In news– Recently, the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body invited applications under ‘ABHYAAS’, a program of ‘Accelerate Vigyan’ scheme, for the summer season.
About Accelerate Vigyan (AV) scheme-
- It strives to provide a big push to high-end scientific research and prepare a scientific workforce, which can venture into research careers and a knowledge-based economy.
- It aims to expand the research base in the country, with three broad goals:
- Consolidation / aggregation of all scientific training programs.
- Initiating high-end orientation workshops and
- Creating opportunities for training and skill internships.
- This scheme is primarily to focus on young potential researchers with an aim to give an opportunity to them to spend quality time in the pre-identified premier institution, labs / organizations and empower them through best practices and environment.
- The aim is to reach out to those students from the universities / institutes / recognised colleges, who do not have access and exposure to such facilities and environment.
- ‘ABHYAAS’, a program of AV scheme, is an attempt to boost research and development in the country by enabling and grooming potential postgraduate / PhD students by developing dedicated research skills in selected areas / disciplines / fields through its two components:
- High-end workshops (“KARYASHALA”).
- Training and Skill Internship (“VRITIKA”).
- ‘KARYASHALA’ is an effort to improve research productivity of promising PG and PhD students from universities and colleges through high-end workshops on specific themes and provide hands-on experience to the students in handling / troubleshooting high-end scientific instruments and such skill development.
- VRITIKA is the call for initiation and practice in science through research internships and it aims to provide opportunities to promising PG students (Science and Engineering) from universities and colleges to get exposure and hands-on research experience.
- The list of dedicated themes for the high-end workshops can be found at the AV web portal, whereas there are no specific target themes for “VRITIKA”.
- Faculty or scientists working in the central institutions of higher learning and research such as IITs, IISc, IISERs, NITs and others as well as laboratories of eminence like CSIR, ICAR and ICMR are invited as event organizers.
- Duration of the workshop is at least one week, but not more than two weeks per workshop for ‘KAARYASHALA’ and at least four weeks but not exceeding two months per intern for ‘VRITIKA’.
Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB)
- It is a statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, established by SERB ACT,2008 in 2009.
- It is chaired by the Secretary to the Government of India in the DST and shall have other senior government officials and eminent scientists as members.
- It was set up for promoting basic research in science and engineering and to provide financial assistance to scientists, academic institutions, R&D laboratories, industrial concerns and other agencies for such research.
Source: Down to Earth
