Scientific and Useful Profound Research Advancement (SUPRA)

SERB has developed a newly approved scheme that seeks to explore new scientific breakthroughs, with long-term impact on our fundamental scientific understanding, and offer disruptive technologies at the cutting edge. SERB-SUPRA (Scientific and Useful Profound Research Advancement) is a scheme beyond normal core grants and purposefully designed for high quality proposals consisting of new hypothesis or challenge existing ones, and provide 'out-of-box' solutions. Transformative and disruptive research concepts based on innovative and unproven hypothesis, possessing a high degree of uncertainty, yet having conviction to produce a lasting impact across discipline boundaries qualify for support under SERB-SUPRA.
Most important measures of this scheme are:

  • Quantum of advances (incremental and short terms gains are strongly discouraged).
  • Extent of disruption in fundamental understanding or impact on outstanding research grand challenges: new areas, new concepts, new products, new disruptive technologies.
  • Ability of research outcomes in enhancing scientific knowledge of the cutting-edge at the international level and/or emergence of critical technologies.
  • Global impact, outstanding publications, advancement of science.
Submissions under SERB-SUPRA can only be made against call for proposals, with public announcement through SERB online portal and social media. Funding will be provided normally for a period of three years, which could be extended to 2 years (5 years total) as assessed by an expert committee. The research grant will encompass normal budget heads, apart from an overhead grant. It is envisaged that innovative SUPRA proposals will bring out breakthrough solutions in identified areas. Success of such proposals will ideally open up new opportunities in S&T and impact global science not only in terms of knowledge, but also in the form of delivered outcomes.


  • Applicants [Principal Investigator (PI) and / or Co-Principal Investigator(s) (Co-PI(s))] should be Indian citizens. Foreign nationals (including OCI and NRI) are also eligible to apply provided they fulfil the eligibility criteria notified by SERB (SERB Funding Guidelines for foreign nationals dated 27th Oct 2016 ).
  • The applicant(s) must hold a regular academic/research position in a recognized academic institution or national laboratory or in any other recognized R&D institution in India with at least 5 years of service remaining. The term "Regular" refers to the applicants who are appointed against the sanctioned post or in a tenure post, but are likely to be renewed after the end of the tenure.
  • Private Academic institutions with valid UGC / AICTE / PCI approval, Private R&D Institutions with valid DSIR-SIRO recognition and Voluntary and Non-Governmental Organizations registered under NITI-AAYOG Darpan portal are eligible to host a project.
  • Faculties recruited through UGC-Faculty Recharge Program are eligible to apply. INSPIRE Faculty, Ramanujan and Ramalingaswamy Fellows, Research Associates, Ad-hoc faculties, Guest Faculty, Visiting Scientist, consultant, Project Fellows and Faculty members whose contract is renewed every year are not eligible. In respect of cases that are not mentioned here, SERB reserves the right to determine the eligibility
  • The PI and Co-Investigator(s) should hold Ph.D. degree in Science, Mathematics, Engineering or M.D / M.S. / M.D.S. / M.V.Sc degree at the time of applying for grant.
  • The SUPRA scheme provides research support to an individual researcher or a group of researchers working in a recognized academic institution or national laboratory or in other recognized R & D institutions in India.
  • Funding will be provided normally for a period of three years, which could be extended to 2 years (5 yrs total) subject to performance evaluation.
  • The research grant is provided for equipment, manpower, consumables, travel and contingency. "Overheads" is also be provided to the implementing institution as per prevailing norms of SERB.
  • A single submission of full SUPRA proposal will be subjected to a two-phase evaluation process.
  • First phase: Initial screening will be based on assessment of extended synopsis as described in the application format and research track record of the Principal Investigator, as judged by her/his CV. Only those proposals which proceed through the first phase will be sent out for external review.
  • Second phase: Full scientific proposal should meet the core mandate and features of SUPRA and it will be closely judged on these lines in the second step of the assessment process.
    High value proposals (>1 crore) will mandatorily undergo international review.
    Proposals qualifying after domain expert reviews will be subjected to formal presentation by PI / co-PIs to PAC, co-opted members and special invitees (if any).
  • An applicant is eligible to apply only one proposal during a call (as a PI or Co-PI).
  • Any proposal technically rejected should not be resubmitted without any substantial revision to any schemes or programs of the SERB.
  • Not more than one project is allowed at any given time as a Principal Investigator under the program SUPRA.
  • The Call for applications will be notified through the website "www.serbonline.in" and "www.serb.gov.in". The application form along with a proper research proposal highlighting the research work to be undertaken should be submitted online through the website "www.serbonline.in".
  • The selection will be based on the recommendations of Program Advisory Committee (PAC) constituted by the Board. If required, the applicants maybe called for discussion/ presentation.

Proposals submitted must be original in ideation and content. Plagiarism in any form will not be acceptable. All submitted proposals might be subjected to a third-party similarity check and proposals are liable to be rejected if found plagiarised. Any text taken verbatim from other source needs to be identified using quotation marks and proper reference. Applicants are requested to pre-check their proposals for plagiarism before uploading.

SERB has adopted Scientific Social Responsibility (SSR) Policy to imbibe a culture of social commitment among SERB Grantees. The policy intends to effectively utilize scientific infrastructure and expertise of SERB grantees to benefit other S&T stakeholders especially the less-endowed researchers and the society. SSR activities need to be chosen after approval and depending on the activities chosen additional budget would be provided under separate head to carry out the chosen activities. SERB Grantees need to undertake the proposed SSR activities during their project period.

For successful online submission of the application the following points may be noted:

  • Applicant should first register into the online website.  click here to register
  • After successful registration, user will be sent a confirmation mail on registered emaiID .User must click on the url provided in the mail to confirm registration.
  • After log-in, applicant(s) are required to fill all the mandatory fields in Profile Detail section under User Profile. which includes Bio-data, Photo, Institute Address etc.
  • If you have Co-PI in your proposal then ensure that all the Co-PI's are also registered into the system following the same procedure.
  • Details of Patent, Publications in last 5 years, Projects, Research Collaboration, Academic Supervision of all investigators (PI and all COPI's) has to be provided
  • Some of the details of your proposal like Project Title (max 500 characters), Project summary (max 3000 characters), Keywords (max 6), Objectives of project (max 1500 characters), Expected output and outcome of the proposal (max 1500 characters), Budget (Manpower, Consumables,Travel, Equipment, Contingency, Overheads ) have to be entered at the time of proposal submission.
  • Other relevant information of the proposal has to be uploaded in single PDF file not more than 10 MB as other technical document (OTD). Download Template
  • Documents required (in PDF) should be in prescribed format:
    1. Biodata (under user profile section) Download Template
    2. Certificate from Principal Investigator Download Template
    3. Endorsement Letter from the Head of Institution Download Template
    4. If project is approved for SERB support, the Quotations of the approved equipment need to be uploaded within one month of the date of the Approval Letter.
Member Secretary
Dr. Praveen Kumar S, Scientist 'E'
Science and Engineering Research Board
5 & 5A, Lower Ground Floor,
Vasant Square Mall,Plot No. A, Community Centre,
Sector-5, Pocket-5, Vasant Kunj
New Delhi-110070
Tel: +91-011-26590353
Email: praveen[at]nic[dot]in
Program Coordinator
Dr. Amitava Roy, Scientist 'G'
Email: amitava[at]nic[dot]in