Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has been recently established by an Act of Parliament, ANRF Act 2023, to seed, grow and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout the country. Under the guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister, the President of the ANRF Governing Board, the foundation is set to commence several new initiatives to strengthen India’s research and innovation ecosystem and accelerate scientific advancement through programs with diverse mandates as well as a series of measures to enhance ease of doing research.

Early career researchers are at the forefront of innovation and excellence, playing a vital role in the scientific and technological progress of the country. ANRF recognises that early career researchers are committed to produce research of the highest quality, bringing in new skills, breakthrough ideas and the zest to explore new frontiers, thereby expanding the boundaries of knowledge. This commitment of the early career researchers will significantly contribute in driving the ambitions of ANRF in positioning the country as a global leader in science and technology as well as creating a vibrant research ecosystem. ANRF considers its responsibility to empower and support the early career researchers in their pursuit of research excellence, providing them with an enabling environment to effectively conduct research with ease and flexibility. Pursuant to this objective, ANRF is initiating the program, Prime Minister’s Early Career Research Grant with a flexible budget and progressive initiatives for ease of doing research.

ANRF invites early career researchers to be part of the transformative journey in leading the country to the forefront of scientific excellence.

• The applicant must hold a regular academic/​research position in a recognized academic institution, national laboratories or any other recognized R&D institution.
• The applicant is eligible to apply within two years of joining the institution.
• The upper age limit for PM ECRG would be 42 years, with a relaxation of three years for SC/​ST/​OBC/​Physically challenged and women candidates.
• Research Associates, Post doctoral Fellows, Ad-hoc faculties, Guest faculties, Visiting Scientists, Consultants, Project Fellows and faculty members whose contract is renewed every year are not eligible under PM ECRG. In respect of cases that are not mentioned above, ANRF reserves the right to determine the eligibility.
• Co-PIs are not allowed except in the case of PIO/OCI.
• The applicant should not have received YSS, ECR, SRG, CRG (erstwhile EMR) or any other grant of the erstwhile SERB or ANRF.

The applicant should be an Indian citizen. PIO/OCI working as regular employees in any of the public funded and recognized R&D laboratories/​institutions in India are eligible to apply as PI in collaboration with an Indian Co-PI, provided they fulfill the eligibility criteria notified by ANRF (ANRF Funding Guidelines for PIO/OCI) The applicant should hold a PhD degree in Science or Engineering or MD/MS/ MDS/​MVSc degree.

For online submission of the application the following points may be noted:

• Applicants should first register in the ANRF online portal,www.anrfonline.in click here to register
• After log-in, applicants are required to fill in all the mandatory fields under User Profile section, which includes Bio-data, Photo, Institute address, etc.
• Some of the details of a proposal like Project Title (max 500 characters), Project summary (max 3000 characters), Keywords (max 6), Objectives of the project (max 1500 characters), Expected output and outcome of the proposal (max 1500 characters), Budget (Research Personnel, Consumables, Travel, Equipment, Contingency, Overheads ) have to be entered at the time of proposal submission.
• Other relevant information of the proposal has to be uploaded as a single PDF file, not more than 10 MB, as a Technical Document (TD).Download Template

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