ANRF unveils PM Professorships to bolster research in State universities
Each selected Professor will receive an annual fellowship of ₹30 lakh, along with ₹24 lakh as a research grant for consumables, domestic travel, contingencies, equipment and other expenses. An overhead of ₹1 lakh per annum has also been provisioned.
The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), now subsumed under the ANRF, had earlier administered the SERB Distinguished Fellowship for retired scientists. That scheme offered a research grant of ₹20 lakh per annum and a monthly fellowship of ₹60,000.
Unlike previous fellowships, the new initiative is also open to overseas scientists, including Non-Resident Indians, Persons of Indian Origin, and Overseas Citizens of India. Additionally, professionals from industry and experienced Professors of Practice with a 'distinguished record' of research and innovation are eligible to apply.
A key distinction of the new programme is that recipients must be based at State universities that qualify as 'spoke' institutions under Category A of the recently introduced Promoting Advanced and Inclusive Research (PAIR) programme of the ANRF.
The PAIR initiative links universities with nascent research ecosystems to top-tier institutions in a mentorship arrangement. Select Central Universities, National Institutes of Technology and Indian Institutes of Information Technology have been classified as 'spoke' institutions, while institutions ranked 25 or below in the National Institutional Ranking Framework are designated as 'hubs'.
The selected Professors are expected to relocate, if necessary, to the host university and provide 'sustained academic and research support to faculty and students in institutions with emerging research capacity'.
'Applicants with strong research credentials must be actively involved in research and innovation activities, and demonstrate a strong commitment to mentor faculty at the eligible State universities where research and innovation is still at a nascent stage,' stated a note from the ANRF announcing the fellowship.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
18 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Gujarat approves action plan for Artificial Intelligence implementation in governance
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has approved the Action Plan for Implementation of Artificial Intelligence [AI] (2025–2030), setting the stage for the integration of AI into Gujarat's governance framework over the next five years. The plan aims to improve service delivery, strengthen administrative processes, and apply AI tools in sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, and finance. This move aligns with the broader goals of Viksit Gujarat@2047 and the national mission of Viksit Bharat@2047, officials said. Prepared by the Department of Science and Technology based on recommendations from a 10-member AI Taskforce Committee, the plan will serve as a roadmap to equip government departments with AI systems and capabilities. It also supports the Centre's broader objective, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to expand the use of artificial intelligence in public policy, administration, and digital infrastructure. The State's action plan focuses on six major areas: building a secure and regulation-compliant data ecosystem; expanding GPU and cloud-based digital infrastructure, including setting up AI factories in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities; training 2.5 lakh individuals—students, MSMEs, and government officials—in AI, machine learning, and related technologies; promoting research and partnerships between academia and industry for building practical government-use AI models; supporting DeepTech startups with incubation, mentorship, and funding; and ensuring safe and responsible AI through audit systems, guidelines, and risk protocols. Implementation will be carried out in phases, starting with the creation of a State-level AI data repository, setting up AI development facilities, and launching pilot projects in selected departments. To oversee the entire effort, the Government will establish a dedicated AI and Deep Tech Mission. This institutional mechanism will lead the design, planning, and monitoring of AI projects while facilitating collaboration between academic institutions, industry players, and startups. Gujarat has already taken steps to strengthen its AI foundation, including the launch of an AI Centre of Excellence at GIFT City, the organisation of AI training programmes for public officials, and the issuance of an Expression of Interest for developing Indian language-based AI models. The state has also conducted an AI Innovation Challenge to encourage practical solutions.
Economic Times
3 hours ago
- Economic Times
Cheaper cancer care therapy earns big bucks for pharma company
India's cell and gene therapy pioneer ImmunoAct has turned profitable in its first full year of operations, a rare feat in the country's emerging startup landscape where research-based pharma enterprises encounter serious scale and cash flow challenges. ImmunoACT, in which Hyderabad-based drugmaker Laurus Labs has roughly 34% equity stake, saw revenues of ₹62 crore with a profit before tax of ₹12 crore in FY25, according to sources. The year before, ImmunoAct had revenues of ₹11 crore. Founded by immunologist Rahul Purwar in 2013, ImmunoACT was spun off from the department of bioengineering department of IIT Bombay in 2018. ImmunoACT's NexCAR19 is the first indigenously developed breakthrough cancer CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T-cell) therapy approved by India's central drug regulatory agency in October 2023. NexCAR19 was formally launched in India in April 2024 at a price ~90% cheaper than its US and European counterparts like Novartis and Gilead, making it far more affordable for India and low-and-middle income countries, on its potential approval. So far, the therapy has been infused in over 350 patients across 70 hospitals in India. In CAR-T treatment, the patient's immune cells are extracted and through a maze of re-engineering processes infused back to recognize and kill cancer cells, giving a longer remission to patients as compared to the conventional options like immunotherapy or bone marrow transplants. The therapy is used when all other options are CAR-T dose (one-and-done infusion) costs around ₹30 lakh, which was initially priced at ₹42 lakh, and is expected to see a further decline as demand picks ImmunoACT has recently appointed former managing director of Roche India V Simpson Immanuel as its strategic Purwar added, "We needed someone who understands not just the commercial landscape, but also the nuances of innovation, patient access, and global expansion." Earlier this year, Immuneel Therapeutics, backed by leading names like Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and globally renowned oncologist Siddhartha Mukherjee secured approval for Qartemi, its cell therapy for adult B-cell non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, in India. Companies like Cipla, Dr Reddy's Labs and Bharat Biotech are investing heavily in new CAR-Ts. Globally, CAR-Ts are at the frontiers of a range of cancer treatments, attracting billions of dollars in investments from large drugmakers. The market for such therapies is expected to touch $134 billion by 2034 from around $10 billion at present.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Applications invited for JRF posts by Lakireddy Hanimireddy Degree College at Mylavaram
The Department of Botany in Dr. Lakireddy Hanimireddy Government Degree College, Mylavaram, has invited applications for the position of Junior Research Fellow (JRF) for a period of three years under the research project titled 'Study of Orchidaceae Family Plants in Andhra Pradesh' sanctioned by Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), New Delhi. In a statement on Saturday (July 26, 2025), project Director J. Ramudu said the candidates must have completed in Botany/Plant Sciences/Plant Biotechnology. Preference would be given to candidates who have qualified CSIR-UGC NET, GATE or SLET/SET. They should not have completed 28 years of age as on the date of application and age relaxation would be given as per government norms for SC/ST/BC/PWD/Women candidates. Dr. Ramudu said interested candidates should e-mail their bio data and scanned copies of educational qualifications in PDF format to rusabotany2024@ by 5 p.m. on August 10, 2025. For further details, aspirants can contact the Project Director, Dr. J. Ramudu, head of the department of Botany, Dr. Lakireddy Hanimireddy Government Degree College, Mylavaram, NTR district, Andhra Pradesh - 521230.
