Sarkari Yojana
National Science Chair- Science Leadership
About National Science Chair- Science Leadership
Only a handful of chairs/professorships exist nationwide, instituted with public funds by various ministries, departments, and academies. Given how scarce these opportunities are, the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) runs one such initiative — the National Science Chair: Scientific Excellence & Science Leadership — to honour eminent, senior, resident Indian scientists past retirement for their standout contributions, at home and abroad, across Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), and Medicine, so as to lift excellence and growth in R&D. Mode-2: Science Leadership: This mode centres on recognising thought leadership shown by the awardee during the most productive stretch of their career, as well as more recently. The nominee should be an active researcher whose work carries real, demonstrable impact, and who has built an international reputation as an R&D leader — whether through mentoring younger colleagues, running innovative research, publishing in SCI journals, or helping shape policy, in any single one of these or some combination. > Objective:
To recognise outstanding contributions by resident Indian superannuated scientists toward excellence, both nationally and internationally. > Advisory Committee:
The National Science Chair Advisory Committee (NSCAC) oversees how the Chairs develop, recommends awardees, reviews their progress and extensions, and carries out whatever else is needed to keep the R&D promoted through this award relevant and high-quality. > Number of Positions:
- No more than five (5) positions exist in total.
Tenure and Commencement:
- Awards run for an initial 3 years, extendable by up to two more, on the NSCAC’s recommendation.
- Selected Chairs must join within six months of receiving their offer letter.
Scheme Overview
Central Government
Ministry Of Science And Technology
Science And Engineering Research Board, Government Of India
Individual
Scheme Details
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for National Science Chair- Science Leadership, applicants must satisfy the following conditions:
Eligibility for nomination:
The nominee must be a distinguished resident Indian…
The nominee must be a distinguished resident Indian scientist/academician with expertise in one or more STEM/Medicine areas, particularly over the last 10 years.
The nominee must qualify as a Science Leader,…
The nominee must qualify as a Science Leader, recognised for their work by national/international scientific bodies -- for instance, through fellowship in a prestigious academy or an S&T award.
The nominee may be affiliated with an academic…
The nominee may be affiliated with an academic institution/R&D lab, or should have the future host institution's consent to be associated with it. Note: At the time the NSC award is initiated by SERB, the nominee must not hold any administrative role, nor be drawing an honorarium/fellowship/salary from any other institute or organisation. Assessment Criteria: NSCAC sets the assessment criteria for choosing awardees, generally weighing:
The nominee's outstanding research record and international standing…
The nominee's outstanding research record and international standing in their field.
The quality and originality of the proposed research…
The quality and originality of the proposed research plan.
Their ability to mentor young researchers and take…
Their ability to mentor young researchers and take a proactive approach to growing S&T talent in the country.
Benefits Provided
National Science Chair- Science Leadership provides the following benefits to eligible applicants:
Awardees receive a fellowship of ₹1.5 lakhs a…
Awardees receive a fellowship of ₹1.5 lakhs a month.
The Research Grant amounts to ₹5 lakhs per…
The Research Grant amounts to ₹5 lakhs per year.
The host institution gets ₹1.0 lakh per year…
The host institution gets ₹1.0 lakh per year toward overhead expenses. Note: The grant covers manpower, equipment, travel (including international travel), contingency, and the like, used per the Host Institute's norms. Once the tenure ends, contingency-grant purchases become the Host Institute's property, though for certain listed items, whether the awardee keeps them is decided per prevailing government rules and regulations on the subject.
Documents Required
Applicants should keep the following documents ready before starting the application:
Recent passport-size photograph
Recent passport-size photograph
Educational certificates
Educational certificates
Candidate's bio-data
Candidate's bio-data
Details of publications, awards, and patents
Details of publications, awards, and patents
Endorsement letter from the Host Institute's head
Endorsement letter from the Host Institute's head
Certificate from the nominee
Certificate from the nominee
Any other document, as required
Any other document, as required
How to Apply
Online Application
Applicants can apply for National Science Chair- Science Leadership through the online application process outlined below.
Nomination Procedure:
Nominations aren't invited on a fixed schedule -- calls go out from time to time, as vacancies arise each year.
Proposals, in the prescribed form, come from current/former Presidents of national science academies (Engineering, Agriculture, Medicine, etc.), Directors of leading institutes such as IISc Bangalore, IISERs, IITs, NITs, and National Laboratories, University Vice-Chancellors, members of the Scientific Advisory Councils to the Hon'ble PM & Cabinet, governing-body members of the Science and Engineering Research Board, and Secretaries to Govt. of India in Ministries/Departments.
The completed nomination -- signed and routed through the Head of the Institution where the scientist/technologist intends to work or be associated -- must be submitted online at "https://anrfonline.in/ANRF/HomePage" once a call is announced.
Application Procedure:
The nominee registers on the SERB online portal
The nominee registers on the SERB online portal. Click here to register.
After logging in, the nominee completes every mandatory…
After logging in, the nominee completes every mandatory field in the Nominee Details section of User Profile -- Photo, Institution, Address, and so on.
Under Form Submission, select the National Science Chair…
Under Form Submission, select the National Science Chair scheme and complete the nomination form, covering Nominee Details, Qualification Details, Employment Details, Professional Recognition/Fellowship, Scientific Research Index, Publication Details, Patent Details, Upload Documents, Nominator Details, and Other Information.
Upload the proposed research area and a brief…
Upload the proposed research area and a brief proposal outline as a single PDF, no longer than 5 pages.
Once done, the nominee clicks "Send to Nominator"
Once done, the nominee clicks "Send to Nominator".
The nominator gets an email with a link…
The nominator gets an email with a link to view the completed National Science Chair Nomination form on the SERB portal.
The nominator either submits the nomination to SERB…
The nominator either submits the nomination to SERB directly, or sends it back to the nominee for revisions.
Once submitted, both nominee and nominator get a…
Once submitted, both nominee and nominator get a confirmation of successful submission.
Selection Procedure:
NSCAC reviews the proposals to gauge their merit.
SERB then bases its funding decisions on the Committee's recommendations.
Objectives
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Official Application & Website
Verify the latest eligibility, dates and instructions before applying.