The University Research Council [URC] is pleased to announce that it has initiated a scheme to provide multidisciplinary research grants. The grants are provided for 18 months but researchers are encouraged to utilise the funds within the first year. The theme of the applications could be in one or more of the following areas:

Health and wellbeing; Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society; Digital, AI and Big Data; Climate, Energy and Mobility; Food, Bioeconomy, and Agriculture; Global Development Futures; AI-augmented learning; Resilient Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity; Imaging Science; Sustainable societies; Digital frontiers; Transformative technologies; Creativity and Design; Medical and Digital Humanities; etc.

Financial assistance:
The total grant amount is Rs 2,500,000.

Funds can be used for the following:
• Funding for a research assistant at a rate of Rs 50,000 a month for 12 months (only 2/3 of the grant period)
• Minor equipment less than 1 million rupees and other research expenses such as funds required for chemicals, electronic components, sensors and probes, etc.

Eligibility Criteria:
• The Principal Investigator (PI) should be a permanent staff member of the University of Peradeniya.
• The PI should not hold a multidisciplinary grant from 2023 disbursement.
• There should be at least two Co-Investigators (Co-I) out of which one should be from a different faculty to the Principal Investigator.
• The research team should not have more than 50% overlap with that of multidisciplinary grant-2023.
• Funds cannot be used in concurrently with another grant
The URC reserves the right to amend the eligibility criteria.

Procedure:
The applicant should fill in an online application form through the following link:
https://rgms.pdn.ac.lk/login.php

Upon receiving the applications, the URC will follow the following procedure for disbursement, monitoring and evaluating the grants:
• Applications will be forwarded to the Management Committee members of the faculties involved for initial screening and suggesting the reviewers.
• The short-listed applications will be forwarded to reviewers’ comments.
• Upon receiving the reviewers’ comments, the Management Committee will decide the grant applications to be funded.
• Selected applications will be forwarded to the Senate Research Committee for concurrence.
• Monitoring and evaluating process will be same as the other university grants.

Deadline: 15/01/2024

The Director,
University Research Council,
A6 Building,
Udaperadeniya Road,
University of Peradeniya.

E-mail: dirurc@gs.pdn.ac.lk