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On October 29, 2020, The Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched a new scheme named SERB- POWER. This scheme is under the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) and the term POWER stands for Promoting Opportunities for Women in Explanatory Research. This scheme is mainly launched for encouraging more women in the research field. It aims at removing gender bias and disparity in the science and engineering research field. This scheme aims at women empowerment through its 2 components SERB-POWER Fellowship and SERB-POWER Research Grants.
Scheme Overview:
| Scheme name: | SERB-POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Explanatory Research) |
| Scheme under: | Science and Engineering Research Board, Government of India |
| Launch Date: | October 29, 2020 |
| Launched By: | Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan |
| Benefit: | Women empowerment in Science and Technology Research department |
| Major Objective: | To remove gender disparity and provide more opportunities to women in science and engineering research institutions and laboratories |
Scheme Objectives and Benefits:
- The main objective of the scheme is to provide more opportunities to women in science and technology research department
- It aims a removing the gender disparity and providing a platform to women participation
- This scheme tends to provide fellowship as well as research funds to women to encourage them
- It will boost women empowerment and leadership
- Under this scheme a platform will be created for encouraging women participation in research and academic institutions
SERB-POWER Fellowship and SERB-POWER Research Grants:
- SERB-POWER Fellowship mainly covers to benefit women researchers in between 35-55 age group.
- Up to 25 fellowships will be awarded per year with a maximum limit of 75 fellowships.
- Under this fellowship the women beneficiaries will get Rs. 15,000/- per month as fellowship amount in addition to their regular income along with Rs. 10 lakhs per annum as research grant and overhead of Rs. 90,000 per annum
- The beneficiary can get this fellowship only once in her career
- The duration of this fellowship is 3 years
- SERB-POWER Research Grants provides funds to women researchers at 2 different levels
- Level 1 covers applicants form IITs, IIScs, NITs, Central universities, etc
- For level 1 the scale of funding is up to 60 lakhs for 3 years
- Level 2 covers applicants form State universities, colleges and private academic institutions
- For level 2 the scale of funding is up to 30 lakhs for 3 years
Key Points:
- SERB-POWER scheme is launched under mainly for the benefit of the women researchers in the Science and Engineering Research Department
- This scheme was launched by Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on October 29, 2020
- This scheme has two important components for the beneficiaries i.e. SERB-POWER Fellowship and SERB-POWER Research Grants
- Search cum Selection committee will handle the fellowship component and Programme Advisory committee will handle the research grants component
- It aims at empowering women and increasing their participation in the science and engineering research department
- It tends to create a platform to encourage women and remove gender disparity thereby
- Professor Ashutosh Sharma, Chairman SERB & Secretary DST, Professor Sandeep Verma, Secretary SERB
- Scientists from Ministry of Science and Technology also attended the launch
