Friday, September 04, 2009

Augmenting faculty salaries from research grants


This is just a follow-up on this post about a "reform" in which grants from government agencies would allow faculty members to augment their salaries (grants from private industry already allow this).

My colleague and friend Ram pointed out that the Swarnajayanti Fellowship program run by the Department of Science and Technology provides for faculty remuneration of Rs. 25,000 per month (Ram is a Swarnajayanti Fellow himself). This program is essentially a research grant (albeit one that's awarded through a competition). Thus, the "reform" that I suggested is just an extention of the "personal remuneration" provision to the regular grants made by our funding agencies.

Much the same point was made, um, more memorably and colorfully (sacrificing a bit of accuracy in the process) by an anonymous commenter. I think that comment deserves to be highlighted; here it is:

certain research grants from government agencies do allow for personal remuneration (in brackets)

Below 20: KVPY 5K
Below 30: DST 5K
Below 35: Welcomme 20 K
Below 40: Swarnajayanthi 25K
Below 45: Bhatnagar 5 lakhs + 15K
Below 50: Ramanujam 50K
Below 55: Raja rammanna 10K
Below 60: JC Bose 20K
Below 70: Research fellow 50K
> 90: Crematorium. you have to pay

9 Comments:

  1. Anonymous said...

    So,.....

    It's teacher's day,...

    No news on pay hike so far,....

    Don't see anyone on campus,...

    Perhaps, we're striking,....

    Or perhaps, it's Saturday,....

  2. Subrahmanya said...

    Dear Abi,
    The accuracy sacrificed is pointed out here:

    The following quotes are from http://serc-dst.org

    1. KVPY:
    Awarded to students, not for faculty members.

    2. FAST TRACK SCHEME FOR YOUNG SCIENTISTS:

    "The candidate should be less than 35 years on the date on which the application is received in DST."
    .....
    "Funds are provided for equipments, consumables, travel and contingency. Additionally, the applicant if not holding a regular position or not drawing any other fellowship/stipend/salary, can draw a fellowship amount of Rs. 20,000/- per month (all inclusive). The fellowship amount is taxable."

    3. Swarnajayanti Fellowships:
    "The support will cover all the requirements for performing the research and will include a fellowship of Rs. 25,000/- per month for five years, for those scientists who do not draw any salary from any other source. The fellowship would be limited to Rs. 10,000/- per month for those who draw salary from another source".
    (How come Dr. Ram is getting 25k?)

    3. Ramanujan Fellowships:
    "The candidate has to opt for either this fellowship or his present position/fellowship, if any".

    4. J C BOSE NATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS:
    "The value of the fellowship will be Rs. 20,000 per month in addition to regular income".
    ......
    "The candidate must have a regular position in an Institute /Organization and should be engaged in research. If he /she is availing any other fellowship, he/she will have to opt for only one of the fellowships".

    5. Ramanna Fellowships:
    "Eligibility
    All researchers who have received a regular research project from SERC in Basic Sciences and Engineering (viz. FAST TRACK Scheme for Young Scientists, Women Scientists Scheme-A, SERC Individual Research Projects, Nano Science and Technology Initiative projects and Swarnajayanti Fellowship projects) and whose performance in implementing their project has been judged to be "excellent" by the respective peer-review committees".
    .....
    "In case the scientist is employed, the Ramanna Fellowship will be Rs. 5,000/- p.m."

    6. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize"

    Please refer to http://csirhrdg.nic.in/ssb.htm

    "SSB Prizes, each of the value of Rs 5,00,000 (Rupees five lakh only), are awarded....."
    [I could not find 15k per month here]

    A funny condition attached:
    "The SSB Awardee should give a lecture in the area of the award, especially in a small college or a CSIR laboratory preferably away from the Awardee’s city for dissemination of science. HRDG can help by providing TA/DA for this".

  3. Unknown said...

    Quick note:
    SJ fellowship has been revised, effective last year, to Rs. 25 K per year.

    Ram

  4. Anonymous said...

    SSB prize winners get 15 K per month. It is implemented in IITs and UGC; do not know about IISc.

    If you are fellow of any two academies, you get 15 K per month extra. Again, do not know whether it is implemented in IISc but it applicable in IITs, atleast here in IIT-B.

    Further, in IIT-B, all deans and head of the department get Rs. 15 K extra per month.

    The below 70 case refers to National Research professor scheme, which pays 50 K extra?

    KVPY is meant for students; maybe the commenter meant that becase he/she says "below 20"

    Can DST subsidize crematoriums? IISc used to have one on their campus where Sir C.V.Raman was cremated. Maybe DST can revive that crematorium and the ashes can be dissolved in the lake nearby.

  5. Anonymous said...

    Ramanujan is 75,000 per month. Limits 60 years. Link of DST: http://www.serc-dst.org/ramanujan_felloship.htm

  6. Anonymous said...

    Like all GOI schemes Ramanujan Fellowship is also meant to be completely useless. You have to either take your Salary or the fellowship. With the new pay revision on the way, taking the fellowship would actually translate to less money!

    One wonders why these bureaucrats should be paid so much money for cooking up such nonsense from their AC offices in Delhi.

  7. Anonymous said...

    The last comment is wrong. At 75,000 it is more than salary for most posts. Places like TIFR give all benefits alongwith Ramanujan felowship making it most attractive. Problem is with some research labs that are very beaurocratic and not permitting this.

  8. Anonymous said...

    In the light of above comments, One could say:

    Clueless Academician. :)

  9. Subrahmanya said...

    After reading a few anonymous comments, one could say:
    In addition to accuracy, decency is being sacrificed by the commentators!