Interface of Colleges with Universites & National Agencies

A. K. Srivastava Department of Chemistry University of Mumbai Vidyanagari, Santacruz(East) Mumbai − 400 098 Email: aksrivastava@chem.mu.ac.in Interface of Colleges with Universites & National Agencies

Our Education System • Education in India is seen as one of the ways to upward social mobility • Good education is seen as a stepping stone to a high flying career • Education System in India currently represents a great paradox. • On the one hand we have IIMs & IITs that rank among the best institutes in the world and on the other hand there are number of schools/ colleges/ universities in the country that don't even have the basic infrastructure. • Even after more than 60 years after independence we are far away from the goal of universal literacy. • But on a positive note, Indian professionals are considered among the best in the world & are in great demand. • This signifies the inherent strength of Indian education system.

Cooperative Relationships • Imperfect information: The potential partners may be unaware of each other’s goals and capacities, and learning such information may be costly or impossible • Uncertainty and immeasurability: The partners may not be able to accurately assess the quality of each other’s potential contribution and so may tend to undervalue it. • Irreversibility: The partners may be reluctant to make contributions to the relationship that cannot be reversed if the relationship ends (for example, the sharing of intellectual property).

Cooperative Relationships • Absence of focal points: Partnerships are facilitated when the partners can see points of likely agreement even before they communicate with each other. For example, precedents or common interests may make certain points of agreement seem natural or obvious. If there are no such points (known as focal points or Schelling points), agreements become less likely. • Non-unitary actors: The governance processes of one or both parties may allow constituencies within the organization to veto arrangements that might otherwise produce a net benefit for the organization as a whole. • Disincentives to share gains: Each partner may have an incentive to overstate the value of its contribution to the venture (as a way of claiming a higher share of the net gains). The aggregate effect of this behavior will be to overstate the costs of the venture, so the gains appear small or nonexistent.

Cooperative Relationships • Enforcement difficulties: The nature of the relationship may be such that it cannot be fully described in a contract that could be enforced by an authoritative third party (such as a court). This means that the parties themselves must find ways to resolve disputes. • Uncertainty about external authorities: An external authority (such as a regulator) may play a constructive role in creating incentives for cooperation. But an authority whose future behavior is unpredictable may have a dampening effect on cooperation, as players fear changes in the rules of the game.

Good practice in education • encourages contact between students and faculty, • develops reciprocity and cooperation among students, • encourages active learning, • gives prompt feedback, • emphasizes time on task, • communicates high expectations, and • respects diverse talents and ways of learning.

Academic Environment • A strong sense of shared purposes. • Concrete support from administrators and faculty leaders for those purposes. • Continuing examination of how well the purposes are being achieved. • Policies and procedures consistent with the purposes. • Adequate funding appropriate for the purposes.

Funding of Research It involves the following major steps: • Inculcation of Research interest / culture • Identification of Research area / topic • Selection of funding agency • Requirements of proposal as per agency • Writing the proposal for submission • Defending proposal before committee • Implementation

Funding Agency Government or Non-Government organization providing monetary grant for research

Major Funding Agencies in India • University Grants Commission ( UGC), New Delhi www.ugc.ac.in • Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi www.icssr.org • Department of Science and Technology (DST) New Delhi www.dst.gov.in • Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi www.csir.res.in • Department of Atomic Energy (DAE); BRNS www. barc.ernet.in

Major Funding Agencies in India • Department of Biotechnology ( DBT), New Delhi www.dbtindia.nic.in • Department of Non Conventional Energy Sources ( DNES), New Delhi www.mnre.gov.in • Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) www.drdo.nic.in • Indian Council of Agricultural Research www.icar.org.in • Ministry of Environment & Forest www.envfor.nic.in/funding

Funding Agencies in India • All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) • Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) • Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) • Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) • Ministry of Water Resources (MOWR) • Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MOSJE) • SahityaAKademy, New Delhi (www.sahitya-akademy.gov.in) • Banks • Industries, etc.

UGC • Institutional Funding: Major through five year plans: SAP, UPE & others schemes • Individual Projects: Major & Minor Major: The quantum of assistance for a research project: • Sciences including Engineering & Technology, Medical, Pharmacy, Agriculture etc. : Rs. 12 L • Humanities, Social Science, Languages, Literature, Arts, Law and allied disciplines: Rs. 10 L Minor: Sciences - Rs. 2 L Humanities & Social Sciences - Rs. 1.5 L # Incentives (from employer)

ICSSR • The research projects may belong to any one of the following social science disciplines or may be interdisciplinary in nature: the recognized disciplines / category are: • (i) Economics / Commerce / Management / Business Administration (ii) Sociology and Social Anthropology / Social Work / Demography / Gender Studies (iii) Political Science / International Relations / Geography / Public Administration (iv) Psychology / Education /Criminology (v) Other-Linguistics / Law etc.

