University of Mumbai
Interface of Colleges with
Universites & National Agencies
A. K. Srivastava
Department of Chemistry
University of Mumbai
Vidyanagari, Santacruz (East)
Mumbai − 400 098
Email: aksrivastava@chem.mu.ac.in
University of Mumbai
Our Education System
• Education in India is seen as one of the ways to upward social mobility
• Good education is seen as a stepping stone to a high flying career
• Education System in India currently represents a great paradox.
• On the one hand we have IIMs & IITs that rank among the best institutes
in the world and on the other hand there are number of schools/
colleges/ universities in the country that don't even have the basic
infrastructure.
• Even after more than 60 years after independence we are far away from
the goal of universal literacy.
• But on a positive note, Indian professionals are considered among the
best in the world & are in great demand.
• This signifies the inherent strength of Indian education system.
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Cooperative Relationships
• Imperfect information: The potential partners may be
unaware of each other’s goals and capacities, and learning
such information may be costly or impossible
• Uncertainty and immeasurability: The partners may not be
able to accurately assess the quality of each other’s
potential contribution and so may tend to undervalue it.
• Irreversibility: The partners may be reluctant to make
contributions to the relationship that cannot be reversed if
the relationship ends (for example, the sharing of
intellectual property).
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Cooperative Relationships
• Absence of focal points: Partnerships are facilitated when the partners can
see points of likely agreement even before they communicate with each
other. For example, precedents or common interests may make certain
points of agreement seem natural or obvious. If there are no such points
(known as focal points or Schelling points), agreements become less likely.
• Non-unitary actors: The governance processes of one or both parties may
allow constituencies within the organization to veto arrangements that might
otherwise produce a net benefit for the organization as a whole.
• Disincentives to share gains: Each partner may have an incentive to overstate
the value of its contribution to the venture (as a way of claiming a higher
share of the net gains). The aggregate effect of this behavior will be to
overstate the costs of the venture, so the gains appear small or nonexistent.
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Cooperative Relationships
• Enforcement difficulties: The nature of the relationship may
be such that it cannot be fully described in a contract that
could be enforced by an authoritative third party (such as a
court). This means that the parties themselves must find
ways to resolve disputes.
• Uncertainty about external authorities: An external
authority (such as a regulator) may play a constructive role
in creating incentives for cooperation. But an authority
whose future behavior is unpredictable may have a
dampening effect on cooperation, as players fear changes in
the rules of the game.
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Good practice in education
• encourages contact between students and
faculty,
• develops reciprocity and cooperation among
students,
• encourages active learning,
• gives prompt feedback,
• emphasizes time on task,
• communicates high expectations, and
• respects diverse talents and ways of learning.
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Academic Environment
• A strong sense of shared purposes.
• Concrete support from administrators and
faculty leaders for those purposes.
• Continuing examination of how well the
purposes are being achieved.
• Policies and procedures consistent with the
purposes.
• Adequate funding appropriate for the
purposes.
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Funding of Research
It involves the following major steps:
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Inculcation of Research interest / culture
Identification of Research area / topic
Selection of funding agency
Requirements of proposal as per agency
Writing the proposal for submission
Defending proposal before committee
Implementation
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Funding Agency
Government or Non-Government organization
providing monetary grant for research
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Major Funding Agencies in India
• University Grants Commission ( UGC), New Delhi
www.ugc.ac.in
• Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New
Delhi
www.icssr.org
• Department of Science and Technology (DST) New Delhi
www.dst.gov.in
• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New
Delhi
www.csir.res.in
• Department of Atomic Energy (DAE); BRNS
www. barc.ernet.in
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Major Funding Agencies in India
• Department of Biotechnology ( DBT), New Delhi
www.dbtindia.nic.in
• Department of Non Conventional Energy Sources ( DNES),
New Delhi
www.mnre.gov.in
• Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
www.drdo.nic.in
• Indian Council of Agricultural Research
www.icar.org.in
• Ministry of Environment & Forest
www.envfor.nic.in/funding
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Funding Agencies in India
• All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)
• Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha
and Homeopathy (AYUSH)
• Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
• Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
• Ministry of Water Resources (MOWR)
• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MOSJE)
• Sahitya AKademy, New Delhi (www.sahitya-akademy.gov.in)
• Banks
• Industries, etc.
