New Delhi, Nov 22 (KNN)  To boost research and innovation, as many as ten states will receive Rs 120 crore each under the research, innovation and quality improvement component of RUSA – Rashtriya Uchchatara Shiksha Abhiyan.
 
“All innovative schemes will be funded as per the decision of the PAB (Project Approval Board).  The funds are meant to support different types of research programmes like base research, key technology (R&D), High end (R&D), etc during the current Five Year Plan,” said an official notification.

Setting up of science parks and cutting edge technology and instrumentation facility will be supported by this fund.
 
The funds will also take care of promoting inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary research centres as well as promoting research and entrepreneurial activities.
 
Other areas to be funded are: initiative to attract quality researchers and students; institutions that offer merit-based scholarships, fully funded doctoral fellowships, post-doctoral fellowships; faculty and students exchange programmes with world-class institutions; and initiatives to scale up industry-academia partnership.

Significantly, states that have either already implemented reforms or given the commitment to the earliest implementation of reforms that would facilitate research and innovation at institutional level will be covered under the component of Research, Innovation and Quality Improvement of RUSA.
 
However, they will have to prepare a Research and Innovation Plan (RIP).  PAB will be at liberty to approve the plan in its entity or restrict it to a few selected interventions. States can leverage this plan through PPP, industry participation etc. Weights will be assigned wherever extra resources are promised in the RIP.

States may decide about unit of implementation. It can either be the State as a whole or a few select institutions.   (KNN Bureau)