DST: Scientific Programmes • Scientific & Engineering Research Council (SERC) • Technology Development (Drug, Pharma…) • S & T Socio-economic Development (Popularization of Sci. & Production of Mater.) • International S & T Cooperation (collaboration, facilities abroad, etc.) • Women Scientists Programme (up to 50 yrs; fellowships + research grant [23 L) • Technology Missions: Solar & Water

DST Objectives • To promote research in newly emerging frontier areas of science and engineering including multidisciplinary fields. • To selectively promote the general research capability in relevant areas of science and engineering taking into account capability of the host institutions. • To encourage young scientists to take up challenging R&D activities. • To give special encouragement to projects from relatively small and less endowed University Departments and Institutions. • To encourage patenting facilities to scientists and technologists in the country for Indian and foreign patents on a sustained basis.

DST: Activities • Project support to scientists in challenging areas in various disciplines • Unit and core group around outstanding scientists • Training programmes involving young scientists • SERC Student Fellowships • SERC Chairs in key areas of S&T • Setting up of Research support facilities • Organisation of Summer/Winter Schools • Women's scientist scheme

DST: SERC Schools • To encourage Young Scientists to take up challenging research and development activities. • Program Advisory Committee promotes the program in disciplines like Life, Chemical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. • PACs in Chemistry: Physical, Inorganic, Organic • Individual PAC (Environment, Sensors, etc.)

Programmes under SERC division • Programmes for Project Support • Intensification of Research in High Priority Areas (IRHPA) • Nanoscience Technology Initiative (NSTI) • Ramanujan Fellowship (below 60 yrs, 75 K, 5 L for conf. etc, res. Grant) • JC Bose National Fellowship (below 60 yrs, 25 K = sal., 10 L for conf. etc, res. Grant) • Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure in Universities and other Higher Educational Institutions (FIST) • Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facilities (SAIFs)

Programmes under SERC division • Human Resource Development and Nurturing Young Talent. • Swarnajayanti Fellowships(25 K; 30-40 Yrs) • Fast Track Scheme For Young Scientists (FAST) (<35 yrs) • Better Opportunities for Young Scientists in Chosen Areas of Science and Technology (BOYSCAST) • Women Scientists Programs • Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) • International Travel Support Scheme for Participation in Conferences Abroad • Assistance to Professional Bodies & Seminar/Symposia • Mathematical Science Program • Utilization of the Scientific Expertise of Retired Scientists (USERS) • Support for participation of Indian Scientists abroad for attending International Events • SERC Visiting Fellowship (<50 yr, work with experts)

DST: SERC Funding • The project proposals for consideration under the SERC Scheme can now be submitted anytime throughout the year. • The Investigators may submit only 20 copies of the proposal printed on both the sides of A4 size paper along with the electronic copy of the proposal on a CD.

DST: SERC Funding • Sophisticated equipment, instruments and facilities to academic institutions as part of R&D activities/programmes • Training to brilliant young scientists through fellowships, workshops, summer/ winter schools in few selected areas and students fellowships.

DST: Institutional Support • Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure in Higher Educational Institutions (FIST) • Support at 3 levels (5 years each) Level 0: • Colleges with relatively active teaching. • Moderate funding for improving teaching quality.

DST - FIST Level 0: • Proposals from College of Govt./ Govt. aided are considered for a maximum support up to Rs. 100.0 lakhs for Teaching as well as Research facilities to the non-self financed S & T departments for 5 years.

DST - FIST • For College, the support to 'College as a whole' shall be considered for the post-graduate S & T departments which are not self financed. For Self-financed post-graduate departments and Private Universities/ Academic Institutes including Colleges, support is considered only for research, having National Level Test (NET/GATE) qualified post-graduate students (more than 50 %) and such department would need to contribute 50 % of total recommended budget.

DST - FIST Level I: (Maximum Rs. 300 Lakhs) • University/Institute departments with active teaching & research. • Moderate funding for improving teaching & research quality.

