The Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) is a platform for bilateral collaborationin science, jointly managed and funded by the governments of India and Australia. Since its establishment in 2006, the AISRF has supported collaborative, leading-edge research between scientists in India and Australia across a range of agreed priority areas.
It has also helped to build linkages between premier research and educational institutions in both countries.
The AISRF is Australia’s largest fund dedicated to bilateral collaboration in science with any country. The Australian Government has committed a total of AUD 65 million over the current life of the Fund, with the Government of India providing matching funding. It is also one of India’s largest sources of support for international collaboration in science.
The AISRF consists of different components, each of which has specific objectives, application processes and funding rules. Currently, the components are:
– the Indo-Australian Science and Technology Fund;
– the Indo-Australian Biotechnology Fund; and
– the Grand Challenge Fund.

Eligibility for funding
To be eligible for funding under the Grand Challenge Fund the consortium must:
– include at least one Australian and one Indian ‘eligible organisation’
– seek support for a collaborative research project in one of the priority themes

India specific criterion:
– Indian consortium members must lodge one hard copy of the expression of interest and, if invited to proceed to Stage 2 three copies of the full application with DST.

Scholarship Application Deadline: January 28 2011

Further Scholarship Information and Application