The Electronic Project Proposal Management System, For ANRF

ANRF Impact Centres of Excellence (ACE)

Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) are the primary drivers of national socioeconomic development, economic growth, and industrialization. STI plays a pivotal role in addressing pressing global and societal challenges while contributing significantly to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

To sustain the country's research and innovation ecosystem at par with global standards, the capabilities and infrastructure of higher education and research institutions must be strengthened and elevated to the highest standards. These institutions will play a critical role in advancing research in areas of national importance and fostering innovation-driven growth. In line with the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047, the proposed Centres will serve as catalysts for transforming India into a globally competitive knowledge-driven economy.

The ANRF Impact Centres of Excellence (ACE) program aims to propel Indian research by providing funding support for the establishment of high-impact research centres in institutions that aspire to function at the forefront of global excellence in Science and Engineering. The programme emphasizes research outcomes and impact that extend well beyond publications, while fostering a world-class research environment supported by state-of-the-art infrastructure for ambitious, cutting-edge research.

The objective of the program is to accelerate the emergence of India's leading institutions among the world's foremost locations of research excellence, and accelerate prominence, growth in world institutional rankings. Accordingly, proposals must present a clear and compelling roadmap demonstrating how the proposed ACE Centre will contribute to achieving internationally benchmarked research excellence, accelerated rise in global ranking towards the top in the world (and significant improvement from current status) supported by a credible plan for mobilizing the required matching funds. Proposals that do not demonstrate such a vision and commitment will not be considered for support.

The Centres are envisioned to attract outstanding researchers and create a vibrant ecosystem that nurtures scientific excellence, innovation, and collaboration. By combining world-class infrastructure, exceptional talent, and a strong focus on impactful research, the programme seeks to accelerate research excellence and position India as a global leader in science, technology, and innovation.

Program Objectives:

To deliver truly world-class research excellence and impact via the ACE Centers.
To Support, elevate and modernize top-tier institute's research and innovation capacity to be world-class in selected areas.
To consolidate human capital and infrastructure to advance world class research in critical fields of STEM consistent with accelerated growth in world rankings.
Promote national and international collaboration in selected research areas where institutions can be truly world class.
To drive and strengthen research innovation and entrepreneurship for world-class impact in the selected areas.
Scale up research & innovation to translate into sustainable ecosystems and inclusive growth linked to the areas selected by the institution.

Eligibility

The program is strictly institutional in nature. No individual-centric or small-team projects will be supported.
Only one proposal per institution per call is allowed under category A and B. Academic institutions and National Research Laboratories may participate as spoke partners under Category A and B, subject to clearly defined technical roles that complement the core objectives of the proposed Centre. Each ACE proposal shall include a minimum of one and a maximum of three spoke partners.
Under category C, an eligible organization may submit up to three cluster proposals from a lab network
NIRF ranked public and private academic institutions (category A & B) and National Research Laboratory affiliated with various ministries/Departments (Category C).
National laboratories affiliated with Central Government organizations (Departments/ministries) shall not be eligible under Category A or Category B, even if they have been granted Deemed-to-be-University status.
No NIRF ranking requirement shall apply to spoke partners.

Categories Invited:
The program is formulated to establish impact centre of excellence in academic and research institutions with different funding structures with the mandatory co-funding from governmental and non-governmental sources. The program invites the proposals in the following categories.

Category A-Top 20 NIRF (Overall Ranking)-Top Ranked Academic Institutions
Eligibility: Academic Institutions (Public/Private) that are ranked consistently in the Top 20 NIRF Overall Ranking for the last two years (2023-24 & 2024-25) are eligible to apply under Category A. If the ranking has changed during the last two years, the most recent NIRF Overall Ranking (which must be in Top 20 NIRF Overall) will be considered for eligibility.

Category B-Top 70 NIRF (Overall Ranking)-High Ranked Academic Institutions
Eligibility: Academic Institutions (Public/Private) that are ranked consistently in the Top 70 NIRF Overall Ranking for the last two years (2023-24 & 2024-25) are eligible to apply under Category B. If the ranking has changed during the last two years, the most recent NIRF Overall Ranking (which must be in Top 70 NIRF Overall) will be considered.
The academic institutions that are eligible can submit only one proposal under either Category A or Category B.