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UGC
• Institutional Funding:
Major through five year plans: SAP, UPE & others schemes
• Individual Projects: Major & Minor
Major: The quantum of assistance for a research project:
• Sciences including Engineering & Technology, Medical, Pharmacy,
Agriculture etc. : Rs. 12 L
• Humanities, Social Science, Languages, Literature, Arts, Law and allied
disciplines: Rs. 10 L
Minor: Sciences - Rs. 2 L
Humanities & Social Sciences - Rs. 1.5 L
# Incentives (from employer)
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ICSSR
• The research projects may belong to any one of the
following social science disciplines or may be
interdisciplinary in nature: the recognized
disciplines / category are:
• (i) Economics / Commerce / Management / Business Administration
(ii) Sociology and Social Anthropology / Social Work / Demography /
Gender Studies
(iii) Political Science / International Relations / Geography / Public
Administration
(iv) Psychology / Education /Criminology
(v) Other-Linguistics / Law etc.
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DST: Scientific Programmes
• Scientific & Engineering Research Council (SERC)
• Technology Development (Drug, Pharma…)
• S & T Socio-economic Development (Popularization
of Sci. & Production of Mater.)
• International S & T Cooperation (collaboration,
facilities abroad, etc.)
• Women Scientists Programme (up to 50 yrs;
fellowships + research grant [23 L)
• Technology Missions: Solar & Water
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DST Objectives
• To promote research in newly emerging frontier areas of science and
engineering including multidisciplinary fields.
• To selectively promote the general research capability in relevant areas
of science and engineering taking into account capability of the host
institutions.
• To encourage young scientists to take up challenging R&D activities.
• To give special encouragement to projects from relatively small and less
endowed University Departments and Institutions.
• To encourage patenting facilities to scientists and technologists in the
country for Indian and foreign patents on a sustained basis.
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DST: Activities
• Project support to scientists in challenging areas in various disciplines
• Unit and core group around outstanding scientists
• Training programmes involving young scientists
• SERC Student Fellowships
• SERC Chairs in key areas of S&T
• Setting up of Research support facilities
• Organisation of Summer/Winter Schools
• Women's scientist scheme
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DST: SERC Schools
• To encourage Young Scientists to take up
challenging research and development activities.
• Program Advisory Committee promotes the
program in disciplines like Life, Chemical,
Physical and Engineering Sciences.
• PACs in Chemistry: Physical, Inorganic, Organic
• Individual PAC (Environment, Sensors, etc.)
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Programmes under SERC division
• Programmes for Project Support
• Intensification of Research in High Priority Areas (IRHPA)
• Nanoscience Technology Initiative (NSTI)
• Ramanujan Fellowship (below 60 yrs, 75 K, 5 L for conf. etc, res. Grant)
• JC Bose National Fellowship (below 60 yrs, 25 K = sal., 10 L for conf. etc,
res. Grant)
• Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure in Universities and other
Higher Educational Institutions (FIST)
• Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facilities (SAIFs)
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Programmes under SERC division
• Human Resource Development and Nurturing Young Talent.
– Swarnajayanti Fellowships (25 K; 30-40 Yrs)
– Fast Track Scheme For Young Scientists (FAST) (<35 yrs)
– Better Opportunities for Young Scientists in Chosen Areas of Science
and Technology (BOYSCAST)
• Women Scientists Programs
• Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY)
• International Travel Support Scheme for Participation in Conferences
Abroad
• Assistance to Professional Bodies & Seminar/Symposia
• Mathematical Science Program
• Utilization of the Scientific Expertise of Retired Scientists (USERS)
• Support for participation of Indian Scientists abroad for attending
International Events
• SERC Visiting Fellowship (<50 yr, work with experts)
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DST: SERC Funding
• The project proposals for consideration under
the SERC Scheme can now be submitted
anytime throughout the year.
