Research and Development Grant

What is the Research and Development Grant?

Research and Development Grant is a scientific research funding programme of the Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST), an autonomous body under the Government of Uttarakhand's Department of Information and Science Technology. According to the myScheme listing and the UCOST portal, the grant supports scientists and researchers who take up projects aimed at solving the state's own problems, and it comes with financial support, technical guidance and institutional backing.

UCOST was registered under the Societies Registration Act in 2002 and became operational in 2005. It is headquartered at Vigyan Dham, Dehradun, and works to promote science, technology and innovation across Uttarakhand. The Research and Development Grant is one of the instruments through which the council channels public funds into research that has practical value for the state, for example work relevant to Uttarakhand's mountain environment, agriculture, biodiversity, health, water, disaster resilience and local technology needs.

Research and Development Grant is not a personal welfare benefit. It is a project-based research grant: funds are sanctioned against a specific research proposal, tied to defined objectives, a methodology and a budget, and routed through the researcher's host institution rather than paid to an individual as income support.

Who is eligible for the Research and Development Grant?

You can apply if:

• You are a resident of Uttarakhand.
• You are a scientist or researcher, including academic scientists at government or private colleges, universities, research institutes or technical institutions.
• You work in a recognised institution that can host the project and forward the proposal.
• You have a research project whose aim is to address a problem relevant to the state.

You cannot apply / are not eligible if:

• You are not affiliated with a recognised institution, the grant is routed through an institution's head, so an unaffiliated individual cannot claim a personal grant.
• You are not a resident of Uttarakhand, since state residence is an eligibility condition.
• Your proposal is a commercial or purely personal project with no research or scientific component addressing the state's needs.

The grant is aimed at the research community, not the general public, so a citizen looking for a personal cash benefit will not find one here.

What does the Research and Development Grant provide?

According to UCOST, an approved project receives three things: a financial grant to carry out the research, technical guidance from the council, and institutional support through the host institution. UCOST's own Call for Proposals sets the funding ceilings by project size: a major project is funded up to a maximum of about Rs 12 lakh, and a minor project up to about Rs 5 lakh. The exact figure within these ceilings is decided per project on the basis of the proposal and its item-wise budget, so applicants should submit a clear budget and then follow the amount sanctioned in their approval letter.

Because funding depends on the proposal, a well-defined scope, realistic budget and clear deliverables matter more than any headline number. The support is meant to help the researcher run the project to completion, not to provide ongoing salary or personal income.

What conditions does UCOST attach to the grant?

Research and Development Grant carries a few conditions that applicants should know before submitting:

• Every proposal must be Uttarakhand-state-specific: work that addresses a problem of the state rather than a generic research topic.
• An R&D proposal should be application-oriented, meaning it aims at a usable outcome, not only theory.
• A Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator becomes eligible to apply for the next project only after UCOST releases the Project Completion Certificate for their previous project, so ongoing projects must be closed out before a fresh grant is sought.
• The sanction and funds are routed through the host institution, which is accountable for utilisation certificates and progress reports.

What documents are required?

The core document is the research proposal itself. UCOST asks that proposals be submitted in its prescribed format. Keep the following ready:

Always check the UCOST portal for the current prescribed format and the exact document checklist before submitting, since these can be updated between calls.

How to apply for the Research and Development Grant

UCOST now accepts proposals online as well as offline, released against a periodic Call for Proposals. Follow these steps:

1. Watch for the Call for Proposals. UCOST invites R&D proposals in batches (often alongside its SCP, EDP and Travel Grant calls) and publishes the last date on ucost.uk.gov.in; deadlines are sometimes extended by the Competent Authority.
2. Prepare your proposal. Draft the research project in the UCOST prescribed format, covering objectives, methodology, expected outcomes for the state, a timeline and an item-wise budget, and decide whether it is a minor (up to Rs 5 lakh) or major (up to Rs 12 lakh) project.
3. Get institutional endorsement. Have the proposal endorsed and forwarded by your host institution, since UCOST routes approved documents to the institution through its President/head.
4. Submit the proposal. Upload it through the UCOST online submission portal at onlinesubmission.eucost.in, and/or send the signed hard copy to the Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology, Vigyan Dham, Jhajra, Dehradun, as the call specifies.
5. Committee evaluation. A Project Evaluation Committee at the council screens and evaluates the proposal on scientific merit and relevance to the state.
6. Approval and disbursement. If approved, the sanction and funds are forwarded to the proposed institution through its head, and the project can begin as per the sanction terms.

How to check the status of a proposal

Because the process is offline and institution-routed, applicants track progress mainly through UCOST and their own institution. Practical steps:

1. Note any reference or diary number issued when you submit the proposal.
2. Follow up with the UCOST office at Vigyan Dham, Dehradun, or through your institution's research/administrative office.
3. Check the UCOST portal (ucost.uk.gov.in) for notices, results of evaluation rounds and any fresh calls for proposals.

Common reasons a proposal is not funded

• Weak state relevance — proposals that do not clearly address a problem of Uttarakhand are less likely to be prioritised.
• No institutional route. A proposal without a host institution and forwarding endorsement cannot be processed.
• Unrealistic or unclear budget; vague or inflated budgets weaken the case for funding.
• Format not followed: proposals not in the UCOST prescribed format may be returned.
• Duplication: work that merely repeats already-funded research adds little value and may be set aside.

The fix in most cases is to resubmit a tightened proposal that clearly connects the research to a state problem, with a realistic budget and full institutional endorsement.

Where to get help

For the Research and Development Grant, contact UCOST:

• UCOST helpline: 0135-2976266
• Address: Vigyan Dham, Vigyan Sadan Block, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand
• Portal: ucost.uk.gov.in

UCOST is the single point of contact for the prescribed proposal format, open calls, evaluation status and grievance handling for this grant. Route queries through your institution's research office wherever possible, since the grant itself is administered on an institution-to-council basis.