MATRICS

Considering the overwhelming response for the fixed grant scheme MATRICS, devised for active researchers pursuing Mathematical Sciences and the demand from researchers belonging to other Theoretical Sciences, the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) has decided to extend the fixed grant scheme to other Theoretical Sciences including Quantitative Social Sciences.

Objective

To provide fixed grant support to active researchers with good credentials in Mathematical Sciences, Theoretical Sciences and Quantitative Social Sciences. The main attribute of this scheme would be submission of a simple 1-2 page mathematical/theoretical proposal. The funding provided would cater to the specific needs of Mathematical/Theoretical Sciences research.

Scope

  • Mathematical Sciences (MS): Mathematical and allied areas
  • Theoretical Sciences (TS): All areas of Science and Engineering (other than mathematical and allied areas)
  • Quantitative Social Sciences (QSS): Quantitative Social Sciences which involves quantitative analysis using mathematical, statistical or computational techniques in the areas of Social Sciences

Nature of Support

  • Research grant of Rs. 2 lakh p.a. plus overheads for a period of three years.

Purpose for which grants can be used

  • Purchase of text books and monographs.
  • Purchase of minor equipment such as workstation, laptop, etc.
  • Purchase of software for research purposes.
  • Travel support and payment of registration fee for invited talks or presenting a paper in national and international conferences.
  • Travel support for collaborative visits in India and abroad.
  • Travel support and other logistics for inviting students and young researchers for research activities.

(Total expenditure for International travel cannot exceed Rs.2,00,000 of the overall budget)

Eligibility

The applicant should be an active researcher in the field of

  1. Mathematical Sciences and allied areas;
  2. Science and Engineering (excluding mathematical sciences) or
  3. Social Sciences involving quantitative analysis using mathematical, statistical and computational techniques.

The applicant should hold a Ph.D. or M.D./ M.S. / M.D.S./ M.V.Sc degree and must be working on regular basis in academic institutions/national labs or any other recognized R&D institutions. [The term "Regular" refers to:

  1. Those who are appointed by the institutions against the ‘sanctioned‘ post and are regularized/confirmed after the probation period is over
  2. Those who are appointed in a tenure post, but are likely to be renewed after the end of the tenure].
  • The applicant should have completed Ph.D. or M.D./ M.S. / M.D.S./ M.V.Sc degree atleast five years prior to the submission of proposal, in order to have gained individual experience.
  • The applicant should have at least four years of service remaining before superannuation as on the date of submission of the proposal.

Restrictions

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

  • An applicant is eligible to submit only one proposal during a call.
  • PIs who have received grant under MATRICS/CREST cannot apply under SERB International Travel Support Scheme during the project duration.
  • Co-PIs are not allowed in the scheme.

Mode of Application and Selection

The call for applications will be notified through the www.serbonline.in and www.serb.gov.in The proposal should be submitted online only at www.serbonline.in. The selection will be based on the recommendations of an Expert Committee and the criteria of consideration would be

  • (1) credentials of PI
  • (2) publications record and
  • (3) mathematical/theroretical content of the proposal.

Review of Work Done

At the end of each year, the recipients should upload annual report including list of publications and details of talks given in conferences and collaborations that have been initiated.

Plagiarism

Proposals submitted need to be original and plagiarism in any form will not be acceptable. All submitted proposals would 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 to avoid any serious repercussions at a later stage.

Scientific Social Responsibility

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 SERB Grantees need to undertake these SSR activities during their project period.

How to Apply Online

  • Applicants should first register in the online website, www.serbonline.in
  • After log-in applicants are required to fill all the mandatory fields in Profile Details Section under User Profile which includes Bio data (as per defined template), Photo, Institute Address, etc.
  • Some of the details required to be entered for proposal submission include Project Title (max 500 characters), Mathematics review subject classification in case of MATRICS, Keywords (max 6), Project summary (max 3000 characters), etc.

Documents required (in PDF)

  • Bio-data
  • 1-2 page(s) project proposal
  • List of ten most significant publications
  • List of all publications in the last five years
  • Certificate from Principal Investigator
  • Endorsement Letter from the Head of Institution

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: I want to apply for an Extra- mural Research Funding scheme for the first time. What is the maximum amount of the grant the Board will fund?What is the difference between Core Research Grant (CRG) and MATRICS Scheme?

A1: While CRG is core grant scheme without limitations on budget, MATRICS offers a fixed grant of 2 lakh p.a. plus overheads. Expenditure for manpower and major equipments are not supported in this scheme. MATRICS Scheme is tailored for active mathematicians/theoreticians with a flexible but fixed budget. The proposal format is also simple which requires 1 – 2 page summary of the mathematical work to be carried out.

Q2: Can I apply for a project under MATRICS scheme when I am already implementing another project under CRG/ECR?

A2: Yes. PIs who have an ongoing project of SERB under other programs/schemes are eligible to apply.

Q3: Can I have a Co-PI in the project?

A3: Co-PI is not permitted under the scheme.

Q4: Are Co-Investigators allowed in EMR project? If they are from different institutions, can the budget be provided separately to both the Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator(s)?Can I apply for MATRICS scheme after my superannuation in academic institutions/national labs or any other recognized R&D institutions?

A4: No.The applicant should have at least four years of service remaining before superannuation as on the date of submission of the proposal.

Q5: I am working as a post-doctoral researcher. Am I eligible to apply under the scheme?

A5: No. The applicant should be working on regular basis in academic institutions/national labs or any other recognized R&D institutions.

Q6: Is there any specific time-line for applying proposals under this scheme?

A6: Proposals under MATRICS scheme can be submitted only when the call for proposal is made. The call will be notified at www.serbonline.in and www.serb.gov.in

Q7: Does SERB discriminate Project Investigators working in Private Universities/Institutions in funding?

A7: No. SERB does not discriminate Project Investigators working in Private Universities/Institutions. Funding decisions are made based on merit of the proposal, competence of the Investigator(s), and the infrastructure available in the implementing institution, and not on the category of institutions the Investigator is working.