Short Term Research Grants by Prof NR Madhava Menon Interdisciplinary Centre for Research Ethics and Protocols (ICREP) [Upto Rs. 50K]: Apply Now!

Applications are invited for Short Term Research Grants (for upto Rs. 50,000) by Prof NR Madhava Menon ICREP (Interdisciplinary Centre for Research Ethics and Protocols), CUSAT.

About the Centre

Prof. N R Madhava MenonInterdisciplinary Centre for Research Ethics and Protocols is an Inter University Centre of Excellence housed in the Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi, Kerala and is named in honour of the great Indian legal educationist and stalwart late Padmasri Prof.(Dr.) Madhava Menon who brought about a sea change in the legal education of the country. The centre undertakes research and academic programs based on the areas where there is an intersection of law, science and ethics. 

About the Research Grants

The student project initiatives aim to pool in innovative, interdisciplinary and cutting edge research proposals from Post Graduate students which could bring in novel questions, develop new legal frameworks, rethink methodological approaches, evaluate ethical dilemmas and find innovative answers to challenges due to the intersection of modern scientific technologies on one hand and existing laws on the other hand.

The projects must be of a multidisciplinary character that seeks to address various ethical conflicts and debates that arise on the intersection of science and law. 

Introduction

The Student Project Initiatives of ICREP is designed to pool in innovative, interdisciplinary and cutting-edge research proposals from students which could bring in novel questions, develop new legal frameworks, rethink methodological approaches, evaluate ethical dilemmas and find innovative answers to challenges due to the intersection of scientific technologies on one hand and existing laws on the other hand. It aims at the convergence of ideas of student community pursuing their studies in different scientific and legal backgrounds connecting them robustly to the practical issues in their respective domains and also able to comprehend the issues on the other side so as to bring in viable solutions. 

This initiative seeks to churn young minds to be problem solvers in tomorrow’s world since it helps in creating an awakening in their minds that the research they undertake affects not only the respective disciplines of their study but the scientific and real-world alike. Hence projects may address any new or enduring scholarly question, debate, or issue and should seek to find practical solutions for the same.

Thus, they can contribute immensely not only to the knowledge of their own field of study but can also lead to dissemination, sharing and acquisition of knowledge through experiences and thus eventually they become major drivers of change through their research.

Eligibility

1. The Centre is inviting research project proposals from post graduate students from the discipline of science and law.  
2. The application to the grant must be supported by a faculty with good research background from the parent institution of the applicant and such faculty must establish his/her consent in writing to act as the Research Co- Supervisor (CS) for the applicant, if his/her proposal is approved.
3. In addition to the Co- Supervisor, a Research Supervisor (RS), who is a faculty member of any department under CUSAT will also be recommended/appointed by the Centre to each research initiative on the acceptance of the proposal. The Research Supervisor will be recommended/appointed by the Centre based on the research area chosen by the applicant.

How to Apply for the Grant?

1. Each applicant shall submit only one project proposal.
2. The language in which the application, the proposal and all other supporting documents are submitted must be English.
3. The format for submitting the research proposal is attached herewith as Annexure II. 
4. The application must contain all the below set of documents:

• Application form (Annexure I) 
• Research proposal (Annexure II)
• Recommendation letter from the Head of parent institution in the prescribed format (Annexure III)
• Consent and supporting letter form the proposed Research Co-supervisor in the prescribed format (Annexure IV).

5. The application containing all the documents listed in point (4) above must be sent to the Centre both in soft copy as well as hard copy.
6. The soft copy of the application (Annexure I) must be in MS Word File Format. All the other documents shall be forwarded in Portable Document Format. (PDF) 
7. Soft copy of the documents in point (4) must be mailed to the ID ‘icrep@cusat.ac.in’. 
8. The subject line of the mail shall be given as “Student Project Proposal, 2021”
9. One Hard Copy of the documents in point (4) must be sent to the address

 “The Co-ordinator, 

Prof N. R. Madhava Menon Interdisciplinary Centre for Research Ethics and Protocols, 

Room No: 11, First Floor, Students’ Amenities Centre,

Cochin University of Science and Technology, 

Kalamassery, Kochi- 682 022. “

Click here for the annexures.

