Context
The collaboration will be facilitated between the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB)and GE’s John F Welch Technology Centre (JFWTC), Bengaluru to promote synergy between academic institutes, labs and industries for research and development in technology across energy, healthcare and aviation sectors.
Key features of the collaboration of SERB and GE India
- The collaboration is in line to address the challenges in the research and innovation space as elaborated in the draft Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2021.
- The program is undertaken as a part of the Fund for Industrial Research Engagement (SERB-FIRE).
- It aims to support research and development to solve critical national and global problems across key industries.
- The collaboration will help drive impetus for creating a transformative research mindset to foster a novel and impactful research ecosystem in the country.
- The GE and SERB partnership specifically aims towards the promotion of innovation and solve specific challenges in areas that are directly relevant to the industry, industry-academia collaborations with the focus on industry-relevant skill development.
- It will help in creating an ecosystem that would propel the growth in research work with national impact.
- Soon academic institutes, labs, and industries across the country can jointly apply for funds to work on innovations in areas of energy, healthcare and aviation.
- The partnership will actively contribute towards futuristic problems in science and technology.
Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB)
- It is a statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology, established by an Act of the Parliament of India in 2009.
- It will be supporting basic research in the emerging areas of Science & Engineering.
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What is Fund for Industrial Research Engagement (FIRE)?
- The “Fund for Industrial Research Engagement (FIRE)” is established under the Industry Relevant R&D (IRRD) scheme.
- It is supported by industry members and intends to address the challenges in the research and innovation space in India.
- It aims tocreate an ecosystem that would accelerate the growth in the research work with national impact, and drive the R&D landscape efficiently and effectively.
- It will help create a pool of funding, resources and network that would enable strong research projects with a breakthrough impact in India on some of the major issues relevant to the Industry.
- The fund is set up to give a much-needed impetus to building an innovation mindset in the country.
Industry Relevant R&D (IRRD) scheme
- The Industry Relevant R&D (IRRD) scheme of SERB aims to utilize the expertise available in the academic institutions and the national laboratories to solve industry-specific problems for the larger benefit of society.
- The objective of the scheme is to utilize the expertise that is available in academic institutions and national laboratories to solve industry-specific problems for the larger benefit of society.
- The funding for the scheme shall be shared between SERB and the Industry.
- The industry share should not be less than 50 % of the total budget.
- The SERB share shall not exceed Rs. 50 lakh for a project.
- The upper cap may be relaxed on case to case basis.
- The funding can be provided for a maximum period of three years.
- The support from SERB shall be extended only to the academic partner and not to the industry.
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