Sree Padmavathi Venkateswara Foundation

sreepvfkrishna@gmail.com

At SreePVF, we are committed to promoting research in the fields of Biomedical Sciences and Agriculture through our flagship Sree Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Research Grant Programme. Each year, we offer competitive funding support to research programs in these fields, providing opportunities to those who share our vision for innovation and progress.

Our Biomedical Sciences research grant program offers a three-year research grant of up to Rs 3 crores for bench-bedside translational research. Through this program, we aim to support research that can bridge the gap between basic scientific research and clinical medicine, with the ultimate goal of improving human health.

We also offer an Agricultural grant program that supports novel and sustainable solutions that benefit small and marginal farmers. This program provides up to Rs 50-lakh grant over two years to individuals and institutions whose work aligns with our mission to improve agriculture practices and promote sustainable solutions in the field. At SreePVF, we believe that through research and innovation, we can help drive progress and make a positive impact on society.

As part of our efforts to support the development of agroecology, we have partnered with the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture to establish the Krishna Sudha Academy for Agroecology. This academy has a mission to create a world-class research facility for agroecological approaches to farming, rural business enterprises, and public policy. It also aims to develop human resources by building an excellent learning ecosystem for farmers, students, consumers, and policymakers. At the academy, we are committed to promoting sustainable and innovative solutions for the benefit of agriculture and the communities it supports.

Biomedical Sciences

The Sree Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Research Grant in Biomedical Sciences was introduced in 2019 and has since completed four successful rounds of competition. Since 2020, the program has shifted its focus towards supporting & bench to bedside &; translational research, which aims to bridge the gap between fundamental scientific discoveries and their application in clinical settings for the benefit of patients. This new approach reflects our commitment to funding innovative research projects with the potential to improve healthcare outcomes and
advance medical knowledge.

Grant Evaluation Process

A stringent selection process has been put in place to identify the awardees:

  • Initial scrutiny for eligibility, remit and other grant specifications.

  • Screening by the Selection Committee for external review based on the following criteria:

    1. Translational value of the proposed research, how soon can the translation benefit humans
    2. Novelty of the proposed work; does it enrich the field?
    3. Feasibility of the proposal based on the expertise of the PI and the collaborators
    4. Vigor and rigor of the proposed experiments
    5. Competitiveness with-in the cohort
    6. Value of the proposed research outcomes for betterment of human health

  • Peer-review of selected applications by both national and international experts in the field.

  • Interviews of short-listed candidates for final award

Members of the Committee:

A Committee of eminent scientists have been constituted to help the Foundation in reviewing the applications.

Chair

Professor D Balasubramanian, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad

Selection Committee:

Professor Dipankar Chatterji

Professor L S Shashidhara

Professor V Chandrasekhar

Dr Ghanshyam Swarup

Dr Gullapalli Nageswara Rao

Dr  Chadalawada Nageswara Rao

Dr Chadalawada Sudha

Secretary

  • Dr Ponnari Gottipati, Grants Manager, SreePVF Foundation

Agricultural Sciences

In 2021, SreePVF expanded the Sree Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Research Grant to include the agricultural sciences. The grant aims to provide last-mile funding for novel and sustainable solutions that benefit small and marginal farmers in India. This program provides
a 50-lakh grant over two years to individuals and institutions whose work aligns with our mission to improve agriculture practices and promote sustainable solutions in the field. At SreePVF, we believe that through research and innovation, we can help drive progress and make a positive impact on society.

Grant Evaluation Process

The major criteria for evaluation of the project proposals is scientific novelty and innovation, readiness to deploy solutions for small and marginal farming community at the end of project duration, sustainable solution(s) featuring innovation, relevance to the farming community, cost-effectiveness and easy accessibility.

All submitted project proposals are screened for shortlisting in a two-step process.

  • Each proposal is evaluated by at least two Committee Members for in-depth evaluation

  • The major criteria for the primary screening are:   Scientific novelty

    1. Utility to farmers including the cost of deployment
    2. Readiness level of technology for deployment upon project completion
    3. Reasonability of timeline
    4. Expertise of applicant for fulfilling project objectives as well as reasonability of budget
    5. Green technology

  • Interview of Short-listed proposals for the final award

Review Committee

Five eminent scientists from the field of Agriculture in India constitute the review committee.

Professor & Chair, Biology and Dean Faculty, IISER, Tirupati; Former Scientist and J. C. Bose fellow at CSIR-CCMB, Hyderabad; former Director, NIPGR, New Delhi

Members of the Committee:

Professor L S Shashidhara

Dr Alok Kalra

Dr Navin Sharma

Dr M. Sujatha

India is rapidly transforming into a dynamic hub of intellectual innovation and discovery. To support the science and technology ecosystem in the country, the Sree Padmavathi Venkateswara Foundation has created peer- reviewed funding programs that recognize exceptional researchers with the potential to achieve ground-breaking results in areas of critical national
importance. Our foundation provides these researchers with generous funding and empowering mentorship to generate knowledge and develop sustainable solutions of the highest quality, particularly in the fields of biomedical and agricultural research. We also work on projects to deploy advanced knowledge and improve the income of small and marginal farmers. We believe that by working together, we can create sustainable solutions that will benefit not only India but also the world.

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