Universities are cradles of innovation and knowledge creation. Research in universities has three-tier effects concerned with quality of under-graduate and postgraduate education and value of research. They are the source of generating high calibre human resource and repositories of national intellectual wealth in Science & Technology (S&T) sector, which if channelized properly, may lead to overall socioeconomic development of the country.

The R&D Infrastructure Division of the Department aims to strengthen the S&T infrastructure of the country by fostering well-equipped R&D labs in the academic/ research institutes/ universitiesas well as a strong culture of research collaboration between institutions and across disciplines. It has four schemes the objectives of which, at large, are establishment of R&D labs, centres, upgradation of research facilities orienting towards creating a self- reliant India.

• FIST (Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure in Universities and Higher Educational Institutions): This scheme is operated in competitive mode of support at four levels. The financial support circumscribes six basic purposes i.e. Equipment,Infrastructural Facilities, Networking & Computational Facilities, Industrial R&D Support, SSR Activities and Maintenance. Depending on the level, the total financial support is limited to Rs. 1.50Crore (Level 0), Rs. 3.0 Crore (Level 1), Rs.5.0 Crore (Level 2) and Rs.10.0 Crore (Level 3).The program prefers to focus towards supporting interdisciplinary problems, solution-centric and translational research, and increasing the scope for participation of industries and start-ups and new ideas, aiming towards AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ as well as cater to the needs and aspirations of the society (SSR).

Contact Person: 

For Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences and PG Colleges Area- Dr Arindam Bhattacharyya, Scientist F,a[dot]bhattacharyya[at]nic[dot]in

For Engineering & Technological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences- Dr Pratishtha Pandey, Scientist F,pratishtha[dot]tp[at]nic[dot]in

For more details on eligibility and support, Click here.

• PURSE (Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence): The main objective of the scheme is to strengthen the research capacity of performing Indian Universities and provide support for nurturing the research ecosystem and strengthening the R&D base of the Universities in the country. Department of Science & Technology has restructured and re-oriented PURSE in the year 2020.  A combination of i10-index of faculty members in the University, H-index of the University along with NIRF Ranking is used to formulate the new criteria for selection of Universities under PURSE.

Contact Person: Dr. Pratishtha Pandey, Scientist ‘F’, pratishtha[dot]tp[at]nic[dot]in

For more details on eligibility and support, Click here.

• SAIF (Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facilities) The SAIF scheme is being implemented regionally with the objective to provide facilities of sophisticated analytical instruments to the research workers in general and especially from the institutions which do not have such instruments to enable them to pursue R&D activities. This enables the institutions acquiring such facilities to keep pace with development taking place globally.

Contact Person: Ms. Suchita Lokhande, Scientist ‘C’, suchita[dot]lokhande[at]nic[dot]in

For more details about the scheme, Click here.

• SATHI (Sophisticated Analytical & Technical Help Institutes): This scheme initiates the setting up of shared, professionally managed Science &Technology Infrastructure facility readily accessible to academia, start-ups, manufacturing units, industries and R&D Labs. SATHI Centres will be equipped with major analytical instrument and advanced manufacturing facility, which is usually not available at Institutes/ Organisations. The aim is to provide professionally managed services with efficiency, accessibility and transparency of highest order under one roof to service the demands of industry, start-ups and academia.

Contact Person: Dr. Pravakar Mohanty, Scientist ‘D’, pravakar[dot]mohanty[at]gov[dot]in

For more details on eligibility and support, Click here.

• STUTI (Synergistic Training program Utilizing the Scientific and Technological Infrastructure): The program has been designed to cater to human resource and its capacity building through open access to S&T Infrastructure across the country by organizing short term courses/ workshops on the awareness, use and application of various instruments and analytical techniques. Visit www.dststutitraining.com for more detailed and up-to-date information on current and future events being organized under the program.

Contact Person: Mr. Shubham Goel, Scientist ‘B’, goel[dot]shubham[at]gov[dot]in

For more details on eligibility and support, Click here.

Sathi kiBaat-

‘SathikiBaat’ is a monthly virtual interaction meeting of R&D Infrastructure Division Officers of respective schemes with stakeholders for addressing the general issues/ questions which the stakeholders feel the need to be addressed. The meeting is scheduled on the 3^rd Thursday of every month at 1500 hours. Click here to join the meeting.

Any general issues/ questions which stakeholders feel the need to be addressedcan be posteduntil 12 noon of 3rd Tuesday of every month via email to a[dot]bhattacharyya[at]nic[dot]in (FIST), pratishtha[dot]tp[at]nic[dot]in (PURSE), suchita[dot]lokhande[at]nic[dot]in (SAIF) pravakar[dot]mohanty[at]gov[dot]in (SATHI) and goel[dot]shubham[at]gov[dot]in (STUTI). 

DST Scheme "S&T Institutional and Human Capacity Building [1817] - Information related to CNA Model for Flow of Funds5.43 MB