Developing Winning Research Proposals in Agricultural Research

595 Pages·2013·8.68 MB·English

Developing Winning
Research Proposals in
Agricultural Research
Third Revised Edition

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Developing Winning
Research Proposals jn,·.
Agricultural Research
Third Revised Edition
Jagannadham Challa
D. Rama Rao
S.M .. V;rman;
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NATIONAL ACADEMY OF
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH MANAGEMENT
Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500 030
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Citation
Developing Winning Research Proposals in A%ricultural Research
Third Revised Edition - NAARM, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500 030, A. P.
India.
Authors
Jagannadham Chalfa
D. Rama Rao
S.M. Virmani
First Edition: October 2005
Second Edition: October 2006
Second Edition-Reprint-June 2008
Third Revised Edition·October 2010
(This edition is fully sponsored and funded by the LaCB Project of NAIP,
NAARM)
Published by
Director
NAARM, Rajendranagar
Hyderabad 500030
ISBN 978-81-909983-1-4
Printed at
NAARM Offset Press
Rajendranagar
Hyderabad 500030
Price: Rs 500/
Postage extra: Rs 50/·
For copies contact:
Director
NAARM, Rajendranagar
Hyderabad 500 030
A.P., India
Tel: 040·24015070/2405839, Fax: 040·24015912
Email: [email protected]
Contents
Page
Foreword. ....................................................................................................... .
Acknowledgement........................................................................................ iii
Glossary of Acronyms.................................................................................... v
Chapter 1
Introduction ..................................................................................... ..
Chapter 2
Scientific Values ft Professional Ethics in Research Proposal
Writing............................................................................................... 7
Chapter 3
Brainstorming Technique................................................................ 17
Chapter 4
Projects and Funding Agencies. ................................................... 25
Chapter 5
Sustainable Agriculture................................................................... 87
Chapter 6
Consortia Approach in Agricultural Research............................ 95
Chapter 7
Climate Change and Food Security.............................................. 109
Chapter 8
Carbon Credits· A Response to Climate Change....................... 117
Cha?ter'l
Conservation Agriculture: Efficiency, Equity ft Environment.. 125
Chapter 10 .
What is a Research Project Proposal (Winning Type)?............. 139
Chapter 11
How to be a Good Project Designer?........................................... 143
Chapter 12
The Importance of Concept Notes............................................... 151
Chapter 13
General Writing Tips........................................................................ 165
Chapter 14
Writing to Inform Vs Writing to Persuade.................................. 171
Chapter 15
How to Make Your Proposal Readable?........................................ 177
Chapter 16
The Logical Framework in Research Planning
and Evaluation................................................................................. 189
.~~----~~--~~~~~~~~~~--------
~. Developing Winning Research Proposals in Agricultural Research
Contents
Chapter 17
Project Management Techniques............................................... 205
Chapter 18
How to Prepare Proposal Budgets?............................................. 225
Chapter 19
Review and Rejection of Proposals............................................. 237
Chapter 20
Writing Curriculum Details· Presenting Yourself..................... 241
Chapter 21
Presenting your proposal......................................... ..................... 243
Chapter 22
Illustrations of Successful Research Proposals from
Competitive Grants......................................................................... 253
Chapter 23
Bibliography....................................................................................... 289
Annexure
Guidelines and Formats
o National Fund for Agriculture Competitive Grant Scheme.. 297
o National Agricultural Innovation Praject........................... 301
o Department of Atomic Energy for Seeking Financial
Support for Research Projects.............................................. 313
o DBT Emoluments for Research Personnel.......................... 333
Q DBT Format for Women and Rural Development.............. 337
D DBT Format for Research and Development Projects..... 345
Q DBT Terms and Conditions of the Grant............................ 355
D DBT Guidelines for Genomic Research............................... 363
DBT Proforma for Holding Seminars!Symposia!
Q
Conference............................................................................... 365
o DBT Guidelines for Technology Transfer and IPR............. 377
o DBT Guidelines for International Travel Support
for Attending International Conferences!Seminars!
Workshops· Abroad. .............................................................. 379
Developing Winning Research Proposals in Agricultural Research
Contents
o DBT Guidelines for Formulation of REtD Proposals
for SCIST Population and Weaker Sections....................... 387
o DST Women Scientists Scheme.............................................. 395
o DST Format for Publication Grant........................................ 401
o DST Format for Science and Technology Policy................. 405
CJ DST Format for Seminar Grant.............................................. 419
CJ DST Format for Young Scientist Award............................... 427
D DST Guidelines for SERC Projects......................................... 435
D DST Format for SERC Prajects............................................... 449
D ICMR Format for Research Projects..................................... 459
o CSIR Format for Research Projects...................................... 481
o MOEF Format............................................................................ 485
o ICSSR Format............................................................................ 489
National Science Et Technology Management
Information System (NSTMIS): Guidelines for Submission of
Proposals
o About NSTMIS............................................................................ 503
o All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)........... 517
o Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)................................... 523
o Department of Information Technology \DIT}.................... 539
o Department of Ocean Development (DOD)......................... 543
