Scheme for Promoting Young Talents in Science (SPYTiS) :

Introduction

In order to identify and nurture young talents among school children and to carry out science projects, Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment has launched a special programme called Scheme for Promoting Young Talents in Science (SPYTiS). Students from each educational district will be selected every year for doing a science project under SPYTiS-1 SPYTiS-II.
Objectives
a. Identify and nurture young talents among school children to carry out science projects (SPYTiS- I).
Under the scheme, every year 2 students from each educational district will be selected for an award of Rs.5,000/- for doing a science project in a well equipped school, for a period of one year.

b.Provide research grants to young talents from polytechnics and undergraduates colleges for demonstration of innovative ideas (SPYTiS-II).

Under the scheme, talented students who have innovative ideas in science and technology from Polytechnics and undergraduates colleges will be provided financial assistance for conducting projects on innovative concepts. The support will be essentially project based for a period of one year.

In both cases, grants will be sanctioned to a host institution and the student will work under the guidance/supervision of a teacher or scientist of the institution. Both the institution and the guide shall be identified by the student. The awardees shall participate in a Science Talent Fair, organized by the S&T Council every year.

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Guidelines for implementation

Mode of implementation - SPYTiS-I

1. Fourteen schools – one in each revenue district, which is identified as teachers training centers by the Council in the Sasthraposhini scheme will be the nodal school for a district, under this programme.
2. Two students from each school of the state shall be sponsored every June to the nodal school of the respective district by the school authorities. This sponsorship is based on the performance in science, practical demonstrations and scientific thinking of the student.
3. A common aptitude test in science research will be held at each nodal school for all these sponsored students. The question papers and mode of testing will be prepared centrally by the Council. The date of the test will be preferably in July.
4. 70 students, five from each district will be selected under this SPYTiS-I scheme. Each student will be offered Rs.5000/- as grant for doing a science research project, in any one of Sasthraposhini school or any other school of choice approved by the nodal school.
5. The maximum duration of the science project will be one year from the date of receipt of the grant.
6. At the completion of the project, the student will have to submit the report in the prescribed format to the nodal school along with the financial details of the expenditure duly certified and forwarded by the Head of the Institution.
7. The Council will hold every year a “Science Talent Fair” where student selected under the scheme will be required to present his/her research work.

SPYTiS-II

1. The scheme is constituted for the purpose of providing financial and technical assistance to talented young students who have innovative ideas in scientific/technological pursuits. The scheme is open for students in polytechnics and undergraduate colleges. Assistance will be primarily for demonstration of innovative concept. In exceptional cases, pilot project will also be considered.
2. The support is essentially project based. The project proposal shall include nature of work, institution(s) from where the work will be carried out, the details of the student, the action plan, faculty requirements etc.
3. The assistance for the project will be for a maximum period of one year. The fund shall be provided to the Head of the Institution and available to be utilized by the students.
4. The students shall identify a guide/supervisor to guide the project, preferably from the Institution where the work will be done.
5. At the completion of the project, the student will have to submit the report in the prescribed format along with financial details of the expenditure certified and forwarded by the Head of the Institution to the programme co-ordinator in the Council.
6. The Council will hold every year a “Science Talent Fair” where student selected under the scheme will be required to present the research work undertaken by him/her.

Terms and Conditions

1. The scheme is constituted for the purpose of providing financial and technical assistance to talented young students who have innovative ideas in scientific/technological pursuits.
2. The grant will be released in advance to the institution in which the project work will be carried out. The grants shall be utilized only for the purpose for which it has been sanctioned. All the assets acquired from the grant will be the property of KSCSTE.
3. At the conclusion/ termination of the project, the Council has the discretion to transfer the assets to the Institute or to any other Institute, if it is considered appropriate.
4. The unutilized portion of the grant amount at the end of the project period shall be refunded to Council forthwith by DD in favour of Member Secretary, KSCSTE. In the case of project duration exceeding one year, the balance amount may be carried forward, unless specified otherwise.
5. If for any reason, it is found that the recipient has not utilized the grant for the purpose for which it was sanctioned, the investigator shall be barred from for getting any further grants and steps shall be taken against such person/persons/ Institution for realizing the amount of grant. The Utilization Certificate and Statement of Expenditure (UC & SE) shall be submitted in the format prescribed by the Council and duly certified by the head of the Institution. The interest incurred if any should be reflected in the Utilization Certificate, which will be adjusted towards further installment of grant.
6. The institute will not entrust the implementation of the work for which the grant is being sanctioned to another institution nor will it divert the grant receipts to other institute as assistance. In case the Institute is not in a position to implement or complete the project, it should, forthwith, refund to the Council the entire grant received by it or the balance grant with it.
7. The Council reserves the right to terminate the project at any stage if it is convinced that the grant has not been properly utilized or appropriate progress is not being made.
8. If the PI to whom a grant for a project has been sanctioned wishes to change the Institution where the project is based, prior approval of the Council is required.
9. Investigators wishing to publish technical/ scientific papers based on the research work done under the project, should acknowledge the assistance received from Council, indicating the scheme.

In case of any specific clarifications, please contact :

MEMBER SECRETARY,
KERALA STATE COUNCIL FOR SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT(KSCSTE),
SASTHRA BHAVAN, PATTOM,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM – 695 004.
e-mail : kscste@gmail.com
Telephone : (0471) 2543701-05 (PABX), 2534605 (o)
Fax : O471-2540085
Website.www.kscste.kerala.gov.in