Category C-National Research Laboratory Cluster
National research laboratories under organisations/departments such as DST, DBT, CSIR, ICMR, DAE, DRDO, DoS, ICAR, MeitY, MoES, MNRE, and other Central Government research agencies may submit up to three cluster proposals per organisation. Such proposals shall be nominated/endorsed by the Secretary of the concerned Department or the Director General/Head of the organisation, as applicable. Separate proposals submitted independently by individual laboratories under the same organisation shall not be eligible for consideration.

Eligibility of Investigators for Categories:

Categories A and B: The proposal shall be submitted by the Head of the Institution, who shall serve as the lead Principal Investigator (PI) of the program. In exceptional cases, where the Head of the Institution is unable to serve as PI due to conflict of interest or other administrative considerations, the Head of the Institution may nominate a senior member of the institutionâs top leadership team, such as a Dean, Chair, or equivalent, to serve as the Lead PI on behalf of the institution. Such nomination shall be supported by a formal nomination letter issued by the Head of the Institution authorizing the nominee to act as the Lead PI.

In addition to the Lead PI, a maximum of five Co-Principal Investigators (CoPIs) may be included. Where spoke institutions are involved, up to three Co-PIs may represent the spoke partner(s), provided their roles are clearly aligned with the technical objectives of the Centre. The roles and responsibilities of the Lead PI and all Co-PIs shall be clearly defined.

Category C: Each cluster proposal may bring together up to four national laboratories from one or more of the organisations/departments to address a well-defined common research theme. The participating laboratories shall demonstrate meaningful collaboration, complementary capabilities, and clearly defined contributions towards the common thematic objective. Each cluster proposal shall be led by one Lead Principal Investigator (PI) from the applying national laboratory/organization. In addition, a maximum of four Co-Principal Investigators (Co-PIs) from one or more of the organisations/departments to address a well-defined common research theme may be included. The participating laboratories shall demonstrate meaningful collaboration, complementary capabilities, and clearly defined contributions towards the common thematic objective. The PI and Co-PIs shall be nominated by the Secretary of the concerned Department or the Director General/Head of the organization, as applicable.

The lead PI shall have overall responsibility for the implementation and coordination of the program, while the Co-PIs shall be responsible for clearly defined research activities aligned with the common thematic objectives of the program.

Funding and Co-Funding Guidelines:

Eligible non-ANRF co-funding sources: Government sources may include Central Government ministries or agencies that are not direct participants in the ACE program with ANRF, as well as State Governments, and autonomous bodies. Co-funding from non governmental sources, including industry, alumni donations, philanthropic foundations, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds, and other similar sources, is strongly encouraged. Contributions exceeding the minimum co-funding requirement will be viewed favourably and considered as part of the overall evaluation of the proposal.

The minimum size of an ACE Impact Centre proposal:
- Category A: The proposed ACE Impact Centre shall have a minimum total project cost of Rs. 100 Cr over five years. There is no upper limit on the total project cost.
  
  ANRF will provide financial support on a 1:1 matching basis, against the eligible incash contribution from non-ANRF sources, subject to a maximum ANRF contribution of Rs. 100 Cr. Accordingly, the applicant institution shall provide a minimum in-cash contribution of Rs. 50 Cr from non-ANRF sources over five years, which shall be at least 50% of the total project cost.
  
  Of this non-ANRF in-cash contribution, at least 50% non-ANRF in-cash (i.e., at least 25% of the total project cost) shall be mobilized from non-governmental sources, such as industry, CSR, philanthropic foundations, alumni, institutional funds, or other private entities. Proposals with higher contributions from nongovernmental sources will generally be preferred, subject to the overall merit of the proposal.
- Categories B he proposed ACE Impact Centre shall have a minimum total project cost of Rs. 50 Cr over five years. There is no upper limit on the total project cost.
  
