Aiming to promote trans-disciplinary research culture among faculty and students in higher education institutions, the University Grants Commission has launched STRIDE (Scheme for Trans-disciplinary Research for India's Developing Economy).

The objective of the schemes is to provide support to research projects that are socially relevant, locally need-based, nationally important and globally significant, UGC Chairman DP Singh said in a communication to Vice Chancellors of universities across the nation on Tuesday.

The UGC has also set up an advisory committee headed by its Vice Chairman Bhushan Patwardhan to oversee the scheme. Trans-disciplinary research is a team effort of investigators from different disciplines to create new conceptual, theoretical, methodological innovations that integrate and transcends beyond discipline-specific approaches to address a common problem, reads a brief note about the scheme by the UGC.

The scheme was launched to identify young talent, strengthen research culture, build capacity, promote innovation and support trans-disciplinary research for India's developing economy and national development. The scheme will also fund multi-institutional network high-impact research projects in humanities and human sciences.

The STRIDE scheme comprises three components. The first component will endeavour to identify the motivated young talents with research and innovation aptitude in universities and colleges. The second component will be mainly to enhance problem-solving skills with the help of social innovation and action research to improve the wellbeing of people and contribute to India's developing economy. Both these components will get grant up to Rs 1 crore.

The third component of the scheme will fund high impact research projects in the identified thrust areas in humanities and human sciences through a national network of eminent scientists from leading institutions.

Philosophy, history, archaeology, anthropology, psychology, liberal arts, linguistics, Indian languages and culture, Indian knowledge systems, law, education, journalism, mass communication, commerce, management, environment and sustainable development are the disciplines eligible for funding under this component. Grant available for this component is up to Rs 1 crore for one institute and up to Rs 5 crores for multi-institutional network.