PURSE — Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence

What is PURSE?

PURSE: Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence; is a flagship infrastructure scheme of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Ministry of Science & Technology. PURSE commenced in 2009 exclusively for the university sector and was restructured and re-oriented in 2020.

According to the DST PURSE page, the main objective is to strengthen the research capacity of performing Indian universities and to support the nurturing of a research ecosystem, rather than to fund any one scientist's project. A combination of the i10 index of faculty members, the university's H-index and its NIRF ranking is used to select universities under PURSE.

Key objectives of PURSE

• Strengthen the R&D base of performing universities as institutions.
• Push universities to consolidate their pockets of excellence into an interdisciplinary thematic effort rather than spreading money thinly.
• Align university research with National Missions and national priorities such as manufacturing, waste processing, clean energy and water.
• Make university research facilities usable by other institutes, startups, MSMEs and industry.

Main features

• Project duration of 4 years per university.
• Support in three categories; Rs 30 crore, Rs 20 crore and Rs 15 crore, keyed to NIRF rank, H-index and i10 index.
• One consolidated proposal per university, submitted online only.
• Facilities created must be mapped to the ISTEM portal (istem.gov.in) and made accessible to the scientific community and industry.
• Supported universities may describe themselves as a DST-PURSE Supported University.

Who is eligible for PURSE?

A university is eligible if:

• It is a UGC-recognised central university, state-funded university, deemed university or private university.
• It meets the minimum thresholds of at least one category on NIRF ranking, H-index (Web of Science) and i10 index.
• It has not received support under SAIF, SATHI or PURSE in the last 10 years from the date of the sanction order.
• It can submit a single consolidated, interdisciplinary thematic proposal with broad participation from its science and engineering departments.
• It nominates a PURSE Coordinator with at least 5 years of remaining service.

Who cannot apply:

• Individual researchers cannot apply. The DST call states that individual-centric R&D proposals are not entertained under PURSE, and that proposals towards individual R&D support are not accepted.
• IITs, NITs, IISERs and colleges are not eligible: PURSE is exclusively for the university sector, and all other agency-based universities are excluded from its scope.
• A university that has drawn SAIF, SATHI or PURSE support in the last 10 years is not eligible. The DST PURSE page also records exclusion where more than Rs 10 crore was received from UGC or government in the past 5 years.
• Universities that fail every category's minimum H-index and i10 threshold are not eligible.
• Applied and translational life sciences proposals are steered instead to the comparable scheme of the Department of Biotechnology.

What documents are required for PURSE?

How to apply for PURSE online

1. Wait for DST to publish a PURSE call for proposals on dst.gov.in and on the e-PMS portal; the scheme is not open for submission year round.
2. Check the university's NIRF ranking, H-index on Web of Science and i10 index on Google Scholar against the Category A, B and C thresholds and decide the category to apply under.
3. Log on to onlinedst.gov.in, the DST e-PMS Portal, and download the PURSE proposal format from the Proposal Formats section after logging in.
4. Build a single consolidated thematic proposal identifying 2-3 research strength areas of the university with a proven track record, ensuring broad participation of the science and engineering departments.
5. Complete the budget as prescribed — 70% non-recurring capital for equipment and 30% recurring, split across manpower 12%, consumables 8%, seminars and workshops 2%, travel 1%, maintenance 2%, Social Scientific Responsibility 1%, handholding of startups and industrial collaboration 2% and overheads 2%.
6. Fill the format as a Word and PDF file within the 5 MB size limit and keep it ready for upload.
7. Upload the mandatory documents; UGC recognition letter, Vice-Chancellor or Registrar endorsement, conflict of interest policy, signed terms and conditions, Project Implementation Group details and the two-page summary.
8. Use Preview to verify every entry, then click Submit before the last date in the call, after which the web link is disabled automatically. No hard copy is required.

Proposals submitted by email are not entertained, and proposals in any format other than the prescribed one are summarily rejected.

How much benefit does PURSE provide?

The maximum quantum of support is Rs 30 crore for Category A, Rs 20 crore for Category B and Rs 15 crore for Category C, in each case for a project duration of 4 years.

Cost sharing. For all UGC-recognised state universities, the DST share is 100% of the total sanctioned cost. For all non-government grantee institutes, that is, private universities, and for central universities, the support is shared 75:25, with the institution's management bearing 25% of the total sanctioned project cost.

Budget structure. Under the PURSE terms and conditions, the grant is split as equipment 70% under capital, and under general components: manpower 12%, consumables 8%, seminars, workshops and conferences 2%, travel 1%, maintenance of facilities 2%, Social Scientific Responsibility activities 1%, handholding of startups and industrial collaboration 2% and overhead charges 2%.

What PURSE does not fund. Buildings and civil construction, permanent staff recruitment, teaching facilities, and teaching aids such as LCD projectors, smart boards, generators and gadgets are all outside the scope. Manpower recruited under PURSE must be scientific and technical only, and co-terminus with the project duration.

What obligations come with a PURSE grant?

• Constitute a Project Implementation Group, accountable to DST for all aspects of implementation across the 4-year duration.
• Constitute a Well Wisher Committee for internal implementation and progress review, including university officials, the PURSE Coordinator, a DST representative, participating faculty, at least one external member from a nearby MSME and at least one faculty member from a nearby research organisation, plus two members of the Programme Management Board.
• Map all facilities acquired from the grant to the ISTEM portal (istem.gov.in) and keep them accessible to the scientific community and industry.
• Submit utilisation certificates and audited statements of accounts within one month of the end of each financial year, and upload the UC on the PFMS portal. Second and third-year grants are released only against accepted UCs.
• Acknowledge DST-PURSE support in bold in all publications, theses, patents, prototypes and media releases.
• Note that carry forward of unutilised grants to subsequent financial years is not allowed, and DST may withdraw the project where unspent grants accumulate.

Common reasons PURSE proposals are rejected

• Eligibility thresholds not met on NIRF, H-index or i10 index for the category claimed.
• Cooling-off breached; SAIF, SATHI or PURSE support received in the last 10 years.
• Individual-centric proposal rather than a consolidated university-level thematic proposal.
• More than one proposal submitted, or narrow departmental participation.
• Budget outside the prescribed 70:30 split, or including construction or permanent staff.
• Missing UGC recognition letter or Vice-Chancellor endorsement.
• Wrong format or late submission on the e-PMS portal.

Help and contact for PURSE

• DST R&D Infrastructure Division: 011-26590452
• Address: Department of Science & Technology, Technology Bhawan, New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi 110016
• Proposal portal: onlinedst.gov.in
• Scheme page: dst.gov.in

Each PURSE call names a scientist as the contact for queries, so check the live call notice on dst.gov.in for the current coordinator's email before writing in.