DST-Centre for Policy Research (CPR) at University of Hyderabad is an eminent division dedicated to research and policy development in Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI). The center was established in June 2023 and is supported by the Department of Science and Technology, GoI. The center serves aims to bridge the gap between science and society and thus serves as an interface between Academia, Industry and Policymakers.

Our Centre will be working on the following sub-areas:

1. Science Technology, Innovations Policy and Governance
2. Start-Up Ecosystem
3. Science & Technology Communication

CPR-UoH under “Innovation ecosystem in formal institutions and mainstreaming grassroots innovations”, will map the efforts undertaken by eminent research institutions and universities in India to foster a vibrant innovation culture within and among each other. Prominent institutions with strong research and innovation, the influential parameters and the betterment measures will be identified. CPR (UoH) will develop a framework/model which may be utilized and replicated for promoting across higher education and research institutions in the country. CPR (UoH) will also suggest a policy document for the next twenty years of STI research in India. It will also propose guidelines for promoting grassroots innovations and mechanisms for mainstreaming these innovations in India. Furthermore, the center will suggest policy recommendations for integrating grassroots innovations with formal institutions of research education in the country.

Start-ups culture is increasing rapidly in India. The sector not only adds value to country’s GDP but it is also a sector of providing and generating employments for people of the country in long run. The existence of start-up is a cumulative effect of several direct, indirect and hidden factors such as targeted market, customer type, swift administrative and good governance support, better policies at national and international scale, financial strength, educational excellence, risk mitigation or aversion capacity, innovative approach and ideation, operational feasibility, stakeholders’ role and much more. The start-up journey begins with ideation phase to establishment phase and the policies at different levels can impact the existence, strengthening, establishment, growth and exit from the overall ecosystem. Thus, the type of challenges faced and the related policies will keep evolving and requires continuous upgradation based on the need of the ecosystem. DST-CPR (UoH) will hence gather inputs from start-ups across India to identify reasons of existence and failures, and will examine the policy gaps and areas of improvement within this ecosystem, which will foster better support of innovation with entrepreneurship at multi-scales such as an individual, university or HEIs linkages, stakeholder networking and governance. The center in process may develop/suggest specific and viable models for promoting innovation with entrepreneurship and may come out with few advanced entrepreneurship and skill development programs

In the area of science communication and public engagement, the CPR-UoH will continue to develop a toolkit for R&D units and individual scientists to engage with the public. Based on ongoing discussions with key stakeholders such as scientists, science educators, and communicators, they will also develop and trial a draft curriculum in post-graduate STEM programs as well as workshops for practising scientists.