
Purpose
IIT Madras is a premier institute for research, which is home to a faculty of international repute and world class facilities. Faculty members at IIT Madras carry out high quality research, often in collaboration with researchers in areas which are at the forefront of cutting-edge research and technology. The Institute files more than 100 patents each year, and its faculty members and students publish top quality peer reviewed papers in highly acclaimed international and national journals.
Results of a recent survey among faculty revealed that most faculty believe that international collaboration is important, necessary, and complementary to their research at IITM. To support this, there is a need to focus on flexible mobility funding to enhance and sustain collaborations, particularly with highly ranked institutes (Eg: top 25 in the QS rankings).
About the Program
The High Risk High Reward Mobility Grant is a unique program with IIT Madras’ valued strategic partners. This flagship program is aimed at enhancing and increasing our collaborations with institutes of global repute through attractive mobility funding for students and faculty. It is envisioned that the program would:
- Increase research collaborations
- Enhance research impact and visibility ultimately leading to improved perception
- Deepen ties with existing top ranked strategic partners
- Lead to opportunities to design joint research/educational programs
Program Objectives
- Provide a platform for long-term research engagement
- Opportunity to initiate joint guidance for Masters/Ph.D. programs
- Pioneering collaborative research leading to top quality peer-reviewed joint publications
- Knowledge exchange beyond the host institution to include additional collaborators/institutions
- Opportunity to explore bilateral regional grants
Procedure
- Identify and reach out to highly ranked universities (Eg: QS top 25) you wish to collaborate with
- Submit your proposal
- Faculty stay for 2-3 months (ideally over the summer)
- PhD student stay for 6 -12 months
Proposal
The proposal should include the following:
- Cover letter
- Proposal narrative
- Summary of the proposed research
- Detailed budget
- PhD student details
- Letter of consent from proposed collaborating faculty
- Signatures and endorsement of both IITM and collaborating faculty
- Abbreviated CVs of IITM and collaborating faculty
Details are available in the program description.
Selection
- Screening and evaluation
- Review and assessment by a panel of experts in the field
- Addressing of questions and concerns (if any) raised by the experts in a peer reviewed style
- Presentation to subject matter experts (by selected PIs)
- Proposed student to undergo a separate interview and assessment by an independent committee comprised of IIT Madras faculty members
FAQ
After the deadline, approximately how much time it takes for the grant decisions to be made?
Once the grant has been given, is it expected that the travel is carried out within a particular period of time? For example, for this current round of grant the travel needs to be carried out within 2022?
For the required documents a) Proposal narrative, and b) summary of proposed research are there any page limits or specifications?
Would it be ok if I submitted two applications with separate proposals?
Could you please clarify on why this programme is called 'high risk' - and not just a mobility award? Does the research proposed have to be something on those lines? Or does the risk here refer to working with new partners?
There was an earlier call based on IOE where there was 1 vector on outbound visit - is this still on? Is that linked to this call?
I am a new professor, so I do not have a PhD student. Is it necessary to have 1 PhD student OR Is it also OK, if the collaborating partner has one and his/ her details has been provided?
Is there any financial commitment from the collaborator/ partner?
Does the University have to be in the top 25 of the QS World University Ranking or is the subject ranking also okay?
What is the expected outcome?
Is IIT Madras going to bear all the costs related to my or student's travel and stay ? Or there are any expenses the collaborator has to take care of?
I would like to supplement the 5-page proposal narrative with a separate bibliography section. Can the bibliography be in addition to the 5 pages of the narrative, or does it have to be within the 5 pages?
Can the budget include something beyond mobility? Can equipment or consumables be covered?
What document(s) do I need to ask for from my collaborative institute/faculty?
CONTACT PERSON
Ms. Ranjitha KV
Email: global.relations@ge.iitm.ac.in