7. University Grants Commission (UGC)
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Funding Agencies for R & D Project in India No Name of the Funding Agency 1 AICTE Type of project Amount Probable time 3 Years appro x.

1. Research Promotion Scheme (RPS) 2. Modernization and Removal of Obsolescence (MODROBS) 3. Thrust Area Programme in Technical Education (TAPTEC) 4. Research & Development (R & D)

Rs. 5-10 lakhs,

Rs. 20 lakhs

Rs. 20.00 lakhs

Rs. 10.00 lakhs 3 Years appro x 5

BRNS
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1. R & D programmes of NM interest and relevance to DAE of ETCE, JU, Kolkata Dept.

Sl.No Name of Type of project the Funding Agency 3 DST 1. R&D projects under the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) 2. R&D projects under the Intensification of Research in High Priority Areas (IRHPA) 3. R&D projects under the Mission on Nano Science and Technology (Nano Mission) 4. Instrumentation projects under Instrumentation Development Programme (IDP)
Dept. of ETCE, JU, Kolkata

Amount

Probable time

NM

3 Years appro x

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Sl.N o

Name of the Funding Agency DRDO

Type of project

Amount

Probable time

1.DRDO's Extramural Research Scheme 2.Short-duration Studies CSIR RESEARCH GRANTS ISRO Research grants INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMES

NM

2 Years approx 1 Year approx 3 Years approx 3 Years approx 3 Years approx

5 6 7

CSIR ISRO UGC

NM NM Rs.50.00 lakhs

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Funding Agencies in Abroad

Sl.No Name of the Funding Agency 1 International Foundation for Science Director, International Foundation for Science, Grev Turegatan 19, S.114 38, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN WEB: www.ifs.se e-mail: . info@ifs.se.web: Fax: Tel: 46 545 81800 Third World Academy of Sciences ( TWAS) Executive Director, Third World Academy of Sciences ( TWAS), c/o the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics ( ICTP), P.O. Box 586 Via Beirut 6 34100 Trieste Italy. e-mail: info@twas.org. web: www.org. Fax:+39 040 224559 Tel: +39040 2240387
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Name of the Funding Agency United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. The Executive Director, Third World Academy of Sciences, c/o TheAbdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Strada Costiera 11- 340 14 Trieste Italy e-mail: : info@twas.org. web:http://www.org/activities.html Fax: + 39 040 224559 Tel: + 39040 2240387 USDA Programme Officer, US Embassy, Chankyapuri, New Delhi. e-mail:usda@vsnl.net.in web: www.usda.vsnl.net.in Fax: 27785333 Tel: 011-27785333-336

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Name of the Funding Agency British Council The Facilitator, British Council 17, Kasturba Marg New Delhi 110001. e-mail: bc@vsnl.net.in web: www.bc.res.in Fax : 27689744 Tel : 011-24689744

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Funding agencies for Travel Grant to attend conferences

S. N. Name of National/International the funding agency AICTE Eligibility Remark

CSIR

International teacher, employed in Refer Conference/ University/Institutio their Seminar/ n/College site Symposium/ recognized by the for Workshop in AICTE. details Engineering and passed M.Sc/ BE / -doInternational Technology Foreign Travel Grant MBBS or equivalent degree and is a research scholar. His/her age should be not normally be above 40 years
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Sl. N. o

Name of National/International the funding agency DST

Eligibility

Remark

UGC

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Better Opportunities for Age: Upto -doYoung Scientists in 35 years Chosen Areas of Science & Technology (BOYSCAST) programme International Travel Grant Scheme for Permanent -doCollege Teachers Teachers International in Collaboration Colleges Exchange Programme (assistance to the extent of 50 % of their travel expense )JU, Kolkata Dept. of ETCE,

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CONCLUSION In India, not much funding is allotted for carrying out fundamental research in educational institutions, especially graduate level institutions. There are very few funding agencies in India such as UGC, CSIR, DST and AICTE. Since our government has drastically reduced grants for carrying out research activities, these funding agencies cannot allocate sufficient funds to educational institutions. Further, in some of these funding agencies, the authorities restrict funds to a few select areas only. As everyone is aware, many educational institutions government, governmentaided and self financing have introduced postgraduate and research programmers. However, these institutions suffer lack of adequate laboratory facilities required for advanced research activities.
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Despite the knowledge, drive, potential and motivation, the Indian youth miserably fail in research activities, because of inadequate funding. It is very saddening to note that our country is losing young, energetic and research-oriented students, since they migrate to foreign countries where the universities are supported by well equipped research laboratories. There is no meaning in blaming these students who are going abroad for higher studies (brain drain) without providing even the basic needs to support their higher studies in India. Our government has to take keen interest in providing adequate funds to carry out research activities in the field of science, since the development of any nation is based on fundamental research activities in the field of science. We sincerely expect our government to learn from well-developed countries about how much priority it should give to fundamental research activities in science.
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In fact, the country is losing a competitive edge in the world because of improper utilization of scientific resources and the strength of young scientists. We wish to cite a few examples to suggest to our funding agencies how to manage and allocate the funds they obtain from the government for proper utilization. For example, AICTE, New Delhi, a major agency providing grants to engineering and polytechnic institutions in the country in order to promote science and technology could provide less than Rs 10 lakhs only (for both recurring and nonrecurring) for R&D and TAPTEC (thrust area projects) programmers. As well known to everybody, any R&D/TAPTEC programmer will require costly, high-tech equipments, mostly imported from abroad. It is not correct in blaming the principal investigators and coordinators for not submitting their project details on time. For multifarious reasons, the project work gets delayed. First, the coordinators are not sure whether they would receive their grants from the funding agencies in time or not. Secondly, funding agencies do not sanction adequate funds as required by the coordinators for their projects.
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Further, they do not grant money in one full payment but in three or four installments. Under these circumstances, no coordinator can manage the available funds for his/her scheme and utilize the same in buying instruments, chemicals, etc. on time. When money less than the required amount is sanctioned, scientists find it very difficult to procure their sophisticated equipments. Hence they are forced to go in for lower and substandard versions or other low cost equipments from local manufacturers. These instruments often fail to provide accurate results and frequently undergo repairs. Also, local service personnel are not available to rectify these instruments on time and finance does not allow one to repair the equipments with trained personnel from professional organizations. This trend seriously affects the quality of research that is being done. The authors very much expect the funding agencies to understand the difficulties involved in carrying out research activities.
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