Centre to set up National Research Foundation (NRF)

The Union Cabinet approved a Bill to set up the National Research Foundation (NRF).

It will be a new funding agency to bolster the country’s research competence in areas of science and technology.

The National Research Foundation Bill, 2023, will be brought in the upcoming session of Parliament and replace the Science and Engineering Research Board Act, 2008.

National Research Foundation

• The NRF will be an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction of scientific research in the country according to the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP).

• The NRF will have a governing board consisting of 15 to 25 eminent researchers and professionals, and it will be headed by the Prime Minister. 

• The proposed foundation will also have an executive council under the Principal Scientific Adviser. 

• The government has earmarked Rs 50,000 crore for research for five years (2023-28).

• Of this amount, the government will make available Rs 14,000 crore directly in the next five years, while the remaining Rs 36,000 crore would be garnered from public sector enterprises, industry, foundations and international research organisations.   

• It will seed, grow and promote research and development (R&D) and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India's universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories.

• It will focus on need-based research and interdisciplinary research will be promoted.

• The NRF will help support research in the fields of natural sciences, engineering and technology, environmental and earth sciences, and social sciences. 

• Funds would be provided by the NRF and priority would be given to high impact areas. 

• NRF will forge collaborations among the industry, academia, and government departments and research institutions, and create an interface mechanism for participation and contribution of industries and state governments in addition to the scientific and line ministries. 

• It will focus on creating a policy framework and putting in place regulatory processes that can encourage collaboration and increased spending by the industry on R&D.

• The Bill will repeal the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) Act, 2008 and subsume it into NRF which has an expanded mandate and covers activities over and above the activities of SERB.

Science and Engineering Research Board

• The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body of Department of Science and Technology (DST) has taken several significant steps in advancing R&D in frontier areas of science and engineering in the country. 

• The SERB interventions mainly aim to support the R&D projects in core areas of science, engineering and its interdisciplinary fields, targeting the young scientists/researchers to start/initiate their research through specific calls and fellowships programmes in view of equity and inclusion. 

• In addition, SERB takes new initiatives through need-based calls to trigger the research in national interest and emerging technologies.

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store