SERB - POWER Research Grants
₹60 lakh research grant · women-led research teams · 3 years · IIT/IISER or state university
SERB POWER Research Grants fund women-led research projects in science and engineering at Indian academic and R&D institutions. Projects at premier central institutions (IITs, IISc, NITs, Central Universities) can receive up to ₹60 lakh for 3 years; state university and private institution projects get up to ₹30 lakh. Apply online through serbonline.in when a call for proposals is announced.
About This Scheme
SERB POWER Research Grants fund women-led research projects in science and engineering at Indian academic and R&D institutions. Projects at premier central institutions (IITs, IISc, NITs, Central Universities) can receive up to ₹60 lakh for 3 years; state university and private institution projects get up to ₹30 lakh. Apply online through serbonline.in when a call for proposals is announced.
Full official description
The “SERB - POWER Research Grants” is a program category under the SERB-POWER (Promoting Opportunities For Women in Exploratory Research) Program, launched by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. SERB - POWER (Promoting Opportunities For Women in Exploratory Research) program is formulated to mitigate gender disparity in science and engineering research funding in various S&T programs in Indian academic institutions and R&D Laboratories. SERB-POWER is specially designed to provide structured effort toward enhanced diversity in research to ensure equal access and weighted opportunities for Indian women scientists engaged in research and development activities. The aim of the ‘SERB - POWER Research Grants’ is to encourage emerging and eminent women researchers for an individual-centric and competitive mode of research funding to undertake R&D activities in frontier areas of science and engineering.
Benefits
- Level I institutions: up to ₹60 lakh for 3 years
- Level II institutions: up to ₹30 lakh for 3 years (equipment head capped at ₹14 lakh)
- Covers equipment, manpower, consumables, travel, and contingency expenses
- Overhead charges provided to the host institution as per SERB norms
💡 Why Startups Should Care
Women scientist co-founders affiliated with IITs, IISERs, or IISc qualify for Level I funding of up to ₹60 lakh over 3 years — covering equipment, personnel, and consumables without needing startup revenue or equity dilution.
Who Can Apply (Eligibility)
- Principal Investigator (PI) must be an Indian citizen with a regular academic or research position in India
- A female Co-PI from the same institution is mandatory — male Co-PIs are not allowed
- PI and all Co-PIs must hold a PhD in Science/Engineering or an MD/MS/MDS/MVSc degree
- Level I: Premier central institutions (IITs, IISc, IISERs, NITs, Central Universities, National Labs)
- Level II: State Universities, Colleges, and Private Academic Institutions
- No more than 2 Co-PIs per project
- Cannot hold POWER Fellowship and POWER Grant simultaneously
- PIs who have already received a POWER Grant cannot reapply
How to Apply
- Register on the SERB online portal at serbonline.in
- Fill all mandatory profile fields including bio-data, photo, and institution address
- Ensure all co-PIs are also registered
- Prepare your proposal: project title (max 500 chars), summary (max 3000 chars), up to 6 keywords, objectives, and expected outcomes
- Enter budget details (research personnel, consumables, travel, equipment, contingency, overheads)
- Upload the full technical document as a single PDF (max 10MB)
- Submit during the open application window
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum amount of the grant the Board will fund?
POWER Grants will empower women researchers by funding them under the following two categories: Level I: The scale of funding up to 60 Lakhs for three years. Level II: The scale of funding up to 30 Lakhs for three years.
What is level I & Level II in SERB- POWER research grant?
Applicants from IITs, IISERs, IISC, NITs, Central Universities, and national Labs of Central government Institutions will be considered under level I category. Whereas applicants from state Universities/ Colleges and Private Academic Institutions should apply under Level II category.
Does the Board has any priority areas for funding under SERB- POWER research grant?
No. The Board funds all the areas of Science and Engineering without discriminating between disciplines. The proposal will be funded if it has novelty and the investigator has the competence to execute the project.
I am currently executing an CRG project. I want to apply for another project under SERB- POWER research grant. Will I be funded another project?
No. The Board funds only one project to an Investigator at a time, except in cases where calls for proposals are invited for specific areas/schemes/programs.
Are Co-Investigators allowed in SERB- POWER research grant project? If they are from different institutions, can the budget be provided separately to both the Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator(s)?
Yes. Only female Co-Investigator(s) are allowed in SERB- POWER research grant project; provided the work proposed requires complementary expertise for its implementation. A separate budget can also be provided to the female Co-Investigator (s) even if they belong to different institutions.
Under which heads SERB-POWER research grant can be utilized?
The SERB-POWER research grant is provided for Equipment, Research Personnel, Consumables, Travel and Contingency. Overheads is also being provided to the Implementing institution as per prevailing Norms of SERB.
What is the mode of selection for SERB-POWER research grant?
The selection will be based on the recommendations of Program Advisory Committee (PAC) constituted by the Board. If required, the applicants may be called for discussion/presentation
Whether a woman Scientist can hold both SERB-POWER Fellowship & SERB-POWER RESARCH Grant at the same time?
No, Woman Scientists cannot hold SERB-POWER Fellowship & SERB-POWER research grant at the same time.
I am away from my institute/university for more than 6 weeks. Do I have to take permission from SERB?
Yes, you have to take permission from SERB.
I am a Co-PI in an ongoing CRG project. Can I apply for POWER-GRANT?
Yes, you can apply for POWER-GRANT.
I have an ongoing EMEQ/IRPHA/ MATRIX project. Can I apply for POWER-GRANT?
Yes, you can apply for POWER-GRANT.
I have an ongoing CRG/SRG/SURE/SUPRA project. Can I apply for POWER-GRANT?
No, you can not apply for POWER-GRANT.
How to apply for SERB POWER Research Grants?
The Call for applications will be notified through the website "https://www.serbonline.in" and "https://serb.gov.in/". The application form along with a proper research proposal highlighting the research work to be undertaken should be submitted online through the website "https://www.serbonline.in/".
Ready to apply?
Visit the official government portal to apply for this scheme.
Apply on myScheme.gov.inDocuments Required
- Identity proof
- Passport-size photograph
- Research proposal details
- Educational qualifications certificates
- Any other documents as required