The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has unveiled 15 Centres of Excellence (CoE) under the ‘Institute of Eminence’ (IoE) Scheme. These centres are dedicated to pioneering research, aiming to develop technologies with a global reach. The IoE Scheme, initiated by the Government of India, empowers higher educational institutions to transform into world-class teaching and research establishments. IIT Madras was selected as an IoE in 2019 and has since established numerous research initiatives across various fields, thanks to the allocated funds, according to an official release.
With the financial support provided through the IoE Scheme, faculty members at IIT Madras will have the opportunity to pursue research objectives, undertale projects, and attract top talent to collaborate on cutting-edge topics. In the first phase, IIT Madras identified 68 research initiatives spanning 21 technology clusters. Following a review process, the institute has shortlisted 15 Centres of Excellence within its system, along with 23 research centres and 10 research projects in the second phase, the release mentioned.
These research initiatives encompass a wide range of disciplines and involve the participation of over 400 esteemed faculty members. By fostering interdisciplinary research, these centres facilitate collaborations that can lead to remarkable discoveries, innovations, and advancements in critical areas of study. “A substantial amount of the IoE funding has been invested in the development of research. We had a first set of exploratory research grants through which around 68 projects had been funded. Based on the deliverables of those projects, we shortlisted 15 for which today we are announcing the ‘Centre of Excellence’ status. These centres are expected to become world class and bring eminence to the Institute,” V. Kamakoti, director, IIT Madras, said.
The generous funding received through the IoE Initiatives has played a vital role in establishing cutting-edge infrastructure, advanced research facilities, and state-of-the-art technology platforms, serving as catalysts for scientific advancements. The allocated funds from the IoE Initiatives have primarily been utilised for acquiring capital equipment and supporting research-related expenses. These strategic investments have empowered researchers at the Institute with access to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. As a result, they are equipped to undertake groundbreaking experiments and analyses that push the boundaries of knowledge and pave the way for transformative discoveries, as per the release.
“We wanted breakthroughs in research by discovering teams that have a critical mass of faculty with demonstrated capacity to achieve results and have audacious goals. This has to be in emerging areas…In the next five years, we have definitely expect at least half-a-dozen or more world-class CoEs. Some of the external reviewers of these Centre Proposals told us that few of these centres can already be considered among the top ten globally,” Bhaskar Ramamurthi, institute professor, former director, IIT Madras, said.
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