The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) promotes and funds competitive and quality scientific research and development with popular programmes and schemes like Core Research Grant, Start-up Research Grant,  Scientific and Useful Profound Research Advancement (SUPRA), and SERB--POWER fellowship to position science and technology as the fulcrum for social and economic change.

It supports basic research aiming to put management systems that would match the best global practices in promotion and funding in the area. The financial and administrative powers vested in the Board help quicker decisions on research issues, greatly improving the responsiveness to the genuine needs of the research scientists and the S&T system.

SERB, a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) established in 2011, serves as a major national funding agency for planning, promoting, and funding internationally competitive research in emerging areas of Science and Engineering. The institution is instrumental in building a sustainable research ecosystem in the country through its diverse programme portfolio that includes research grant funding, fostering young researchers, recognising and rewarding research excellence, promoting scientific networks and partnerships, and enhancing gender, equity, and social inclusiveness. Through its programmes, policies, procedures, and practices, SERB strides ahead in its mission to advance scientific research in the country.

The Board is continuously devising innovative schemes to identify potential scientists and support them in undertaking R&D in frontier areas of Science and Engineering. Its interventions are primarily focused on expanding the country's research base without compromising the research quality. During the COVID-19 pandemic, SERB formulated a special call to catalyse the R&D activities on critical components and innovations concerning Make-in-India, affordable diagnostics, drug repurposing, vaccine development ventilators, oxygen concentrators, and mathematical modelling to meet the emerging health-care requirements.

Its Core Research Grant (CRG) provides individual-centric support while Start-up Research

Grant (SRG) assists researchers to initiate research careers in a new institution. MATRICS provides grant support to active researchers with good credentials, while Scientific and Useful Profound Research Advancement (SUPRA) explores new scientific breakthroughs, challenging the existing hypothesis and offer disruptive technologies at the cutting edge. Empowerment and Equity Opportunities for  Excellence in Science (EMEQ) –provide support to researchers belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes. 

SERB recognises the work of outstanding scientists through schemes like the National Science Chair (NSC),  JC Bose Fellowship, Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation (AKTIN) Fellowship, SERB Science and Technology Award for Research --SERB-STAR SERB-Technology Translation Award (SERB-TETRA), Swarnajayanti Fellowship, Ramanujan Fellowship,  SERB Research Scientists (SRS) scheme,  SERB National Postdoctoral Fellowship (NPDF), SERB Women Excellence Award and supports them to further their research. Many of its schemes involve innovative ways to encourage experts from India and abroad, like Visiting Advanced Joint Research (VAJRA), International Travel Support Scheme (ITS), and Assistance to Professional bodies & Seminar/ Symposia to support events having a strong orientation towards scientific research.

Several collaborative programmes in which the institute is involved, like IMPRINT (Impacting Research Innovation and Technology), piloted by the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Department of Science and Technology (DST), Accelerate Vigyan, an inter-ministerial initiative scheme conceptualised and steered by SERB to expand the research base, SERB- Vision Oriented Thought Exchange (VORTEX) Programme encourages exploring new ideas in science and engineering disciplines.

Through several new initiatives like the IRHPA-BSL/ABSL-3, SERB-Centres for Antibody Engineering, SERB-Centre for Energy Transformation and Storage, SERB-Centres on AI-based Earth systems modelling, and the SERB-International Research Exposure (SIRE), the SERB is strengthening the frontier areas of Science and Technology and the areas that will be critical in the future to come.