The Centre for Research and Centre for Research (Bioscience), in association with the Department of Biotechnology, organized a One-Day Faculty Development and Interactive Session on “Indian Funding Proposal Schemes and Institute Building Ideas” on 25.10.2025 at Cute Hall.
The resource person for the session was Dr. T. Ram Prabhu, Scientist ‘E’ and Joint Director, DRDO. The session began with a welcome address delivered by Dr. C. Nirmala, Head of the Department, Biotechnology. The presidential address was delivered by Dr. R. R. Krishnamurthy, Director – Centre for Research, Paavai Institutions. He emphasized that such expert sessions provide valuable knowledge exposure to the teaching community and support the Chairman’s vision of “introducing a research flavour in the Paavai ecosystem.” He also highlighted the importance of academic networking in enhancing the research domain.
The guest introduction was given by Ms. S. Ilakya, Assistant Professor, Department of Biotechnology. Dr. Prabhu initiated his session by posing an engaging question, “What are your expectations?” He emphasized that understanding the R&D roadmaps provided by each funding agency is crucial to getting shortlisted for proposals.
Outcomes of the Event:
- Exposed the gathering to notable funding agencies such as DST, DBT, SERB, DSIR, CSIR, and MeiTY.
- Created awareness about ANRF research grant schemes, including Mission for High Impact Areas, Prime Minister Professorship, ARG-MATRICS, Convergence Research Centres of Excellence, and Advanced Research Grants.
- Discussed various startup grant platforms such as MeitY/TDB/NITI Aayog, DBT-BIRAC, DBT-BioNest, DST-NIDHI PRAYAS, and others.
- Introduced specific startup grants for Defence, Institutional, and State-level seed funding.
- Provided insights on student exposure visit opportunities such as ISRO YUVIKA, INSPIRE MANAK, DST-Vigyan Jyoti.
- Mentioned internship programs for UG students, including MeitY Digital India, AICTE YUVAK Study Tour, AICTE-INAE Travel Grant, and CSIR-Diamond Jubilee.
The speaker encouraged faculty members to apply for Teachers Associateship for Research Excellence (TARE) and engage in transdisciplinary research projects. He also highlighted research grant schemes available specifically for women researchers, including SERB-POWER, DST-WISE-KIRAN, and DSIR-TDUPW. Additionally, Dr. Prabhu motivated participants to explore the ISRO RESPOND Basket and pitch innovative ideas, while also mentioning the latest ADITI scheme call.
The session concluded with a Q&A segment, where participants actively discussed and clarified their project proposal queries. The enthusiastic interactions made the program lively, insightful, and engaging.
The event ended with a vote of thanks delivered by Ms. E. Gomathi, TRA, Department of Biotechnology, who expressed gratitude to the distinguished speaker for his valuable insights and to the organizing team for a successful and enlightening session.
A total of 50 participants, including faculty members and HoDs from Paavai Engineering College and Paavai College of Engineering, attended the program.
