Impactful Policy Research in Social Sciences (IMPRESS) scheme web portal launched by Prakash Javadekar on 25 October 2018 in New Delhi, there would be 1500 research projects with an outlay of 414 crore and researchers will get Rs. 20 to 25 lakh for each project for the next 2 years to support social science research in higher educational institutions & to enable research to guide policy making
Shri Prakash Javadekar, Union minister for MHRD has launched Impactful Policy Research in Social Sciences (IMPRESS) scheme web portal on 25 October 2018 in New Delhi. Under this IMPRESS scheme, there would be 1500 research projects and researchers will get Rs. 20 to 25 lakh for each project. The central govt. has allocated a budget of Rs. 414 crore for the next 2 years to support social science research in higher educational institutions & to enable research to guide policy making.
Research in the field of social science is necessary for the progress of the country and research under IMPRESS scheme will help in understanding and solving problems faced by the society. Indian Council of Social Science and Research (ICSSR) will be the nodal implementing agency for the projects.
Previously, the central govt. has sanctioned Rs. 414 crore for Impactful Policy Research in Social Sciences (IMPRESS) scheme for implementation upto 31 March 2021.
Impactful Policy Research in Social Science (IMPRESS) Scheme
The important features and highlights of IMPRESS scheme are as follows:-
- IMPRESS scheme will identify and fund research proposals in social sciences with maximum impact on governance and society.
- This scheme will focus research on 11 broad thematic areas which are as follows:-
- State and Democracy
- Urban transformation
- Media, Culture and Society
- Employment, Skills and Rural transformation
- Governance, Innovation and Public Policy
- Growth, Macro-trade and Economic Policy
- Agriculture and Rural Development
- Health and Environment
- Science and Education
- Social Media and Technology
- Politics, Law and Economics
- Expert groups will decide the sub-theme areas before releasing the notification of the scheme and making call for the applications.
- IMPRESS scheme will ensure projects selection through a transparent, competitive process on online mode.
- This scheme will provide opportunity to social science researchers in any institution in the country. IMPRESS scheme will include all central and state universities and private institutions with 12(B) status conferred by UGC.
ICSSR funded / recognized research institutes will also remain eligible to submit research proposals on the given themes and sub-themes.
IMPRESS Scheme Implementation
The following will be procedure for implementation of IMPRESS scheme:-
— The proposals will be called for 4 times in the months of October 2018, February 2019, September 2019 and February 2020. The process of projects evaluation and selection shall have to be completed within 90 days from the date of call for proposals.
— The experts for project evaluation will be the persons of eminence and selected using objective criteria.
— Online portal will help in regular monitoring of the progress of projects and the progress will be directly updated on the portal by the Project coordinator.
— A third party evaluate the research proposals on the projects in March 2021.
