What does the NRF really mean for Indian research?

The National Research Fund (NRF) was first announced in 2018, appearing in the draft version of the NEP. Tasked with providing funding research within Indian HE, it was envisioned as also playing a role in building research capacity within education institutions.

The final draft of the NEP elaborated on the role of the new NRF. The goal would be to “to enable a culture of research to permeate through our universities” through merit-based, equitable research funding. The NEP states that successful research would be recognised and implemented through links with government, industry and the private sector - though it is not clear whose responsibility it is to manage these links.

The NRF is not designed to replace organisations currently funding research and the government expects such organisations to continue operating in their respective fields. The NRF is however expected to coordinate with existing funding agencies.

The NRF is to be independent from the government, managed by a rotating board of governors consisting of researchers across numerous academic fields.

The 2021 Union Budget allocated 50,000 Crores for the NRF to be spread over the next 5 years. This was not accompanied by a timeline or plan for the NRF, however.

Objectives of the NRF

The NEP states the following as the primary objectives of the NRF:

• To fund competitive, peer-reviewed grant proposals of all types and across all disciplines.

• To Grow and facilitate research at academic institutions, especially those with limited research capabilities currently.

• To Liaise between researchers and government/industry – scholars should be made aware of pressing research issues, and policy makers, of research breakthroughs.

• To recognise excellent research and progress.

Where is the NRF?

One of the problems with the admirable ambition of India’s current government is that projects often do not materialise. The NRF still falls into this category. Announced over 3 years ago and confidently allocated considerable funds, the NRF remains an idea rather than an established funding body.

The pandemic has naturally shifted government priorities and slowed many initiatives to a standstill. Research has however been at the heart of the pandemic response, whether at home in India or globally. With that fact in mind - in conjunction with the government’s own belief in the importance of research for India’s future – it would have been reasonable to see the NRF fast-tracked rather than stalled.

Funding falls

The NEP declared that strong research capability is of critical importance to dealing with today’s greatest challenges. “If India is to become a leader in [research], and truly achieve the potential of its vast talent pool to again become a leading knowledge society in the coming years and decades, the nation will require a significant expansion of its research capabilities and output across disciplines.” So states the plan.

Yet overall, the promise of more research funding seems to -at least for now in the shadow of the pandemic response – have not been delivered. The NEP states research and innovation investment is only 0.69% of GDP, and compares this figure to research powerhouses the US (2.8%), South Korea (4.2%) and Israel (4.3%). The NEP interestingly does not a set a target, but simply states that current levels are not enough.

Data from the World Bank shows that the decline is nothing new. R&D as a percentage of GDP has fallen every year since its peak in 2008, falling from 0.86% to 0.65%, the lowest it has been since 1997. The World Bank data ends at 2018, but the Union budget allocations for R&D in 2021 and 2022 followed the downward trend. The Ministry of Science and Technology, responsible for R&D allocation, was granted INR 14,217 crore in the 2022 union budget, falling by 3.9% on the previous year.

What makes this downsizing all the more tragic is that research was meant to be a focus of the budget. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has even stated, “India looks forward to a crucial decade ahead, which will primarily be determined by two factors — economy and science, technology and innovation.” It is always important to remember that what truly counts is how money is used rather than how much is thrown at a problem. Yet the decline in funding hardly suggests real government support for improving Indian R&D.

What about existing funding bodies?

While the NRF has been presented as a wholly new body, India already has research funding bodies. Some have justly voiced concern over what will happen to the existing funding bodies and whether the NRF actually is offering something new.

There is of course a key difference – scope. Most of India’s existing funding bodies focus on specific research fields. Some funding bodies fund nuclear science, others agriculture. The NRF is meanwhile concerned with driving the NEP’s transition to be increasingly multidisciplinary.

The NEP assures that existing funding bodies will not be replaced and that they still hold an essential role in India’s research ecosystem, but we do not know how the NRF will affect the role of the old organisations. There is some concern that funding will be reallocated to favour the NRF. One could argue that is precisely what has happened, as overall research funding falls and the NRF is specifically allocated its INR 50,000 crore.

The more generalist funding approach certainly has its benefits. While specific funding bodies can ensure that priority fields of research have access to funds, research that does not fall neatly into their scope could find support through the NRF. Considering the NEP’s overall push for increasingly multidisciplinary education and research, the founding of a more generalist funding body is likely a well calculated decision.

Less funding, different allocation?

The current trend seems to suggest a reshuffle in how research is funded to bring research more in line with the wider goals of the NEP. Government funding may be dropping, but that does not mean funding will certainly be less effective. As the NRF is predominantly concerned with funding multidisciplinary research, we should expect to see tighter pockets for niche research. The government has however voiced that research is essential to India’s growth, and as such one can only hope that funds for it will grow after economic disruption from the pandemic eases further.