UGC unveils scheme to help varsities overcome staff crunch

Hyderabad: Three of the University Grants Commission (UGC) scholarship schemes have helped the universities and colleges overcome the f staff crunch. The staff crunch has affected the research activities.

According to a UGC, it has rolled out "UGC BSR Faculty Fellowship Scheme' to encourage talented faculty members, who will retire within a year, to continue their research basic sciences.

It said that the scheme was rolled out to provide an opportunity for the continuance of research contributions by talented science and technology teachers nearing superannuation in State Universities.

The scheme which is also applicable to teachers of Central Universities, who are about to retire, would facilitate talented teachers in Science and Technology to continue their productive research for an additional period of three years after superannuation. Under this scheme they will play a research mentorship role for young researchers and PhD students, it said.

Similarly, the Commission has rolled out another fellowship scheme comprising of three components for the universities and their affiliated colleges to take up research projects in humanities and human sciences.

Christened as "Scheme for Trans-disciplinary Research for India's Developing Economy (STRIDE)", it provides support to research projects that are socially relevant, locally need-based, nationally important and globally significant.

The main objective of the new scheme is to benefit the faculty and students to strengthen trans-disciplinary research culture in the universities and affiliated colleges.

As part of the scheme, it aims to identify young talent, strengthen research culture, build capacity to promote innovation and support trans-disciplinary research for India's developing economy and national development.

Under the scheme, the UGC will fund multi-institutional network high impact research projects in humanities and human sciences. For this, the commission would provide funding to the tune of Rs 1 crore to carry out research in all disciplines.

That apart, the UGC will also provide funding to the tune of Rs 1 crore for the research in any discipline encouraging collaborations between universities, government, voluntary organisations and industries.

Also, under another component of the same scheme, the UGC said that it would fund Rs 1 to Rs 5 crore for high impact research projects in the identified thrust areas in humanities and human sciences through a national network of eminent scientists from leading institutions based on the merit of the project.

Likewise, under the Emeritus Fellowship Scheme (EFS) the UGC said that it would provide an opportunity to superannuated teachers to pursue active research in their respective field of specialisation in Indian universities, Deemed to be Universities eligible to receive a grant in aid from UGC.

Besides, universities, institutions, colleges funded by the Central and State governments and institute of national importance are also eligible to avail the scheme.