Students’ research under CMRG to get patents

CHENNAI: All the successful innovations of the students in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in the State under the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Research Grant scheme will now be converted into patents for industrial applications and for public usage.

The Chief Ministers Research Grant (CMRG) scheme, which was launched recently, aims to promote quality research to enhance the rigor, reliability, robustness, and transparency of research. Accordingly, the mission of this grant is to explore “Global Dynamics in Responsible Research” and will provide a platform for the perspectives of early researchers on current challenges.

A senior official from the Directorate of Technical Education (DOTE) said the scheme also aims to support researchers, innovators, and start-ups to bring innovative technologies, products, and business models from labs to the community for a better quality of lives and livelihood and help create sustainable and scalable social impact.

“In recent times, most of the innovations developed by both students and faculties, were only in the record without going for the patent, which is mandatory to reach the public usage”, he added.

The official said, however, to encourage the students, the CMRG scheme will ensure that all the effective and elective inventions by the students will definitely reach the patent level. “In addition, the scheme would also help the students to bring the product for public and industrial use accordingly,” he said.

Stating that the research fund for Master’s degree students and across all levels of technical education, he said there would be a ceiling of Rs 20 lakh for students-led projects and Rs 40 lakh for faculties-led inventions.

“The screening committee will examine the objective of the project, which should be useful for the society at large,” he said adding the shortlisted proposals will be placed before the Peer Review Panel Evaluation Committee (PRPEC), which would decide to take the research to further steps including procuring the patent.

The official said the research grant will be extended to all the Arts, Science, and Engineering domains and open to all the government higher educational institutions and state universities. “However, projects already approved under other schemes cannot be considered for top-up funding or additional funding from the CMRG,” he pointed out.