DST - FIST Level II (Maximum Rs. 1000 lakhs) • Well Established Department. • Substantial Fundng for State-of-The-Art Equipment & for GLP DST – PURSE: Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence

FIST Support in the Country

Writing Research Proposal Eight Basic Questions Reviewers Ask • How high are the intellectual quality and merit of the study? • What is its potential impact? • How novel is the proposal? If not novel, to what extent does potential impact overcome this lack? Is the research likely to produce new data and concepts or confirm existing hypotheses?

Writing Research Proposal • Is the hypothesis valid and have you presented evidence supporting it? • Are the aims logical? • Are the procedures appropriate, adequate, and feasible for the research? • Are the investigators qualified? Have they shown competence, credentials, and experience? • Are the facilities adequate and the environment conducive to the research?

Writing Research Proposal Developing a Research Plan: • Specific Aims • Background and Significance • Literature survey • Preliminary Studies • Research Design and Methods • Predicted outcome • Budget

Criteria for a Good Grant Proposal • Most funding agencies apply similar criteria to the evaluation of proposals. • A proposal which fails to meet them will be rejected regardless of the quality of its source. Major criteria • Does the proposal address a well-formulated problem? • Is it a research problem, or is it just a routine application of known techniques? • Is it an important problem, whose solution will have useful effects? • Is special funding necessary to solve the problem, or could it be solved using the normal resources of a well-found laboratory?

Criteria for a Good Grant Proposal • Do the proposers have a good idea on which to base their work? • The proposal must explain the idea in sufficient detail to convince the reader • It is absolutely not enough merely to identify a wish-list of desirable goals (a very common fault). There must be significant technical substance to the proposal.

Criteria for a Good Grant Proposal • Do the proposers have a good track record, both of doing good research and of publishing it? • Absence of a track record is clearly not a disqualifying characteristic, especially in the case of young researchers, but a consistent failure to publish raises question marks. • Thrust areas get priority.

Criteria for a Good Grant Proposal • Finally, the committee tries to ensure that the budget is to be used in a cost-effective manner. • Each proposal which has some chance of being funded is examined • Committee may reduce the cost of project • Such cost reduction is likely to happen if the major costs of staff and equipment are not given clear, individual justification.

Project Implementation • Execution • Planning • Appointment of Project Fellows • Purchase of Equipment • Utilization Certificate • Claim for the subsequent years • Publication of findings • Final Report

Some Nobel laureates

Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, 1913 for Gitanjali First Non-European Nobel Laureate in Literature

Pearl Buck The Good Earth Nobel Prize in Literature 1938

Amartya Sen (1998) Noble Prize in Economics Contribution: Research on fundamental problems in welfare economics. Studies of social choice, welfare measurement, and poverty

Marie Curie Sklodowska (1911) Marie Skłodowska Curie was a Polish-born French physicist and chemist famous for her work on radioactivity. She was a pioneer in the field of radioactivity and the first person honored with two Nobel Prizes—in physics and chemistry. Recieved two nobel prizes...one for physics in 1903 and other for chemistry in 1911. (7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934)

Walther Hermann Nernst (1920) W. H. Nernst was a German physical chemist and physicist Known for his theories behind the calculation of chemical affinity as embodied in the third law of thermodynamics Nernst helped establish the modern field of physical chemistry and contributed to electrochemistry, thermodynamics, solid state chemistry and photochemistry. He is also known for developing the Nernst equation.

Albert Einstien 1921 • explained Brownian motion in a way that definitively proves atomic theory.

C. V. Raman (1930) "A new radiation”, Indian J. Phys., 2 (1928) 387 gained him the Nobel Prize in Physics.

Sir Alexander Fleming (1945) • The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1945 was awarded "for the discovery of penicillin and its curative effect in various infectious diseases".

Linus Carl Pauling (1954) Linus Carl Pauling was an American chemist, peace activist, author and educator. Pauling was among the first scientists to work in the fields of quantum chemistry and molecular biology.

Jaroslav Heyrovsky(1959) The Father of Polarography Heyrovsky’s polarograph The crater Heyrovsky on the Moon is named after him

Watson, Crick & Wilkins 1962 James D. Watson and Francis Crick proposed the structure of DNA, opening the door to the field of molecular biology

Robert Burns Woodward (1965) He Made many key contributions to modern organic chemistry, especially in the synthesis and structure determination of complex natural products.

Har Govind Khorana Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in1968 for Interpretation of Genetic Code and its function in protein synthesis

Interface of Colleges with Universites & National Agencies