In a first, DU to fund undergraduate research projects
If you have in mind projects that will encourage innovative thinking and practices, you could land funding worth Rs 10 lakh from Delhi University (DU). Mallica Joshi reports.
If you have in mind projects that will encourage innovative thinking and practices, you could land funding worth Rs 10 lakh from Delhi University (DU). For the first time in the history of the university, students who propose innovative research projects that are not linked to their syllabi will be given a grant of up to Rs10 lakh to execute the project within a year’s time.
In a letter written to the principals of all DU colleges, the registrar has invited proposals from students for the innovation projects. According to the letter, the project proposal should “have a strong trans-disciplinary flavour and should enhance the curriculum but not be directly linked to any part of a prescribed syllabus for teaching”.
One project proposal needs to be prepared by a team of 10 undergraduate students. This team should have three faculty members who are from at least two different departments. A mentor for outside the system of various colleges can also help the team.
The proposals have to be submitted by February 28 to the dean, research, through email.
“This is for the first time that undergraduate students are getting such a good opportunity to innovate and broaden their horizons. The project is designed to excite students. It will bring about a paradigm shift in learning and knowledge creation as we know it today,” said Dinesh Singh, vice-chancellor, DU.
Students, whose project gets selected, will be eligible for a stipend of Rs 1,000 per month. The mentor from outside the college set-up will be eligible for a one-time honourarium of Rs 25,000.
The funding will be given to the teams in two phases.
The second installment of the funding will be released only if the university appointed team of experts finds the mid-term review of the project satisfactory.