• The Investigators may submit only 20 copies
of the proposal printed on both the sides of
A4 size paper along with the electronic copy
of the proposal on a CD.
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DST: SERC Funding
• Sophisticated equipment, instruments and
facilities to academic institutions as part of
R&D activities/programmes
• Training to brilliant young scientists through
fellowships, workshops, summer/ winter
schools in few selected areas and students
fellowships.
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DST: Institutional Support
• Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure
in Higher Educational Institutions (FIST)
• Support at 3 levels (5 years each)
Level 0:
• Colleges with relatively active teaching.
• Moderate funding for improving teaching
quality.
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DST - FIST
Level 0:
• Proposals from College of Govt./ Govt. aided
are considered for a maximum support up to
Rs. 100.0 lakhs for Teaching as well as
Research facilities to the non-self financed S
& T departments for 5 years.
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DST - FIST
• For College, the support to 'College as a whole' shall
be considered for the post-graduate S & T
departments which are not self financed.
For Self-financed post-graduate departments and
Private Universities/ Academic Institutes including
Colleges, support is considered only for research,
having National Level Test (NET/GATE) qualified
post-graduate students (more than 50 %) and such
department would need to contribute 50 % of total
recommended budget.
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DST - FIST
Level I: (Maximum Rs. 300 Lakhs)
• University/Institute departments with active
teaching & research.
• Moderate funding for improving teaching &
research quality.
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DST - FIST
Level II (Maximum Rs. 1000 lakhs)
• Well Established Department.
• Substantial Fundng for State-of-The-Art
Equipment & for GLP
DST – PURSE:
Promotion of University Research and Scientific
Excellence
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FIST Support in the Country
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Writing Research Proposal
Eight Basic Questions Reviewers Ask
• How high are the intellectual quality and
merit of the study?
• What is its potential impact?
• How novel is the proposal? If not novel, to
what extent does potential impact overcome
this lack? Is the research likely to produce
new data and concepts or confirm existing
hypotheses?
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Writing Research Proposal
• Is the hypothesis valid and have you
presented evidence supporting it?
• Are the aims logical?
• Are the procedures appropriate, adequate,
and feasible for the research?
• Are the investigators qualified? Have they
shown competence, credentials, and
experience?
• Are the facilities adequate and the
environment conducive to the research?
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Writing Research Proposal
Developing a Research Plan:
• Specific Aims
• Background and Significance
• Literature survey
• Preliminary Studies
• Research Design and Methods
• Predicted outcome
• Budget
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Criteria for a Good Grant Proposal
• Most funding agencies apply similar criteria to the
evaluation of proposals.
• A proposal which fails to meet them will be rejected
regardless of the quality of its source. Major criteria
• Does the proposal address a well-formulated problem?
• Is it a research problem, or is it just a routine application of
known techniques?
• Is it an important problem, whose solution will have useful
effects?
• Is special funding necessary to solve the problem, or could it
be solved using the normal resources of a well-found
laboratory?
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Criteria for a Good Grant Proposal
• Do the proposers have a good idea on which to base
their work?
• The proposal must explain the idea in sufficient
detail to convince the reader
• It is absolutely not enough merely to identify a
wish-list of desirable goals (a very common fault).
There must be significant technical substance to the
proposal.
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Criteria for a Good Grant Proposal
• Do the proposers have a good track record,
both of doing good research and of publishing
it?
• Absence of a track record is clearly not a
disqualifying characteristic, especially in the
case of young researchers, but a consistent
failure to publish raises question marks.
• Thrust areas get priority.
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Criteria for a Good Grant Proposal
• Finally, the committee tries to ensure that the
budget is to be used in a cost-effective manner.
• Each proposal which has some chance of being
funded is examined
• Committee may reduce the cost of project
• Such cost reduction is likely to happen if the
major costs of staff and equipment are not
given clear, individual justification.
