Kolkata, Jun 19 (IANS): In a bid to nurture the spirit of research and innovation among undergraduate students, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur will launch a sponsored research program from the upcoming Autumn semester of 2019-20, an official said on Wednesday.

"The ability to carry out research is a key capability for all graduates today. Through Undergraduate Research Program (UGRP) we are promoting the idea of research challenge among them which will germinate their potential as innovators and problem-solvers," institute Director P.P. Chakrabarti said.

For the UGRP, the institute will fund select research ideas proposed by the students on a competitive basis and each successful proposal will be guided by a member of the IIT faculty.

"The Institute which has been supporting various co-curricular activities of the undergraduate students through travel grants and fellowships to facilitate them participate in competitive projects will now float a competitive grant of Rs 56 lakh for four years," an official statement said.

Twenty such proposals will be accepted each year. Each selected group will receive support to the extent of Rs 25,000 for one Credit Project and Rs 50,000 for 2 credit projects.

"IIT Kharagpur launched an endowment campaign in 2012 and every year one or two alumni batches have been raising rupees 50 lakh to 1 crore. It has been decided that part of the earnings from this fund will be utilised towards funding the Undergraduate Research Platform," Dean of Alumni Affairs Subrata Chattopadhyay said.

A portal is going to set up for project submission. If successful, these could also develop into B.Tech thesis projects of the students.

"Students who have completed four semesters at IIT Kharagpur can form departmental or interdisciplinary groups and submit project proposals under faculty supervision. The project submission needs to be completed 30 days prior to the beginning of the fifth semester," Dean of Undergraduate Studies Sudhir Kumar Barai added.