  ANRF will provide financial support on a 1:1 matching basis, against the eligible in-cash contribution from non-ANRF sources, subject to a maximum ANRF contribution of Rs. 50 Cr. Accordingly, the applicant institution shall provide a minimum in-cash contribution of Rs. 25 Cr from non-ANRF sources over five years, which shall be at least 50% of the total project cost.
  
  Of this non-ANRF in-cash contribution, at least 20% non-ANRF in-cash (i.e., at least 10% of the total project cost) shall be mobilized from non-ANRF government or non-governmental sources, including industry, CSR, philanthropic foundations, alumni, institutional funds, or other private entities. Higher contributions from nongovernmental sources will generally be preferred, subject to the overall merit of the proposal.
  
  For Category A and B, where spoke partners are included, no cost-sharing shall be required from State Universities for allocations upto Rs. 1 Cr. Private Institutions participating as spoke partners shall be required to provide cost-sharing. Any such cost-sharing by private spoke partners shall be over and above the minimum in-cash contribution required from the applicant institution under the ACE funding structure.
- Categories C: The proposed ACE Impact Centre shall have a minimum total project cost of Rs. 50 Cr over five years. There is no upper limit on the total project cost.
  
  ANRF will provide financial support on a 1:1 matching basis, against the eligible in-cash contribution from non-ANRF sources, subject to a maximum ANRF contribution of Rs. 50 Cr. Accordingly, the applicant institution shall provide a minimum in-cash contribution of Rs. 25 Cr from non-ANRF sources over five years, which shall be at least 50% of the total project cost.
  
  Of this non-ANRF in-cash contribution, at least 20% non-ANRF in-cash (i.e., at least 10% of the total project cost) shall be mobilized from non-ANRF government or non-governmental sources, including industry, CSR, philanthropic foundations, alumni, institutional funds, or other private entities. Higher contributions from nongovernmental sources will generally be preferred, subject to the overall merit of the proposal.

No non-ANRF contribution or budgets from past will be counted in matching, i.e. only non-ANRF contributions after the sanction date will be considered.
Any in-kind contribution (for A, B and C) shall be over and above the required in-cash contribution is welcome.
ANRF Intellectual Property (IP) policies shall apply, with the IP generated under the project vesting in the grantee institution(s). Grantee institutions may enter into IP licensing arrangements in accordance with the applicable ANRF IP guidelines.
The host institution and partners shall ensure timely mobilization of the committed nonANRF funding as indicated in the proposal. Any significant change in partner commitments shall be communicated to ANRF.
All activities supported under this program shall comply with applicable national statutory norms and regulations, including those related to research ethics, data governance, national security, and export controls. The applicant and the host institution shall be responsible for ensuring such compliance.

Funding Structure:

Indicative Utilization: The percentage allocations indicated below are illustrative and are intended to provide flexibility in proposal design. Institutions may allocate a higher or lower proportion to any of the components described below, as appropriate to their proposed strategy, provided the allocation is adequately justified and all the components are addressed.
- Human Resources (For Category A, B, C): About 30% of the funding can be used to attract special human resources (eg: ANRF Chaired Professors (or equivalent at National Labs for Category C) for fixed terms up to 5 years (at Full, Associate or Assistant levels, including a research startup fund), top-up of Teaching assistantship and Post-Doctoral Fellowships. Institutions may also utilize their own or partner contributions to expand the number, scale, or duration of such positions, wherever justified.
- Impact Centre Facility Creation (For Category A, B, C): About 50% of the funding may go towards up to two (2) research areas within the institution, where the institution can establish world-class / world-renowned capabilities as ACE Impact Centers (Category A) / ACE Impact Centers (Category B) / ACE Impact Centers (Category C, National Labs). This could include a combination of fundamental, applied and translational facilities with world class collaboration with industry and international stakeholders. It is critical to articulate what is the world class impact being targeted in this program (which will propel the institution to global prominence & competitiveness), beyond merely supporting excellence, and capacity.
- Institutional Ranking and Global Excellence (For Category A, B, C): About 15% of the funding is flexible to support any element of a well-defined plan to raise rankings (linked to specific research-related metrics, eg: Citations per Author, International Research Network, Reputation (Academic, Industry)). For National Research Labs, they will have to compare to global / world-class benchmarks of national research labs to raise productivity and impact to global excellence & competitiveness standards, and depth of collaboration with academia outside their lab network (another national laboratory is not considered academia).
- National outreach and partnership plan (For Categories A, B, and C): Up to 5% of the ANRF support may be utilized to strengthen collaboration and institutional upliftment of emerging research institutions, with particular emphasis on Tier-II and Tier-III institutions, especially State Universities. Proposals shall include a well-defined outreach and partnership plan involving at least one such institution, with activities aimed at building sustainable research capacity through mechanisms such as faculty and researcher visitorships (typically ranging from 3 to 12 months at the ACE institution), mentorship, joint research programmes, shared access to research infrastructure, training, and institutional development, and structured programs to connect undergraduate research with postgraduate and advanced research, including opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in research projects, access advanced research facilities, interact with researchers, and develop pathways for progression to postgraduate research, and establish student research and innovation clubs. The proposed collaboration should demonstrate innovative, deep, and long-term engagement that contributes to strengthening the research ecosystem and will form an important component of the proposal evaluation and subsequent performance assessment. Where a hub-and-spoke model is proposed, the outreach and partnership plan should clearly define the role of each spoke and demonstrate how the collaboration will create sustained, complementary and non-duplicative capabilities
Impact and Outreach Plan:
1. The ACE program under Categories A, B and C aims to foster world-class research and innovation in the chosen technical areas, with impact beyond publications and patents.
2. For Category A, B, C: The proposal should present a five-year roadmap to improve the institution's performance in globally recognized rankings approved by ANRF (e.g., QS or other appropriate rankings). The roadmap should focus on research and innovation excellence in up to two major areas of the institution and include clear annual milestones and the actions proposed to achieve them.
Impact reporting via an online / real-time process will involve an impact scorecard / dashboard to be designed by ANRF; complemented with quarterly remote reviews; half yearly reviews, and annual site visits. Funding for third year onwards will be contingent on excellent or very good impact review outcomes on the prior mentioned categories. ACE Impact Centers as the name indicates will be focussed and continuously monitored and guided for impact.
The ACE Impact Centre shall maintain a strong science communication and public outreach programme, including an active digital and social media presence, to disseminate research outcomes, innovations, success stories, and societal impact. The Centre shall work in close coordination with the ANRF Directorate for branding, communication, media engagement, and dissemination of program outcomes, and shall actively support ANRFled outreach and public engagement initiatives
The outreach and institutional upliftment component reflects ANRF's commitment to fostering an inclusive and nationally distributed research ecosystem. The quality, depth, and sustainability of the proposed outreach activities will therefore be an important evaluation criterion, and proposals with weak outreach and institutional upliftment plans will be de-prioritized during the evaluation process.
The supported institution shall establish an appropriate governance structure for the proposed entity, clearly defining leadership, decision making bodies and the roles of participating partners. ANRF may nominate one representative or member to the governing or advisory bodies overseeing the program.

Scope of the Call-Frontier Thematic Areas

The proposed ACE Impact Centre shall focus two frontier thematic areas of strategic national importance, with the potential to establish globally competitive research and innovation capabilities. The proposed research program should demonstrate scientific excellence, translational potential, and long-term impact aligned with India's vision for Viksit Bharat @2047.
The thematic focus may be chosen from the following priority areas:

Advanced Materials & Manufacturing
Quantum Science & Technology
Energy, Environment & Climate
Artificial Intelligence
Electronics and Semiconductor Manufacturing
Bio-Manufacturing
Blue Economy
Space Technologies
Digital Communications
Emerging Agriculture Technologies
Health and Medical Technologies
Other emerging frontier areas of national strategic importance, with appropriate justification.