o Department of Science and Industrial Research (DSIR).... 547
o Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)............................ 565
o Ministry of Food Processing Industry (MFPI)......................... 567
o Ministry of Water Resources .................................................. .. 571
'.
o University Grants Commission (UGC) .................................. .. 575
o SEt T Program for Empowerment of Women ........................ . 579
o Fast Track Scheme for Young Scientists· DST.................... 583
o Natural Resources Data Management System (NRDMS )..... 585
o Water Technology Initiative Program................................... 593
Developing Winning Research Proposals in Agricultural Researct>
Foreword
NARS is faced with the onerous task of ensuing food and nutritional security
of the burgeoning population. Emerging domestic and global challenges,
rising expectations from the society and stakeholders, and growing research
competition with many developing countries and private sector are the
driving forces to build research capabilities in the agricultural research
system. The current scenario of agriculture is changing. The problems
associated with agriculture are becoming more complex due to imbalanced
use. of fertilizers and chemicals, overexploitation, poor replenishment of
nutrients, loss of organiC carbon, environmental pollution, lack of biological
activity, uncontrolled irrigation, water logging, salinization etc. NARS has to
embark on a major research planning with more funding to meet the cost of
research.
The above facts point out that the scientist community of NARS need to
apply themselves to more focused research with clarity and purpose to
develop research proposals that win grants. NAARM in its coveted endeavour
of the learning and capacity building of NARS, has undertaken this
responsibility of developing skills for writing such research proposals that
could be successful in tapping competitive grants. Training of scientists in
writing winning research proposals was initiated under the National
Agricultural Technology Project (NATP) and is being continued under the
National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP). The earlier two editions of
this book have received overwhelming demand. This third edition of the
book is being released during the middle of NAIP. It is hoped that this
revised and enlarged version of the book would provide the much needed
information about modern concepts of proposal writing and other aspects
related to development of convincing and winning research proposals in a
network or consortium mode.
This revised edition includes additional information in the changing content.
The authors have done remarkable work by revising and updating almost all
the chapters and included three new chapters on climate change and food
security, carbon credits '0 response to climate change, and conservation
agriculture. All these chapters are of great relevance to agricultural
scientists in the present context. The authors have taken due care to guide
the readers on the importance of these three major issues in agriculture
while writing research proposals. These chapters have added a considerable
value to the book. The donors' formats for submitting research proposals
have also been updated and the book provides aU the required information
at one place.
This book would enable an interested scientist to manifest a project idea
that attracts the funding agency, respond to the requirements of the
funding agencies and helps to put into practice the principles of good
proposal writing. I am sure that the scientists engaged in agricultural
Developing Winning Research Proposals in Agricultural Research
Foreword
presearch and development will find this revised and enlarged edition more
useful in their endeavours towards successful proposal writing to win extra·
budgetary funding including competitive grants from both India and abroad.
__l~
October 28, 2010 P. K. Joshi
Director, NAARM
ii Developing Winning Research Proposals in Agricultural Research
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The project of writing a book on "Developing Winning Research Proposals in
Agricultural Research" started during the period of the National Agricultural
Technology Project. Initially, a training manual was developed for
conducting training workshops and with the experience of these workshops,
the idea of giving the shape of a book to our effort was born. The first
edition was released in October 2005 and a revised and enlarged version of
the book was released in October 2006 based on the feedback received from
the patrons of the book. This book has been very popular among the
scientists and academicians of the National Agricultural Research System,
especially with the scientists of the Agricultural Research Service of the
Indian Council of Agricultural Research. One specialized module on the
topic was introduced for the Foundation Courses of Agricultural Research
Service (FOCARS) in the year 2006. In addition, many of the prospective
Principal Investigators of the research projects submitted to the National
Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP) have benefited from these efforts of
the authors.
After a period of four years since the release of the second edition, it was
felt the book needs to be revised in the light of the changing agricultural
scenario and the changing funding patterns of the donor agencies. The
training workshops that were conducted under the Learning and Capacity
Building Project of NAIP have been a source of valuable information and
relevance to the changing needs of agricultural research. Sixteen training
workshops have been conducted for the NARS institutions and more than 400
middle level scientists and academicians have undergone the training and
many of them have submitted proposals to the competitive schemes of the
funding agencies. A similar number of young scientists of Agricultural
Research Service have also undergone a three-day module on the topic.
This 3'd edition of the book is enlarged with the addition of three new
chapters-climate change and food security; carbon credits: response to
climate change; and canservation agriculture: efficiency, equity and
environment. In addition, all the formats for submission of projects to the
funding agencies have also been revised and the latest information provided
by the donor sites has been incorporated.
Our colleagues at NAARM, Drs K. Vidyasagar Rao (now retired), S. K. Nanda
and S. K. Soam have contributed two chapters on project management
aspects, which are indeed specialized chapters on Logical Framework in
Research Planning and Evaluation, and Project Management Techniques with
Developing Winning Research Proposals in Agricultural Research iii