Reiterating the Prime Minister’s commitment to quality research oriented higher education, the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has announced the launch of the Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR) Program.

The operationalisation of the ANRF was initiated with the First Meeting of the Governing Board (GB) on September 10, 2024, which was chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister as the President of the Governing Board (GB).

The ANRF signals a new beginning for the R&D ecosystem of the country. In line with this, the PAIR programme would bring major transformation in Indian Universities.

The GB meeting of ANRF had decided to launch a programme in hub and spoke model by pairing universities where research is at nascent stage, with top-tier established institutions in mentorship mode.

The groundbreaking PAIR initiative aligned with the objectives set by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, is designed to cultivate research excellence across Indian universities, particularly central and state public universities with limited research capabilities, by fostering collaborations with top-tier institutions.

This will be done through a mentorship-driven hub and spoke framework to facilitate systematic research growth across institutions. Hubs will guide emerging institutions (spokes) in research activities, provide access to harness their resources and expertise, thus bridging the gap between institutions and nurturing a robust research ecosystem in India.

Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary to the Government of India, DST, and CEO, ANRF emphasized that "the PAIR Program stands as a catalyst for transformative research in universities which have potential, with well-established institutions providing the necessary mentorship to elevate overall research standards. He said that in its first phase, ANRF would be targeting some select universities and institutions and in subsequent calls, the scope would be expanded. The idea is to improve research eco-system in our universities."

In the first phase, the Hub institutions would include institutions within the top 25 NIRF overall ranking as well as Institutions of National Importance within top 50 NIRF overall ranking.

The spoke institutions will include, Central and State Public Universities and select NITs and IIITs. Eligibility conditions would be expanded to include other universities and institutions in the subsequent phases.

Each PAIR network would consist of one hub and up to seven spoke institutions. Only one proposal per hub institution is allowed, with a mandatory involvement of multi-departmental faculty teams from spoke institutions.  Regional diversity among participants will also be ensured.

The programme would help stimulate innovation in emerging institutions by leveraging mentorship from high-ranking institutions, drive impactful, internationally competitive research with significant outcomes and establish collaborative networks, enhancing research quality through advanced infrastructure and best practices.

Prospective Programme Directors (PDs) from Hub institutions meeting eligibility criteria are invited to apply online at https://www.anrfonline.in/ANRF/PAIR?HomePage=New .

For more details on eligibility, funding guidelines, and application deadlines, going through the details in the link is encouraged.

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