Annual accounting:
ANRF support will be released every six months over the project period, subject to satisfactory project progress and compliance with the approved funding conditions. The cost-share in-cash contribution may follow a phased annual commitment, as proposed by the applicant institution and approved by ANRF. However, the applicant institution shall meet at least the approved minimum institutional contribution for each project year. The level of the subsequent ANRF fund release shall be contingent upon fulfilment of the cost-share contribution realized for the preceding year. The total minimum institutional contribution prescribed for the respective category shall be achieved over the five-year project period.

Selection process:
Two stage process.

Stage 1 with short (5 page) Institutional Pre-proposals: The pre-proposals will be technically evaluated by an Expert Committee constituted by ANRF. Only the pre-proposals that are technically qualified at Stage 1 will be invited to submit full proposals.
Stage 2: Institutional Full Proposals (15 pages): The full proposals will be technically evaluated by the Apex Review Committee constituted by ANRF. Based on the Committee's recommendations, ANRF will take the proposals forward for further consideration. ANRF reserves the right to decline funding for any proposal that does not meet the required standards of scientific quality, potential impact, or feasibility, or that lacks credible and compelling co-funding commitments or partnership plans.

Note: ACE Impact Centre itself must be a newly established entity and not a scaled-up version of an earlier establishment Proposals should not be rebranding, restructuring, or continuation of existing centres or facilities. While institutions may build upon prior experience or capabilities, including cross-disciplinary work. As outlined earlier, the nonANRF in-cash contributions after sanctioned date will be considered for ANRF matching releases.

Mode of Application submission:

For Categories A and B, only one proposal per institution per call shall be permitted. Under Category C, an eligible organization may submit up to three cluster proposals in accordance with the provisions of this Call. The call for applications will be notified on the ANRF website "www.anrf.gov.in" and online portal "www.anrfonline.in". Proposals for ANRF Impact Centres of Excellence (ACE) will be considered for evaluation only if submitted through the ANRF online portal. Proposals submitted through any other mode or platform will not be considered for evaluation.

The selection will be based on the recommendation of the committee constituted for this program by ANRF. If required, the PI may be called for discussion/presentation.

For successful online submission of the application, the following points to be noted:

PI should first register in the ANRF online portal, www.anrfonline.in [Click here to register]
After log-in the applicants are required to fill in all the mandatory fields as specified in that section.
The key details such as Proposal Title, Project summary, Key words, Aims and objectives, Justification for multidisciplinary research, Expected outcome and output and Budget (Equipment, Research personnel, Consumables, Travel, Contingency, Other cost (if any) and Overheads) have to be entered within the specified character limit at the time of proposal submission.
The detailed technical document should be uploaded as a single PDF file, not more than 10MB as a Other Technical Document (OTD). [Download Template]
The proposals that are submitted apart from the ANRF online portal or any other means will not be considered for evaluation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is the objective of the ANRF Impact Centres of Excellence (ACE) Programme?

A1: The ACE Programme aims to establish world-class Centres of Excellence in frontier areas of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) by supporting institutions with demonstrated research excellence, fostering innovation, strengthening human capital and infrastructure, promoting global collaborations, and contributing towards the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

Q2: Is ACE an individual investigator scheme?

A2: No. ACE is an institution-centric programme. The proposal represents an institutional initiative and not an individual research project.

Q3: Who should submit the proposal?

A3: Categories A and B

The proposal shall be submitted by the Head of the Institution, who shall serve as the Lead Principal Investigator (LPI).
In exceptional cases, where the Head of the Institution is unable to serve as PI due to conflict of interest or other administrative considerations, the Head of the Institution may nominate a senior member of the institution's top leadership team, such as a Dean, Chair, or equivalent, as the Lead PI.
Such nomination shall be supported by a formal nomination letter from the Head of the Institution.
A maximum of five Co-PIs may be included, with relevant expertise in the proposed thematic areas.
Where spoke institutions are involved, up to three Co-PIs may represent the spoke partners.
The roles and responsibilities of the LPI and Co-PIs shall be clearly defined in the proposal.

