VAIBHAV Fellowship | 27 Jan 2024

Source:TH

Why in News?

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) recently unveiled the first cohort of fellows under the Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) scheme, a strategic initiative aimed at fostering short-term collaborations with Indian-origin scientists based abroad.

• Vaibhav scheme finds similarities with the Visiting Advanced Joint Research Faculty (Vajra) scheme initiated in 2018.

What is VAIBHAV Scheme?

• About:
  • The Government has launched VAIBHAV fellowships programme in 2023 to connect the Indian STEMM (Science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine) diaspora with Indian academic and R&D institutions for collaborative research work leading to sharing of knowledge, wisdom, and best practices in the frontier areas of science & technology.
  • The VAIBHAV Fellow would identify an Indian Institution for collaboration and may spend up to two months there in a year for a maximum of 3 years.
    • The VAIBHAV fellows are expected to collaborate with their Indian counterparts and help initiate research activities in the host institution in the cutting-edge areas of Science and Technology.
• Incentives Offered:
  • Fellowship would include fellowship grant (INR 4,00,000 per month), international and domestic travel, accommodation and contingencies.
  • Host institutions receive research grants to support the collaboration.
• Significance of Vaibhav Scheme:
  • Strengthens global collaboration in scientific research.
  • Fosters knowledge exchange and expertise infusion in Indian academic and research institutions.
• Implementation:
  • The VAIBHAV fellowships programme to be implemented by the DST, Ministry of Science and Technology, would be awarded to outstanding scientist/technologists of Indian origin [Non-resident Indians (NRI) / Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) / Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)] who are engaged in research activities in their respective countries.

What is the Visiting Advanced Joint Research Faculty Scheme?

• About:
  • VAJRA (Visiting Advanced Joint Research) Faculty Scheme is a dedicated program exclusively for overseas scientists and academicians with emphasis on NRI and PIO/OCI to work as adjunct / visiting faculty for a specific period of time in Indian Public funded academic and research institutions.
    • The Scheme recognizes the value of collaborative research as a crucial element for information sharing among researchers for updating and acquiring knowledge and skills, and also to draw different perspectives to solve a shared problem.
  • The area of research undertaken by the Faculty should be of interest to India including translation of science to practice.
    • Faculty can also teach/mentor during the period of stay.
    • The Faculty will work for a minimum of 1 month and a maximum of 3 months a year in an institution in India.
      • The Indian host institution may engage him/her for a longer duration even after the completion of the assignment.
      • The part-time position for faculty will be initially offered for 1 year and can be renewed every year.
• Incentives Offered:
  • The VAJRA Faculty will be provided an amount of USD 15000 in the first month of engagement in a year and USD 10000 per month in the other two months to cover their travel and honorarium.
    • While no separate support is provided for e.g. accommodation, medical/personal insurance etc., the host institute may consider providing additional support.
    • The payment to the faculty will be made in Indian Rupees.
• Implementation:
  • VAJRA Faculty Scheme is implemented by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB).
    • The SERB is a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology. It was established in 2008 through an Act of Parliament (Science and Engineering Research Board Act, 2008).
    • The SERB's objectives include promoting basic research in science and engineering, and providing financial assistance to researchers, academic institutions, and other agencies.