ANRF Selects 10 Institutions to Establish Convergence Research Centres of Excellence

New interdisciplinary initiative aims to combine science, technology, humanities and social sciences to tackle societal challenges and support sustainable development

New Delhi, May 20, 2026: The Ministry of Science and Technology on Wednesday announced the selection of ten institutions under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation’s (ANRF) Convergence Research Centres of Excellence (CoE) programme, an initiative aimed at promoting interdisciplinary research to address major societal and developmental challenges.

The programme has been designed to encourage collaboration between the fields of science, technology, social sciences and humanities, creating integrated research ecosystems capable of delivering practical and sustainable solutions.

The selected institutions include leading academic and research organisations such as Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Management Jammu and National Institute of Technology Agartala.

The Centres of Excellence will work across diverse thematic areas including archaeology and traditional knowledge systems, digital humanities, rural development, health and psychology, emerging technologies for social issues, and computational economics.

Among the major projects selected are research on human-climate interactions, AI-assisted preservation of North-East Indian folklore, the impact of generative AI on India’s labour market, digital empowerment of artisans, and sustainable rural livelihood planning.

According to the Ministry, the programme received an overwhelming response, with 945 proposals submitted from institutions across the country, underlining the growing importance of multidisciplinary research in India’s academic ecosystem.

The initiative draws inspiration from the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and aligns with the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047, which focuses on building an inclusive, innovation-driven and self-reliant India.

Officials said the programme is expected to strengthen collaborative research culture in the country and generate innovative solutions for regional and national challenges through the integration of advanced technologies, scientific research and social understanding.