The age limit is 42 years. However, candidates from SC/ST/OBC categories, women, and persons with physical challenges get an age relaxation of three years.

The PM ECRG offers a one-time grant of up to ₹60 Lakhs (excluding overheads) for three years. This grant covers equipment, research staff, consumables, travel, and contingency expenses.

Projects under PM ECRG are for a duration of 3 years. There is no provision to extend the project period.

Applications are accepted only when a 'Call for applications' is announced on the official ANRF websites (www.anrfonline.in and www.anrf.gov.in). You need to submit your proposal online during this period.

You need to submit your application exclusively through the ANRF online portal, which is accessible at www.anrfonline.in.

Generally, Co-PIs or Mentors are not allowed in this scheme. However, if you are a foreign national (OCI/PIO) applying in collaboration with an Indian Co-PI, then an Indian Co-PI is mandatory.

No. To be eligible, you must already hold a regular academic or research position at a recognized institution, national laboratory, or R&D organization in India.

Typically, a Principal Investigator (PI) can only manage one ANRF project at a time. You can submit another proposal for regular ANRF schemes six months before your current PM ECRG project concludes, unless specific calls allow otherwise.

At the end of each financial year, PIs must upload their annual Progress Report and financial statements. The next installment is released after submitting the Utilization Certificate and Statement of Expenditure for each financial year.

Changing your host institution is allowed only in specific cases: from private/public/government to another public/government institution, or due to general administrative transfers in government/publicly funded institutions. You must get prior approval from ANRF, and you'll need a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from your current institute and an Endorsement Form from the new one.

To terminate the project, you must inform ANRF through your host institution immediately. No further expenditure should be incurred from the date of termination or your resignation. The institute also needs to arrange for the submission of necessary documents.

If you need to be away from your implementing institute for more than eight consecutive weeks (unless for project-related fieldwork), you must obtain prior consent from ANRF.

After the project tenure, you must send the following to ANRF: a Final Consolidated Statement of Expenditure, year-wise Utilization Certificates, a Project Completion Report (including publications and patents), and a Demand Draft or cheque for the unspent grant amount, payable to 'Science & Engineering Research Fund'. The PI is responsible for submitting these documents and refunding any balance amount.

Yes, INSPIRE Faculty Fellows, along with Ramanujan and Ramalingaswamy Fellows, are eligible to apply if they meet all other criteria.

Yes, individuals who have previously held NPDF or SIRE fellowships are eligible to apply, provided they meet all the other requirements of the scheme.

Yes, you can submit a proposal for the PM ECRG if you have an ongoing TARE project, as long as it's submitted six months before the completion of your TARE project and you meet all other eligibility conditions.

For 'Travel' and 'Contingency' heads, the budget is typically up to ₹1 Lakh per year for each. However, a higher amount for travel might be approved if your research involves extensive fieldwork, based on the Expert Committee's recommendation. International travel falls within this limit.

Yes, funds under the 'Recurring-I' head offer flexibility. You can use the allocated money for consumables, manpower, travel, contingency, publications, or patent filing, but you must adhere to the scheme's terms and conditions, particularly for travel and contingency expenses.

Yes, the travel expenditure is capped at ₹3 Lakh for a three-year project. For shorter projects, it will be proportionately lower. Exceptions for higher amounts are made only if the project inherently involves significant fieldwork and is explicitly sanctioned.

Yes, the contingency expenditure is limited to ₹3 Lakh for a three-year project. For projects with shorter durations, this amount will be adjusted proportionally.

Yes, contingency funds can be used to cover registration fees for international conferences.

Yes, you can engage research personnel as per ANRF norms detailed in OMs - ANRF/OM/N/01/2024 and SB/S9/Z-06/2019. It's crucial that the total funds allocated under the recurring budget are not exceeded.

Yes, the Principal Investigator (PI) has the flexibility to recruit research personnel of any designation, or multiple individuals, as needed. However, you must follow ANRF guidelines (ANRF/OM/N/01/2024 and SB/S9/Z-06/2019), ensure the total recurring budget is not exceeded, and note that any future emolument revisions by ANRF will only apply to the initially approved research personnel.

No, the Principal Investigator (PI) is generally expected to complete the documentation and start the project within one month of receiving the approval letter. Failure to do so may lead to the withdrawal of the approval.

No, funds cannot be transferred or reappropriated between the non-recurring and recurring budgets under any circumstances.

Changing approved equipment is generally not allowed. It can only be considered on a case-by-case basis, and you must obtain prior approval from ANRF before making any changes.

You need to submit a request through the ANRF online portal to get prior approval for any publication-related expenditures.