In a landmark move to strengthen India’s scientific research and innovation ecosystem, the Government has established the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) under the ANRF Act, 2023, which was officially notified in February 2024. The foundation is designed to mobilise and manage significant funding across multiple streams for research and development activities across the country.

The ANRF will receive financial support through various dedicated streams—the ANRF Fund, Innovation Fund, Science and Engineering Research Fund, and Special Purpose Funds. A budgetary provision of Rs 140 billionhas been allocated by the Central Government, while additional contributions will be sourced from public sector undertakings, private organisations, philanthropic bodies, and recovered or reinvested earnings. Furthermore, funds from the former Science and Engineering Research Board have been merged into this initiative. For the financial year 2024–25, the ANRF received a Revised Estimate of Rs 9.66 billion, of which Rs 7.21 billionhas already been utilised.

Competitive Research Grants for Universities Higher education institutions can access research grants by submitting proposals under competitive schemes advertised by ANRF, aligned with specific programme guidelines. So far, five major calls have been issued:

Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant (PMECRG) EV-Mission Inclusive Research Grant (IRG) Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR) JC Bose Grant

Among these, the PAIR programme stands out for its unique approach of pairing developing research institutions with well-established ones through a ‘Hub & Spoke’ model. This initiative aims to bolster research capacity in institutions where scientific exploration is still in a nascent stage but shows strong potential.

Key Objectives of the PAIR Programme: Support internationally competitive research with high impact

Create strong collaborative networks between institutions

Elevate institutional capacity through: Infrastructure and capability enhancement Improved research quality Adoption of best practices and cultivation of a strong research culture

PAIR Budget and Structure The programme has earmarked a budget of Rs 15 billion crore over five years, with up to Rs100 crore allocated to each selected PAIR network. Of this, 30% of funding is assigned to the Hub institution and 70% to the Spoke institutions. The paired institutions are expected to jointly develop impactful research proposals aligned with specified thematic areas.

In its initial phase, the PAIR programme is targeting universities with promising national rankings and a clear trajectory for growth in research output. Evaluation of proposals under various ANRF calls is currently underway.

As of now, there is no plan to establish regional centres of ANRF in collaboration with educational institutions. However, under the PAIR programme, hub institutions will be strategically located across India to ensure broad regional representation and impact.

This information was shared in a written reply in the Lok Sabha by Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences.