The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) is a pioneering institution dedicated to fostering cutting-edge research and innovation in India. It works to promote a research culture that bridges traditional disciplines and encourages collaboration between diverse fields of knowledge. With a core vision of driving national development through scientific excellence and social relevance, ANRF supports projects that address the country’s complex challenges.

The foundation operates under a mandate to fund research that is impactful, inclusive, and interdisciplinary. ANRF actively nurtures a dynamic knowledge ecosystem by engaging academia, industry, and policy stakeholders. Its initiatives are designed to stimulate collaborative efforts, build sustainable research infrastructure, and support high-quality human capital.

By focusing on real-world issues that require cross-domain insights, ANRF seeks to break disciplinary silos and create platforms that integrate science, technology, humanities, and social sciences. It envisions the establishment of Centres of Excellence that not only generate innovative research but also contribute directly to public welfare and national growth. With a focus on creating long-term academic value and societal transformation, ANRF has become a key driver of India’s scientific and intellectual development.

The ANRF has launched a call for proposals to establish Centres of Excellence (CoEs) that integrate Social Sciences and Humanities with Science and Technology. This initiative aims to address complex societal issues through interdisciplinary research that combines technical knowledge with insights from the social sciences.

These centres will serve as collaborative platforms where experts from science, engineering, and social science backgrounds come together to explore innovative, bold solutions to contemporary challenges. The research is expected to promote social and economic development, drive technological progress, and benefit society at large.

Themes for the research include, but are not limited to, digital humanities, archaeology and traditional knowledge, health and psychology, computational economics, rural development, climate change resilience, and the intersection of technology with public policy and social issues.

Projects must align with the objective of generating public value through high-impact research. The program is designed to establish long-term academic partnerships and foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, helping build a strong national research infrastructure. Both single-institution and multi-institutional collaborations are welcome, with substantial financial support offered for selected proposals.