National Agriculture Science Fund

The ‘National Agricultural Science Fund’ with an outlay of Rs 500 crore during the 12th 5 Year Plan, supports basic and strategic research in agriculture.

It is a new name of The National Fund for Basic, Strategic and Frontier Application Research in Agriculture’ (NFBSFARA) of 10th and 11th 5 Year Plan.

The main objective of the scheme has been to build capacity for basic, strategic and cutting edge application research in agriculture and address issues which can be solved by intensive, basic and strategic research jointly by team of organizations/ institution.

(National Agriculture Science Fund)

Underlying this objective are the following aims:
1. Foster research and a research culture that will use and advance the frontiers of scientific knowledge to effectively meet the present, anticipated and unanticipated problems of agriculture through various modes and critical investments in research projects;

2. Build the capability of the National Agricultural Research System through development of wide partnerships in science through projects;

3. Build a storehouse of advancement of knowledge in science related to agriculture and awareness of the national importance of basic and strategic research in agriculture;

4. To provide policy support to the decision makers for use of basic and strategic research in agriculture, and;

5. Organization of workshops, seminars, conferences etc. to create awareness, prioritization, scientific popularization and related issues. Besides supporting, reviewing, monitoring and evaluation of the ongoing projects, NASF initiated for funding of new projects.

In Union Budget 2017-18, NASF has been allocated to 50 crore for funding, reviewing, mentoring and monitoring of ongoing projects and making a new call (Call VI) for fresh project proposals and evaluation of those proposals by different committees.

(National Agriculture Science Fund)

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