Category C

The proposal shall be led by one Lead PI from the applying national laboratory/organization.
A maximum of four Co-PIs may be included from the participating cluster laboratories.
The participating laboratories shall contribute to a common research theme.
The PI and Co-PIs shall be nominated by the Secretary of the concerned Department or the Director General/Head of the organization, as applicable.
The Lead PI shall be responsible for the overall implementation and coordination of the program.
The Co-PIs shall be responsible for clearly defined research activities aligned with the common thematic objectives.

Q4: Which institutions are eligible under the different categories of ACE?

A4: The ACE Programme invites proposals under the following categories:
Category A: Public and private academic institutions ranked consistently in the Top 20 of the NIRF Overall Ranking for the last two years (2023-24 and 2024-25). If the ranking has changed during the last two years, the most recent NIRF Overall Ranking will be considered, provided it is within the Top 20.

Category B: Public and private academic institutions ranked consistently in the Top 70 of the NIRF Overall Ranking for the last two years (2023-24 and 2024-25). If the ranking has changed during the last two years, the most recent NIRF Overall Ranking will be considered, provided it is within the Top 70.

Category C: National Research Laboratories affiliated with Central Government Ministries/Departments and other eligible Central Government research agencies may submit up to three cluster proposals per organisation. Each cluster proposal may bring together up to four participating National Research Laboratories from one or more eligible organisations/departments to address a well-defined common research theme.

National Research Laboratories affiliated with Central Government organisations are not eligible under Categories A or B, even if they have been granted Deemed-to-beUniversity status.

Q5: Can an institution submit more than one proposal?

A5: For Categories A and B, only one proposal per institution per Call is permitted. However, an eligible academic institution or National Research Laboratory may participate as a spoke partner in another eligible Category A or B ACE proposal, subject to clearly defined technical roles.

Under Category C, an eligible organisation may submit up to three distinct cluster proposals, in accordance with the provisions of the Call. ANRF may support up to two Category C proposals from the same organisation, subject to merit and availability of funds.

Q6: How many spoke partners can be included in an ACE proposal?

A6: Spoke partners are applicable only to Categories A and B. Each ACE proposal may include a minimum of one and a maximum of three spoke partners.

Spoke partners may include Academic institutions and National Research Laboratories. No NIRF ranking requirement shall apply to spoke partners.

Q7: What is the role of a spoke partner?

A7: A spoke partner is intended primarily for technical collaboration. The proposal shall clearly define the role of each spoke, the unique technical capability it brings to the Centre, its specific contributions, and the corresponding budget allocation. The collaboration should provide complementary and non-duplicative capabilities without altering the core character and focus of the ACE Centre.

Q8: Is cost-sharing required from spoke partners?

A8: For Category A and B, where spoke partners are included, no cost-sharing shall be required from State Universities for allocations upto Rs. 1 Cr. Private Institutions participating as spoke partners shall be required to provide cost-sharing. Any such costsharing by private spoke partners shall be over and above the minimum in-cash contribution required from the applicant institution under the ACE funding structure.

Q9: Can National Research Laboratories from different Ministries/Departments collaborate under Category C?

A9: Yes. A Category C cluster proposal may bring together up to four participating National Research Laboratories from one or more Central Government Ministries/Departments or eligible organisations, provided they demonstrate meaningful collaboration, complementary capabilities and clearly defined contributions towards a common research theme.

Q10: Can an investigator participate in multiple ACE proposals?

A10: An investigator may participate in only one proposal submitted by his/her host institution.

Q11: Is institutional co-funding mandatory?

A11: Yes. As per the eligible category each proposal must include the prescribed eligible non-ANRF in-cash contribution. Contributions from governmental and nongovernmental sources are permitted in accordance with the Call. In-kind contributions are welcome but are over and above the required in-cash contribution.

Q12: What are eligible co-funding sources?

A12: Eligible government sources may include Central Government ministries/agencies that are not direct participants in the ACE programme with ANRF, State Governments, local governments and autonomous bodies.

Eligible Non-governmental sources such as industry, alumni donations, philanthropic foundations, CSR funds, institutional and other private entities are strongly encouraged. Contributions above the minimum requirement will be viewed favourably, subject to overall merit.

