5 Indian institutions receive grants under Australia-India Strategic Research Fund

NEW DELHI — The government on Thursday announced successful grants under the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) to five Indian organisations for their projects in emerging technologies.

This year, the AISRF funding went to five projects across various disciplines, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, biotechnology, urban mining and electronic waste recycling, ultra low-cost solar and clean hydrogen technologies.

The recipients are — Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, Ludhiana; IIT-Delhi, IIT-Bombay; IISc Bangalore and AbGenics Life Sciences Pvt Ltd in Pune.

These projects were selected through a rigorous evaluation process, ensuring they met the highest standards of scientific excellence and have the potential for significant impact, said the Ministry of Science and Technology.

“I feel collaboration is crucial in this modern era to address critical global challenges and in fostering sustainable development. The AISRF is a testament to the enduring partnership between India and Australia,” said Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology.

“While reinforcing our commitment to build a vibrant innovation ecosystem with Australia, I congratulate all the researchers involved with these projects for a prosperous and sustainable future,” Dr Singh added.

The AISRF is a bilateral programme that supports collaborative research projects between Australia and India.

It aims to strengthen the scientific relationship between the two countries and address common challenges through joint research efforts.

“From tougher strains of bacteria to e-waste and AI, our bilateral research partnership puts Australia’s brightest minds to creating better solutions for the world’s ongoing and emerging challenges,” said Ed Husic, Minister for Industry and Science, Australia.

“The Australia-India Strategic Research Fund has delivered more than 360 collaborative research projects in the last 18 years, ensuring our nation’s universities and research institutions have remained at the forefront of global research,” Husic added.