High Risk - High Reward Research Scheme

What is the High Risk - High Reward Research scheme?

The High Risk - High Reward Research scheme is a research-funding programme of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). The successor to the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), under the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology. Most competitive grants reward proposals that are safe and likely to succeed. This scheme does the opposite: it sets aside funding for ideas that are conceptually new, unconventional and risky, on the understanding that if they work, the impact on science and technology could be extraordinary.

According to the scheme description on the National scheme portal and the ANRF/SERB research-grants listing, the programme supports proposals that could lead to a new hypothesis, a breakthrough technology or a completely fresh approach that reshapes a field. The willingness to fail is built in: reviewers are asked to look for boldness and originality rather than a guaranteed result.

Key features

• Backs high-risk, high-reward ideas with the potential for a paradigm-shifting influence on science and technology.
• No fixed budget ceiling; funding is set by need and by expert review.
• Covers equipment, consumables, contingency, travel and overheads, with separate budgets possible for co-investigators at different institutions.
• Support for up to three years, extendable to five in exceptional cases.

Who is eligible for the High Risk - High Reward Research scheme?

You can apply if:

• You are an Indian citizen residing in India.
• You hold a regular academic or research position in a recognised university, college, national laboratory or R&D institution.
• You have a bold, original research idea that carries real risk but could be transformative if it succeeds.

Teams are allowed. Where a team applies, one person must be designated the Principal Investigator (PI), and co-investigators at other institutions can each be given a share of the budget.

You cannot apply if:

• You do not hold a regular position — research scholars, students, and ad-hoc, guest or contract faculty are not eligible as PI.
• You are an individual looking for a personal or family cash benefit; this is a competitive research grant, not a welfare payment.
• You already hold a live High Risk - High Reward project, only one is allowed per investigator at a time, and reapplication requires a short waiting period after a proposal is closed.

This is not an individual welfare benefit

The High Risk - High Reward Research scheme has no citizen application in the sense of a personal entitlement. It funds a research project administered by an institution, not a person's household. A member of the public cannot receive money under it; the route is a scientist, working through a recognised institution, submitting a research proposal that is then peer-reviewed. If you are looking for personal financial assistance, this scheme is not the right one.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the High Risk - High Reward Research scheme

1. Register on the ANRF research portal at anrfonline.in (earlier serbonline.in) and complete your researcher profile and biodata.
2. Log in and open the proposal submission section.
3. Select the High Risk - High Reward Research (HRR) scheme from the list of programmes.
4. Enter the project details: title, summary, keywords, objectives, a clear statement of why the idea is novel and risky, and a year-wise budget breakdown, adding co-investigator budgets where relevant.
5. Attach the PI certificate, biodata and the endorsement from your head of institution, and submit before the call deadline.
6. If the proposal is shortlisted and approved, submit equipment quotations and any additional documents the sanction letter asks for, usually within a month.

Submitted proposals go through peer review by ANRF's expert committees, which weigh the originality and potential impact of the idea against its risk.

How long does support last?

Funding normally runs for three years. In exceptional cases, where the problem genuinely needs more time and progress justifies it, the expert committee can extend support up to five years. Grants are released against progress reviews, and ANRF/SERB support must be acknowledged in resulting publications.

Where to confirm current details

Because SERB schemes have been migrating to ANRF, the live call, exact submission windows and any revised guidelines should be confirmed on the official portal at anrfonline.in and on serb.gov.in under Research Grants before you apply. No dedicated toll-free helpline is published for this scheme; queries go through the ANRF/SERB online helpdesk and your institution's research and development office.

Because this is a niche research-funding scheme with limited published detail, readers may be better served by a broader guide to ANRF/SERB research grants that places High Risk - High Reward alongside sister schemes such as SUPRA and the Core Research Grant.

How to check your application status

A High Risk - High Reward Research proposal moves through several review stages, and the ANRF portal is the only reliable place to track where it stands.

• Log in to anrfonline.in (or serbonline.in for older submissions) with the credentials used at the time of application and open the "My Proposals" or "Track Application" section of your dashboard. The status field typically shows stages such as submitted, under scrutiny, sent for expert review, presented before the committee, or a final decision.
• Check the registered email inbox regularly. ANRF/SERB sends stage-wise notifications, including requests for a revised budget, a rebuttal to a reviewer's comments, or an invitation to present the proposal before an expert panel. These emails often carry a short response deadline, so a missed one can stall or end the review.
• Watch for a presentation call. For this scheme, a shortlisted proposal is commonly required to be presented in person or online before a Programme Advisory Committee (PAC). This step normally shows up as a status change on the portal along with an email, not as a separate application.
• Contact your institution's research and development (R&D) cell. Host institutions are copied on some correspondence and can help chase a proposal that appears stuck, especially where the status has not changed for several months.
• Use the ANRF/SERB online helpdesk for a status query that the portal itself does not resolve, since no dedicated toll-free number is published for this scheme. Keep your proposal reference number ready when writing in, since queries without it are hard to trace.
• Do not expect a fixed processing timeline. Because proposals are evaluated by external experts and, in many cases, discussed at committee meetings held a few times a year, the gap between submission and a final decision can run into several months and depends on when the next review cycle falls.

Common reasons for rejection

Because this scheme is judged on the strength of an idea rather than a simple document checklist, most rejections trace back to how the proposal is framed rather than a missing form.

• The proposal reads as an ordinary, low-risk project. Reviewers reject ideas that are incremental improvements on existing work rather than genuinely novel or paradigm-shifting. The fix is to state upfront, in the summary itself, exactly what established assumption the idea challenges and why the outcome, if it works, would change the field, not just extend it.
• The applicant does not hold a regular position at the time of submission. Proposals from research scholars, students, or ad-hoc, guest or contract faculty are turned away at the eligibility stage because the scheme requires a Principal Investigator in a regular academic or research post. Confirm your appointment status with your institution's R&D cell before applying.
• The investigator already holds a live High Risk - High Reward grant. Only one such project is permitted per investigator at a time, so a second proposal from the same PI is rejected outright. Complete or formally close the existing project, or wait out the required gap, before submitting again.
• The budget is not justified against the specific risk being taken. A generic or inflated budget without a clear equipment, consumable or manpower rationale tied to the stated risk raises doubts in expert review. Break the budget down year-wise and connect each major cost to a specific experiment or milestone in the proposal.
• Weak or missing institutional endorsement. A proposal without a clear letter from the head of institution agreeing to administer the grant, or with a delayed endorsement, can be held up or rejected on administrative grounds. Secure this letter before the submission window closes rather than after.
• Poor performance at the PAC presentation stage. Where a proposal is called for a committee presentation, an investigator who cannot defend the novelty of the idea, or who cannot answer questions on feasibility and risk mitigation, commonly sees the proposal dropped at this stage even after clearing initial review. Prepare specifically to defend why the idea is risky and why it is still worth funding, not just what the idea is.