The newly established Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) will facilitate “ease of doing research” and introduce initiatives to promote research culture in more institutions, officials said on Tuesday after the foundation’s first governing board meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The initiatives approved at the meeting include funds for a “hub-and-spoke” model that seeks to connect top-tier institutions with universities, enhanced funds for early career researchers, and a pathway for retired scientists from top institutions to restart research activity in lower-ranked institutions, the officials said.

The hub-and-spoke model is intended to help a culture of research to permeate into more academic institutions, the officials said, amid long-standing concerns that less than 1 per cent of India’s 40,000 higher education institutions are currently engaged in research.

The ANRF — an entity proposed by the National Education Policy 2020 and created through an Act of Parliament last year — has the mandate to promote research excellence in the country. The Centre has pledged ₹14,000 crore to the foundation for the 2023-28 period. More funds are expected to be generated from non-government sources.

A major initiative will involve efforts to engage with other government departments to provide a conducive environment for research, officials said. The goal will be to enable scientists to focus on research and not get hobbled by bureaucratic requirements. Some measures under consideration are rationalisation of funding heads, flexibility in hiring human resources, and enhanced overhead charges for institutions hosting researchers.

The hub-and-spoke model seeks to establish multiple hubs and spokes. “We’re hoping to have 150 to 200 universities paired with different hub institutions over the next five years,” said Abhay Karandikar, secretary of the Union department of science and technology and a member of the governing board.

The ANRF will also create a pathway for retired researchers from top institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Science, the Indian Space Research Organisation, or the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research laboratories to join lower-ranked academic institutions such as universities to continue research activity there.

“This will be an opportunity for accomplished researchers to help establish research groups in lower-ranked institutions,” said Ajay Sood, the principal scientific adviser to the government and member secretary of the ANRF governing board. They will hold the titles of Prime Minister’s Professorship.

The governing board has also approved an initiative to accelerate research in key strategic and emerging areas under a so-called Mission for Advancement in High Impact Areas (MAHA). Two priority areas for immediate support under the MAHA programme will be electric vehicle technology and advanced materials.

“In the field of electric vehicles, the focus is going to be on the development of homegrown technologies,” Karandikar said.