ANRF PAIR Program: IITs, IISc, DU among 124 institutes picked for Rs 100 cr research grants

NEW DELHI: A total of 124 institutions across the country have been selected by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) for conducting research in various fields. The institutions, classified into “hub” and “spoke” institutions and grouped into pairs, will receive Rs 100 crore as ANRF grant over the next five years.

Each ANRF PAIR comprises one hub and a network of seven spoke institutions, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration on nationally-relevant research themes. Out of the total 124 institutions, 18 are hubs and 106 spokes.

Ten Indian Institutes of Technology feature in the list of hubs – including IIT Madras, Ropar, Indore, Bombay, Delhi, Kanpur, Hyderabad, Gandhinagar, Guwahati and Dhanbad – as does Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru. Also included are one National Institute of Technology (NIT), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune (IISER Pune), three central universities and two private universities.

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A recommendation in the National Education Policy 2020, the ANRF has been established to promote research and development and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India's higher educational institutions. The ANRF PAIR program was launched late last year.

ANRF PAIR scheme

A statement issued by the body said, “Rooted in the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the PAIR Program is a pivotal step in ANRF’s mission to unlock the untapped research potential of India’s academic landscape. By fostering strategic partnerships and mentorship, the initiative is set to transform institutions into centres of innovation, leadership and global relevance.”

Following the submission of the proposal the institutions were selected by the body.

The selected institutions have been categorised into two modes:

• Category A: 7 hub institutions with 45 spokes between them

• Category B: 11 hub institutions with 61 spokes

The Rs 100 crore grant over five years will be distributed in a 30:70 ratio between Hub and Spoke institutions, respectively.

ANRF PAIR results

NIT Rourkela will lead a collaborative research initiative titled "Consortium of Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture, Health, Energy, and Environment”.

This will focus on four key thematic areas such as energy technologies, environmental sustainability; health and medical technologies; and sustainable agriculture.

The network of seven spoke institutions under it includes:

• Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Burla

• Sambalpur University, Burla

• Odisha University of Technology and Research (OUTR), Bhubaneswar

• Fakir Mohan University, Balasore

• International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Bhubaneswar

• Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar

• Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab

University of Hyderabad has received the grant for research and innovation in “health and medical technologies” where it will be working toward solutions for metabolic diseases, infectious diseases, and cancers (MICs) — specifically targeted at diabetes, fatty liver disease, dengue, malaria, breast cancer, and blood cancer, the UoH said in a statement.

The SPOKE institutions for UoH are Osmania University, Central University of Karnataka, Sri Venkateswara University, Yogi Vemana University, Mahatma Gandhi University and Kannur University.

The other two central universities include Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Delhi University (DU) with five and four spoke institutions, respectively.

The two private universities include Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) and Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT Vellore).