Q13: What is the minimum project size and ANRF support?

A13: Category A proposals must have a minimum total project cost of Rs. 100 Cr over five years. ANRF support is provided on a 1:1 matching basis against eligible nonANRF in-cash contribution, up to a maximum ANRF contribution of Rs. 100 Cr.

Categories B must have a minimum total project cost of Rs. 50 Cr over five years, with 1:1 matching against eligible non-ANRF in-cash contribution, up to a maximum ANRF contribution of Rs. 50 Cr. The maximum total project cost is not otherwise bounded.

Category C proposals must have a minimum total project cost of Rs. 50 Cr over five years. ANRF support is provided on a 1:1 matching basis against eligible non-ANRF in-cash contribution, up to a maximum ANRF contribution of Rs. 50 Cr.

Q14: Can in-kind contribution be counted towards the mandatory matching contribution?

A14: No. Only cash contributions are considered towards the mandatory minimum cofunding requirement. In-kind contributions are welcome but shall be over and above the required minimum in-cash contribution.

Q15: Can an existing Centre be upgraded under ACE?

A15: No. The ACE Impact Centre must be a newly established entity. A proposal should not be a rebranding, restructuring, continuation, scaled-up version, or expansion of an existing Centre or facility. Institutions may, however, build upon prior experience and existing capabilities, including cross-disciplinary expertise.

Q16: Can multiple departments participate?

A16: Yes. Multidisciplinary participation within the institution is encouraged

Q17. Is industry participation mandatory?

A17: No. Industry participation is not mandatory. However, participation from industry and other non-governmental partners is encouraged and contributions beyond the minimum co-funding requirement will be viewed favourably during evaluation.

Q18. How many thematic areas can be addressed in an ACE proposal?

A18: The proposed ACE Impact Centre shall focus on up to two frontier thematic areas.

Q19: What is the indicative utilisation of funds ?

A19: The Call provides indicative, flexible allocations rather than rigid budget percentages.

About 30% may be used to attract special human resources, such as ANRF Chaired Professors, Postdoctoral Fellows and Teaching Assistants.
About 50% may be used for developing up to two selected research areas and establishing world-class research capabilities.
About 15% may be used flexibly for activities that help improve the institution's research performance and rankings.
Up to 5% of ANRF support may be used for collaboration and institutional upliftment of emerging research institutions, particularly Tier-II and Tier-III institutions, especially State Universities. The proposal must include a clear outreach and partnership plan with at least one such institution.

Activities may include:

Faculty and researcher visitorships
Mentorship and joint research
Shared access to research infrastructure
Training and institutional development
Linking undergraduate research with postgraduate and advanced research
Establishing student research and innovation clubs

The quality, depth and long-term sustainability of these outreach and institutional upliftment activities will be considered during proposal evaluation and subsequent performance assessment.

Q20. Can funds be used for building construction?

A20: No. Construction of new buildings is generally not supported unless specifically approved by ANRF.

Q21: What is the selection process?

A21: The selection process consists of:

Stage I – Institutional Pre-Proposal (5 pages)
Stage II – Institutional Full Proposal (15 pages)

Q22: Who owns the Intellectual Property generated under ACE?

A22: Intellectual Property generated under the project shall vest with the grantee institution(s) and shall be governed by the applicable ANRF Intellectual Property Policy.

Q23: How should proposals be submitted?

A23: Only through the ANRF online portal. Proposals submitted through any other mode will not be considered.

Q24: Can an institution withdraw its proposal?

A24: Yes. The institution may withdraw the proposal before the final selection by informing ANRF through the Head of the Institution.

Q25: Is international collaboration allowed?

A25: Yes. International collaboration is encouraged wherever scientifically relevant and in accordance with Government of India and ANRF guidelines.

Q26: Are collaborations with Tier-II and Tier-III institutions encouraged?

A26: Yes. Proposals must include a well-defined outreach and partnership plan involving at least one emerging research institution, with particular emphasis on TierII and Tier-III institutions, especially State Universities. This forms an important component of proposal evaluation. Under Categories A and B, one of the eligible spoke partners may also be covered under the up to 5% allocation of ANRF support for strengthening collaboration and institutional upliftment, provided the proposed activities form part of a clearly defined outreach and partnership plan and are aligned with the objectives of institutional upliftment.