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Project Implementation
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Execution
Planning
Appointment of Project Fellows
Purchase of Equipment
Utilization Certificate
Claim for the subsequent years
Publication of findings
Final Report
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Some Nobel laureates
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Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, 1913 for
Gitanjali
First Non-European Nobel Laureate in
Literature
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Pearl Buck
The Good Earth
Nobel Prize in Literature 1938
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Amartya Sen (1998)
Noble Prize in Economics
Contribution: Research on
fundamental problems in
welfare economics.
Studies of social choice,
welfare measurement, and
poverty
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Marie Curie Sklodowska (1911)
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Marie Skłodowska Curie was a Polish-born
French physicist and chemist famous for her work
on radioactivity.
She was a pioneer in the field of radioactivity and
the first person honored with two Nobel Prizes—in
physics and chemistry.
Recieved two nobel prizes...one for physics in
1903 and other for chemistry in 1911.
(7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934)
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Walther Hermann Nernst (1920)
• W. H. Nernst was a German physical
chemist and physicist
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Known for his theories behind the
calculation of chemical affinity as
embodied in the third law of
thermodynamics
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Nernst helped establish the modern
field of physical chemistry and
contributed to electrochemistry,
thermodynamics, solid state
chemistry and photochemistry.
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He is also known for developing the
Nernst equation.
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Albert Einstien 1921
• explained Brownian
motion in a way that
definitively proves
atomic theory.
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C. V. Raman (1930)
"A new
radiation”, Indian J.
Phys., 2 (1928) 387
gained him the Nobel
Prize in Physics.
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Sir Alexander Fleming (1945)
• The Nobel Prize in
Physiology or
Medicine 1945
was awarded "for
the discovery of
penicillin and its
curative effect in
various infectious
diseases".
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Linus Carl Pauling (1954)
• Linus Carl Pauling was an American
chemist, peace activist, author and
educator.
Pauling was among the first scientists
to work in the fields of quantum
chemistry and molecular biology.
Jaroslav Heyrovsky(1959)
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The Father of Polarography
Born
December 20, 1890, Prague
Died
March 27, 1967 (aged 76),
Cambridge, England
Nationality
Fields
Czechoslovakia
Electroanalytical Chemistry
Institutions
Royal Air Force
Alma mater
Charles University, University College,
London
Known for
Electroanalytical Chemistry
Notable awards
Nobel Prize for Chemistry (1959)
Heyrovsky’s polarograph
The crater Heyrovsky on the Moon is named after him
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Watson, Crick & Wilkins 1962
• James D. Watson
and Francis Crick
proposed the
structure of DNA,
opening the door to
the field of molecular
biology
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Robert Burns Woodward (1965)
• He Made many key
contributions to modern organic
chemistry, especially in the
synthesis and structure
determination of complex
natural products.
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Har Govind Khorana
Nobel Prize in
Physiology or Medicine
in1968 for Interpretation
of Genetic Code and its
function in protein
synthesis
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Donald J. Cram, Jean-Marie Lehn,
Charles J. Pedersen (1987)
Developed and used molecules with structure-specific interactions of high
selectivity…introduced the field of supramolecules to the world…
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"Supramolecular chemistry is
the chemistry of the
intermolecular bond, covering
the structures and functions of
the entities formed by the
association of two or more
chemical species"
J.-M- Lehn
University of Mumbai
Richard R. Ernst
(1991)
• Nobel prize for his contributions
to the development of the
methodology of high resolution
nuclear magnetic resonance
(NMR) spectroscopy.
• It has direct application in
medicine field (MRI)
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Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Thomas A. Steitz and
Ada E. Yonath (2009)
• The Nobel Prize in Chemistry
2009 was awarded jointly to
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan,
Thomas A. Steitz and Ada E.
Yonath "for studies of the
structure and function of the
ribosome".
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Chemistry in our daily life
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Current Thrust Areas
• Catalyst for Splitting of water under sunlight to
produce hydrogen as an alternate source of energy
• Substitute for nuclear energy used for electricity
production (recent incidence in Japan)
• Anti ageing drugs to prevent death
• Drugs for curing AIDS and Cancer
• Synthesis of materials for artificial human organs
• Sensors for every element and molecule to do away
with pathlogical laboratories
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