The list of Research Funding Agencies in India pertaining to Engineering, Science, and Technology functioning under the Government of India is presented in this article by iLovePhD.
1. Department of Science and Technology (DST)
The Department of Science & Technology (DST) plays a pivotal role in promoting science & technology in India. The department has wide-ranging activities ranging from promoting high-end basic research and development of cutting edge technologies, on the one hand, to service the technological requirements of the commoner through the development of appropriate skills and technologies on the other.
2. Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
The Department of Biotechnology is an Indian government department, under the Ministry of Science and Technology responsible for administrating development and commercialization in the field of modern biology and biotechnology in India.
3. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), known for its cutting edge R&D knowledge base in diverse S&T areas, is a contemporary R&D organization. CSIR has a dynamic network of 37 national laboratories, 39 outreach centers, 3 Innovation Complexes, and five units with a pan-India presence. CSIR’s R&D expertise and experience are embodied in about 3460 active scientists supported by about 4350 scientific and technical personnel as of June 2021. Also, CSIR covers a wide spectrum of science and technology – from oceanography, geophysics, chemicals, drugs, genomics, biotechnology, and nanotechnology to mining, aeronautics, instrumentation, environmental engineering, and information technology.
4. Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), under the Government of India, is mandated to provide services for weather, climate, ocean and coastal state, hydrology, seismology, and natural hazards; to explore and harness marine living and non-living resources in a sustainable manner for the country and to explore the three poles of the Earth (the Arctic, Antarctic, and the Himalayas).
5. Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)
The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) came into being on August 3, 1954, under the direct charge of the Prime Minister through a Presidential Order. According to the Resolution constituting the AEC, the Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Atomic Energy is ex-officio Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.
DAE has been engaged in the development of nuclear power technology, and applications of radiation technologies in the fields of agriculture, medicine, industry, and basic research.
6. Department of Space (DoS)
The Department of Space (DOS) has the primary objective of promoting the development and application of space science and technology to assist in the all-around development of the nation. Towards this, DOS has evolved the following programs:
1. Launch Vehicle program having the indigenous capability for launching spacecraft.
2. INSAT Programme for telecommunications, broadcasting, meteorology, development of education, etc.
3. Remote Sensing Programme for application of satellite imagery for various developmental purposes.
4. Research and Development in Space Sciences and Technology for serving the end of applying them for national development.
7. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous organization under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. Formerly known as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research,
8. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination, and promotion of biomedical research, is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world. The ICMR has always attempted to address itself to the growing demands of scientific advances in biomedical research on the one hand, and to the need of finding practical solutions to the health problems of the country, on the other. The ICMR has come a long way from the days when it was known as the IRFA, but the Council is conscious of the fact that it still has miles to go in pursuit of scientific achievements as well as health targets.
9. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
M3itY promotes e-Governance for empowering citizens, promoting the inclusive and sustainable growth of the Electronics, IT & ITeS industries, enhancing India’s role in Internet Governance, adopting a multipronged approach that includes the development of human resources, promoting R&D and innovation, enhancing efficiency through digital services and ensuring secure cyberspace.
10. Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF & CC)
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is the nodal agency in the administrative structure of the Central Government for the planning, promotion, coordination, and overseeing of the implementation of India’s environmental and forestry policies and programs.
The Ministry also serves as the nodal agency in the country for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP), International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), and for the follow-up of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The Ministry is also entrusted with issues relating to multilateral bodies such as the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), Global Environment Facility (GEF), and regional bodies like the Economic and Social Council for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP) and South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) on matters pertaining to the environment.
11. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is a ministry of the Government of India, headed by current Union Cabinet Minister Raj Kumar Singh, that is mainly responsible for research and development.
12. Ministry of Education (MoE)
The Ministry of Education (MoE) was created on September 26, 1985, through the 174th amendment to the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961. Currently, the MoE works through two departments:
- Department of School Education & Literacy
- Department of Higher Education
While the Department of School Education & Literacy is responsible for the development of school education and literacy in the country, the Department of Higher Education takes care of what is one of the largest Higher Education systems in the world, just after the United States and China.
13. Technology Development Board (TDB)
The TDB provides financial assistance to Indian industrial concerns and other agencies, attempting the development and commercial application of indigenous technology, or adapting imported technology to wider domestic applications.
The objectives are to:
- promote new ideas from small enterprises even at the risk of failure;
- encourage the production of competitive consumer products;
- motivate industries and R&D institutions for product innovation;
- develop socially relevant and profitable technologies;
- identify and act in areas requiring strategic interventions;
- Invest in core Technological Strengths to Enable India Industry to Stand-up to the competitive Pressure and Become a Global Player.
14. Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB)
SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH BOARD (SERB) is the premier national research funding agency, that raises the quality and footprint of Indian science and engineering to the highest global levels in an accelerated mode, through calibrated support for research and development.
Hope this article would help you to know the List of Research Funding Agencies in India that provides various research grants.
