Archive for January 25th, 2012
Delhi University inks research pact with DRDO
Research in Delhi University (DU) will no longer be confined to departments and faculties. DU has initiated a number of programmes for undergraduate students and teachers. It has tied up with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for setting up a centre of excellence in DU by 2015. The university has also invited proposals for funding innovative projects in its colleges.
DU and DRDO signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for joint collaboration on research and development on Monday. The idea is to identify core research areas of mutual interest and work towards establishing a centre of excellence through funding from DRDO within three years. This collaboration will enable the centre to take up joint sponsored projects.
Meanwhile, for the first time, DU is introducing trans-disciplinary research projects for college students. The students will be led by three faculty members and will be guided in each project by an erudite figure from outside the colleges. Students who propose innovative research projects, that are not linked to their syllabi, will be given a grant of up to Rs. 1 million to execute the project within a year. The fund will be divided into Rs. 300,000 for equipment, Rs. 200,000 for outstation field trips and Rs. 100,000 for local trips, among others.
“Undergraduate students have the best mindset and can think out of the box to come up with innovative ideas. This is one of the most ambitious projects by the university to involve undergraduate students in serious research. The idea is to get students excited about what they are studying during their three years of college in DU. Moreover, along with students, teachers will also get involved,” said Vice-Chancellor of DU, Dinesh Singh.
The project proposals have to be prepared by a team of 10 undergraduate students from at least two departments. The team should also have three faculty members of different departments. Students working in the selected project will get a stipend of Rs. 1,000 per month, while the advisor will be eligible for a one-time honourarium of Rs. 25,000.
Source: The Times of India, January 25, 2012