Research Duration and Grant Value

1. The duration of the project will be to a maximum of six months. The duration of the project will be calculated from the date of release of first installment of the grant. 
2. The amount of grant will be decided based on the recommendations of the Expert Committee, after considering the scope and nature of each proposal. The maximum amount for the grant is Rs 50,000/-
3. The disbursement of the grant will be made in two installments .
4. The grant will be released in favor of the Affiliating Institution only. The institution shall maintain a separate bank account for facilitating the disbursal of the grant.
5. The research grant is not meant for procuring any equipment or furniture including pen drives, hard disks, cables, etc. 

Selection Procedure and Award

1. Only those proposals which are complete and in the prescribed format will be considered.
2. A preliminary scrutiny of the valid proposals will be conducted by the Expert Committee at ICREP and the short-listed applicants will be required to prepare a detailed power point presentation of their proposal and to present the same (online) before the Expert Committee.
3. The Committee may suggest modifications to the proposal which must be incorporated by the researcher. Based on the proposal and the presentation, the Committee will accept/ reject the proposal, after the applicant have incorporated the modifications suggested by the Committee, if any. 
4. The decision of the Expert Committee will be final in this regard. 
5. Once the proposal is approved, the applicant, the Research Co-supervisor and the parent institution will be informed the same by issuing a sanction letter together with necessary guidelines.
6. The researcher is not supposed to make any major changes in the research design once the same is approved by the Expert Committee. Any such changes must be made only with the prior approval from ICREP.

Research Supervision and Monitoring

1. The Expert Committee formed by ICREP will monitor the progress of the research continuously throughout the project period and may ask the researcher to furnish progress reports. The timely release of grants will depend on due compliance with such conditions.  
2. If the Expert Committee notice any shortcomings in the research, the researcher will be required to rectify the same within a specified period of time. 
3. The Research Supervisor and the Co-supervisor will also be made a party to all the project related communications .The Head of the Institution of the applicant shall ensure the timely completion of the project for which the grant has been awarded.
4. The Research Supervisor as well as the Co- Supervisor positions are honorary in nature. 

SUBMISSION OF THE FINAL REPORT

1. A final report (maximum 100 pages- minimum 60 pages) along with a brief summary of the research shall be submitted in MS Word format as well as in PDF format to the maid ID ‘icrep@cusat.ac.in’.
2. One hardcopy of the final report properly filed must also be submitted at the office of ICREP within a month of completion of the duration of the project. 
3. The researcher will be required to present the completed project report before the Expert Committee before the final submission and the suggestions if any made by the Committee must be incorporated in the final report at the time of submission. If the researcher has any objections to incorporating the same in the report, the same must be properly explained to the Committee. 
4. The Utilization Certificate, statement of expenditure duly certified by the parent institution along with all the bills, receipts and vouchers in original must be submitted to ICREP on the completion of the research project. 

General Conditions

1. The disclaimer “ICREP does not confirm the authenticity of the data and ICREP shall not be held responsible for any findings or opinions expressed in this report” shall be stated explicitly in the final report.. 
2. No other financial assistance shall be accepted by the researcher or the parent institution or the co- supervisor from any other sources for the same research project assigned by the ICREP.
3. The researchers during the duration of the project may use the library facility of CUSAT.
4. ICREP will have IP rights of the research study. 
5. The Research Proposal while it is under consideration for approval before the ICREP should not be submitted before any other authority. Also, the final report should not be submitted for evaluation before any other authority for the award of any award or degree or for availing any funds or grants. 
6. No request for additional grant in excess of the sanctioned amount will be entertained. Also, any unutilized amount shall be refunded back to ICREP.
7. ICREP has the right to consider the request from any researcher or his/ her parent institution to change the Research Supervisor, provided the Supervisor as well as the Co-Supervisor consents to the same. The request will be entertained only in exceptional circumstances. The Center by itself may also initiate change of the Supervisor, if it is found that the Supervisor is not in a position to finish the project successfully.
8. The ICREP reserves the right to reject any application without assigning any reasons. 
9. The CUSAT and ICREP reserves the right to modify the project guidelines as and when it deems fit and the final authority for disputes related to the interpretation of this guideline or any other related matter will be vested with the Centre, represented by its Coordinator and the Vice Chancellor of CUSAT. 

Notes to the Parent Institution

1. The parent institution represented by its HOD/Principal is obliged to comply with the undertakings specified in the recommendation letter attached herewith as Annex III. 
2. The parent institution will be under the obligation to ensure timely submission of the final report as well as the Audited Statement of Accounts and the Utilization Certificate (in the prescribed format) duly certified by the competent authority from the institution.

Click here for the official information and application form.

Source: Lawctopus