Deadline for submission is 31st October 2020.

In a world where knowledge economy is gaining dominance in driving economies forward, the importance of R&D is paramount. The gains from innovation and technological change that arise out of research and development have been found to be central to the growth process for any nation around the world. R&D does not only lead to creation of new products, services or more efficient production methods but also results in transformation of businesses, their organization and management. Therefore scientific research is crucial for every aspect of socio-economic development. In our country, scientific institutions have been playing a very significant role in fostering the overall innovation and R&D ecosystem. In view of this, and as per the directions of PMO, a framework for assessment of innovation excellence of the public funded R&D institutions has been developed with the following objectives:

• To infuse a spirit of competition among these institutions with a view to improve their outcomes
• To determine whether the scientific institutions are working as per their mandate, or mandate itself needs a revision in line with present priorities, and technologies
• To assess required interventions for improvement
• To ascertain whether these institutions are delivering outcome-oriented R&D
• To assess the productivity of India’s research institutions in terms of optimal utilization of public funds
• To derive actionable policy recommendations from the assessments