The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) has launched a new scheme called Accelerate Vigyan to provide a single platform for research internships, capacity building programs, and workshops across the country.
Accelerate Vigyan
The primary objective of this scheme is to give more thrust on encouraging high-end scientific research and preparing scientific manpower, which can lead to research careers and a knowledge-based economy. Recognizing that all research has its base as development of quality and well-trained researchers, AV will initiate and strengthen mechanisms of identifying research potential, mentoring, training and hands-on workshops on a national scale.
The vision is to expand the research base, with three broad goals: consolidation of all scientific programs, initiating high-end orientation workshops, and creating opportunities for research internships for those who do not have access to such resources / facilities.
The AV will work on mission mode, particularly with respect to its component dealing with consolidation of all major scientific events in the country. Thus, an Inter-Ministerial Overseeing Committee (IMOC) involving all the scientific ministries/ departments and a few others has been constituted for the purpose of supporting SERB in implementing the scheme in a successful manner.
The database of skilled manpower developed across different disciplines so generated and the final outcomes captured in the process through all the sub-components of the AV will serve the cause of all stakeholders in respect of capacity building in the country. The scheme also seeks to garner the social responsibility of the scientific community in the country.
Programs under Accelerate Vigyan
- A new component under AV is ‘Sammohan’ that has been sub-divided into ‘Sayonjika’ and ‘Sangoshti’. Sayonjika is an open-ended program to catalogue the capacity building activities in science and technology supported by all government funding agencies in the country. Sangoshti is a pre-existing program of SERB.
- Abhyaas programme is an attempt to boost research and development in the country by enabling and grooming potential PG/PhD students by means of developing their research skills in selected areas across different disciplines or fields. It has two components: high-end workshops (‘Karyashala’) and research internships (‘Vritika’). This is especially important for those researchers who have limited opportunities to access such learning capacities/ facilities/ infrastructure.