Q27: Are Centres expected to undertake outreach and science communication activities?

A27: Yes. ACE Impact Centres are expected to maintain a strong science communication and public outreach programme, including an active digital and social media presence in coordination with ANRF.

Q28: How is the funding calculated for an ACE Impact Centre?

A28: The total project cost of an ACE Impact Centre shall comprise the ANRF contribution and the eligible non-ANRF in-cash contribution. ANRF support shall be provided on a 1:1 matching basis against the eligible non-ANRF in-cash contribution, subject to the maximum ANRF funding limit applicable to the respective category. There is no upper limit on the total project cost, and any project cost beyond the maximum ANRF contribution shall be met through eligible non-ANRF in-cash contributions.

The following examples illustrate the funding pattern:

Category A – Maximum ANRF Support: Rs. 100 Cr

Total Project Cost	ANRF Contribution	Total Non-ANRF In-cash Contribution	Contribution from Non-Governmental Sources (included in Total Non-ANRF In- cash Contribution)
Rs. 100 Cr	Rs. 50 Cr	Rs. 50 Cr	Rs. 25 Cr and above
Rs. 200 Cr	Rs. 100 Cr	Rs. 100 Cr	Rs. 50 Cr and above
Rs. 300 Cr	Rs. 100 Cr*	Rs. 200 Cr	Rs. 100 Cr and above
Rs. 400 Cr	Rs. 100 Cr*	Rs. 300 Cr	Rs. 150 Cr and above
Rs. 500 Cr	Rs. 100 Cr*	Rs. 400 Cr	Rs. 200 Cr and above

Categories B and C – Maximum ANRF Support: Rs. 50 Cr

Total Project Cost	ANRF Contribution	Total Non-ANRF In-cash Contribution	Contribution from Non-Governmental Sources (included in Total Non-ANRF In- cash Contribution)
Rs. 50 Cr	Rs. 25 Cr	Rs. 25 Cr	Rs. 5 Cr and above
Rs. 100 Cr	Rs. 50 Cr	Rs. 50 Cr	Rs. 10 Cr and above
Rs. 200 Cr	Rs. 50 Cr*	Rs. 150 Cr	Rs. 30 Cr and above
Rs. 300 Cr	Rs. 50 Cr*	Rs. 250 Cr	Rs. 50 Cr and above
Rs. 500 Cr	Rs. 50 Cr*	Rs. 450 Cr	Rs. 90 Cr and above

* The ANRF contribution is capped at the maximum funding limit for the respective category. Any additional project cost shall be met through eligible non-ANRF in-cash contributions. In-kind contributions, if any, may be provided over and above the required in-cash contribution.

Q29: Can past expenditure or previously secured funding be counted towards the matching contribution?

A29: No. Non-ANRF contributions or budgets from the past will not be counted for matching. Only eligible non-ANRF in-cash contributions made after the sanction date will be considered for ANRF matching releases.

Q30: Is there a requirement to establish a governance structure for the ACE Centre?

A30: Yes. The supported institution shall establish an appropriate governance structure for the proposed entity, clearly defining leadership, decision-making bodies and the roles of participating partners. ANRF may nominate one representative or member to the governing or advisory bodies overseeing the program.

Q31: Can an institution propose more than two research areas within the Centre?

A31: No. The proposal should focus on up to two major research areas where the institution can establish world-class capabilities and demonstrate significant impact. These areas should be clearly linked to the proposed frontier thematic areas and the five-year roadmap.

Q32: What technical document is required at the time of online submission?

A32: The key details such as proposal title, project summary, keywords, aims and objectives, justification for multidisciplinary research, expected outcomes and outputs, and budget heads are to be entered in the online portal within the specified character limits. The detailed technical document is to be uploaded as a single PDF file, not exceeding 10 MB, as the Other Technical Document (OTD), using the prescribed template.