What is the National Research Foundation?

Source: The post is based on the article “What is the National Research Foundation?” published in The Hindu on 12th July 2023

What is the News?

The Union Cabinet has approved the introduction of the National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill in Parliament.

What is the National Research Foundation (NRF)?

The National Research Foundation(NRF) was one of the key recommendations of the National Education Policy 2020.

Objective: To act as a coordinating agency between researchers, various government bodies and industry, thus bringing industry into the mainstream of research.

– To provide research grants to individuals.

– To facilitate research in India’s universities, especially State universities, by funding research infrastructure and researchers.

The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) created by an act of Parliament in 2008, will stand repealed and subsumed into the NRF.

Funding of NRF: The NRF will operate with a budget of ₹50,000 crore for five years, of which 28% will be the government’s share, and the remaining 72% will come from the private sector. 

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What are the steps that should be taken to help NRF facilitate the “ease of doing science”?

First, the time between applying for a research grant and receiving the money must be minimal, preferably within six months.

– The NRF draft mentions that the peer-review process will be completed within six months but releasing funds may take time.

Second, all the paperwork must be digitally processed without sending stacks of papers in hard copies to the NRF. 

Third, all finance-related queries, paperwork, approval and acceptance need to be between the NRF and the finance department of the university/research institution keeping the scientist free to focus on research. 

Fourth, the NRF needs explicit spending guidelines away from the General Financial Rules (GFR) and the government’s e-Marketplace (GeM) usage. 

Fifthly, participation of the private industry in the NRF is an important and welcome step.But it is unclear how the government will raise ₹36,000 crore from the industry. Hence, a more detailed plan and establishing mechanisms akin to escrow accounts will reassure the scientific community.

Finally, the release of money needs to be timely.The NRF draft mentions timely disbursal of funds but a mechanism needs to be in place to facilitate and implement this.