Public funding for research projects: roles of experts and finance officials in decision-making

摘要

By describing a real-life example, this letter seeks to initiate a debate within the academic scientific community on the role expected of, and played by, the Finance Divisions of the Indian Government with regard to decisions on research project funding. An academic investigator (referred to below as AI) submitted a proposal to the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), New Delhi, seeking Rs 78.2 lakhs over three years in extramural funding. The proposal included a request for HPLC equipment at Rs 28 lakhs, and it also mentioned that other HPLC equipment was available in the AI抯 institution. The DBT Expert Committee that had been assigned the task to take a decision on the proposal invited AI for a presentation and discussions, and subsequently recommended that the project be 慺unded by the Department at a total cost of Rs 50 lakhs for a period of three years?