Knowledge
Proposals requested from schools, colleges, research organisations and citizen scientists for use of the Foldscope as a education, training and research tool
All complete applications have to be submitted by May 31, 2017. Selections will be announced by end of July 2017. The projects can start in August 2017.
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India in partnership with Foldscope Instruments Inc. and Prakash Lab (Stanford), has invited applications under the request for Proposals from teachers, scientists and community members across India for the use of foldscope as an educational, training or research tool.
Selected applicants will be awarded with Foldscopes and a small grant, and preference will be given to government schools and colleges in resource constrained environments.
The selected applicants will be twinned with the North East region of India for exchange of idea and students under the programme. All proposed acitivities of the successful proposals will be mirrored in a school/college of the North East; likewise all successful proposals from NE will mirror activities in school/colleges from rest of India.
The North East of India is a global biodiversity hotspot. In order to connect the NE and understand the value of its rich biodiversity, ecology and environment as vital for the life of our planet, all successful projects, from the NE states and from states from rest of India will be twinned by the North-East Region_ Biotechnology Programme management Cell (NER-BPMC) DBT.
The school/college twinning will also have a long term social impact towards sharing of a national and global purpose in environmental, ecological, social and scientific matters. With such twinning, Indian youth can lead in sustainable development of our planet and in eco-science.
The following funding is available for the 3 categories:
Category A proposals: Educational/Training Tool: For duration of 1 year and a total budget of not more than Rs 5 lakhs, this would cover costs towards consumables, travel, and contingency.
Category B proposals: Research Tool: For a duration of 1 years and a total budget of not more than Rs 20 lakhs which will cover costs towards laboratory consumables, manpower, contingency and travel.
Category C proposals: generally no budget will be available for Category C applications but Foldscopes will be provided with the understanding that all studies will be uploaded on the http://microcosmos.foldscope.com website. However in exceptional cases minor budget of Rs 1 lakh for one year may be considered by the evaluation team.
Who can apply?
Category A: Teachers from schools from all over India, with a clearly defined cohort of students who can be from across classes, subjects and disciplines. Please see Annex I for Format.
Category B: Anyone with a clearly defined research project, not limited to those affiliated with universities/research institutions. The organisation will have to be registered with the Government of India for funds to be transferred. Please see Annex II for format
Category C: Anyone interested in the use of Foldscopes for a citizen science project.
How to apply?
All complete applications have to be submitted by May 31, 2017. Selections will be announced by end of July 2017. The projects can start in August 2017.
For sending applications, visit http://www.dbtindia.nic.in/wpcontent/uploads/DBTCallFinal_MCCedits15032017.pdf
For more details, visit http://www.dbtindia.nic.in/
Image and Source: DBT, Govt. of India website