Critical Raw Materials Research Program (CRM-Research Program) 2026 by ANRF, Government of India

ANRF, a statutory body of the Government of India, has been established to provide high level strategic direction for research, innovation and entrepreneurship in fields of natural sciences and scientific and technological interfaces of humanities & social sciences to promote, monitor and provide support as required as per recommendations of the National Education Policy.

Mission for Advancement in High-impact Areas (MAHA) is a program under ANRF to support priority-centric, solution-based research in Mission mode focusing at some key areas in alignment with nation's prime requirements. It is envisaged to be multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional and multi-investigator projects with industrial partnerships in the best sorted areas of immediate concern.

ANRF has identified "Critical Raw Materials (CRM)" as a research priority area to include under the MAHA program, which will continue to play a key role in the nation's progress and economic growth as India embarks on the journey of Viksit Bharat 2047.

The MAHA CRM Research Program will be launched in consultation with the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) of the Ministry of Mines. It will be a "limited call" where the Centre of Excellence (COEs), as hubs, recognized by the Ministry of Mines, will be invited to submit proposals in a consortium. The proposals should be structured in a hub-and-spoke model to leverage R&D in critical raw materials and pool the core competencies of each constituent under one umbrella. The spokes can be more open, but hubs are limited.

AIM OF THE MISSION
The CRM Research Program aims to seed, foster, and nurture scientific and Industrial R&D to create and demonstrate a vibrant, innovative, and agile ecosystem in Critical Raw Materials (CRM) Research in India, driving fundamental understanding and supporting specific technological advances.ANRF will focus on the mission mode outcomes, quality, and impact. The CRM Research Program will help channel substantial funding for R&D through ANRF, utilizing a hub-and-spoke model, where nine COEs, recognized by the Ministry of Mines, should submit their research proposals.

OBJECTIVES
• The research program includes augmenting domestic critical mineral capacity, technological advancements, and supporting the beneficiation, extraction, processing, and recycling of critical minerals.
• The program is to secure India's critical mineral supply chain by ensuring mineral availability from domestic sources and to strengthen the value chain by fostering innovation, skill development, etc., by supporting nine COEs recognized by the Ministry of Mines.
• To increase the critical mass of highly talented researchers in critical minerals in the country, fostering research and education in a similar field.
• To build indigenous capacity and intellectual strength required to ensure self-reliance of the nation in the strategic area of critical minerals.

FOCUSED AREAS OF RESEARCH IN CRM RESEARCH PROGRAM
The following are the focused areas of R&D in critical raw materials, which may lead to technology development and frontier technology's role in mining, extraction, recycling, and processing value chains:
• Focused R&D to reach higher Technology Readiness Levels of TRL 6+in CRM.
• Non-destructive technologies for Critical Mineral Exploration and AI-based exploration Data Processing.
• Critical Mineral Potential Assessment, Resource Estimation, and Multi-Metal Recovery from Mine Waste and Surrounding Host Rocks.
• Beneficiation, process technologies to extract critical raw materials from any feedstock, and recycling.
• Combining the generic processes that are required to process any feedstock that contains critical raw materials and dovetailing it to specific feedstock.
• Reduced metals and specialty chemicals that aid in beneficiation and separation processes.
• Manufacturing of chemicals used in beneficiation and extraction (solvent extraction and ion exchange).
• Process equipment design, development, and fabrication.
• Encourage and engage researchers in the domain of extractive metallurgy;
• AI/ ML tools; AI-ML tools can be used to accelerate the CRM research in order to achieve the proposed goal.
• Any other related area.

DURATION:
The duration of the project may be maximum up-to three years based on the complexity and nature of the project. However, a further plan for sustainability of the hub/deployment of the developed technologies need to be included.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND OTHER DETAILS :
A detailed outline of the eligibility criteria for the consortia members of CRM Research Group is given below:
i. Consortia-based proposals submitted by the recognized Centres of Excellence (COEs) identified by the Ministry of Mines under the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM), related to CRM.The PI/Director of COE is eligible to apply for only one proposal during a call, as only one proposal is to be submitted from a single COE.
ii. The recognized COE will be operated as a consortium, on a hub-and-spoke model, to leverage R&D in critical raw materials and pool the core competence of each constituent under one umbrella.
iii. In the consortium, the COE becomes the Hub, and other entities from research & academia(institutes/ universities) become the Spokes. The Hub Institute will be recognized as the COE.
iv. The recognized COE will submit consortia-based proposals involving at least two industry partners and at least two R&D or academic partners (Spokes) working in the field of critical minerals and related areas, such as materials science, geology, mining, and metallurgy.
v. Applicants [Principal Investigator (PI)/ COE HoC/Director of COE for Huband Co-Principal Investigator(s)(Co-PI(s)) for Spoke] should be Indian citizens. Foreign nationals (including OCI and NRI) are also eligible to apply, provided they fulfill the eligibility criteria of ANRF.
vi. The applicant(s) must hold a regular academic/research position in a recognized educational institution/national laboratory/ any other recognized R&D institution in India with a proven track record in the relevant domain.
vii. Government Academic Institutions (Central Universities, State Universities, IITs, IISERs, National Labs, etc) can be the spoke.
viii. Private Academic institutions with valid UGC/AICTE/PCI approval, Private R&D institutions with valid DSIR-SIRO recognition, and voluntary and Non-governmental organizations registered under the NITI-AAYOG Darpan portal are eligible to be the Spoke.
ix. PI/Co-PI should have at least 3 years of service remaining at the time of submission of the proposal.
x. ANRF may suggest restructuring the proposals and reorganizing the consortium members based on the nature of the work area, merits, and technology requirements. Accordingly, it may request revised project proposals from COEs.
xi. Proposals submitted must be original in ideation and content. Applications are requested to pre-check their proposals for plagiarism before uploading. Plagiarism in any form will not be acceptable. All submitted proposals will be subjected to a third-party similarity check, and proposals may be rejected if they are found to be plagiarized. Any text taken verbatim from another source needs to be identified using quotation marks and a proper reference.
xii. The COE should possess the necessary infrastructure, laboratories, equipment, and resources to support CRM research, experimentation, and collaboration within the given area.

TERMS & CONDITIONS
Implementation of the project :
i. Approval of the research proposal and the grant release are contingent upon the specific project being sanctioned and should be exclusively spent on project-related activities within the stipulated timeframe. The COE (Institute/University) may seek funds or in-kind support from relevant industries (Government, Semi-Government, Autonomous, and Private) for this research project, keeping the ANRF informed about the same.
ii. The Institute (COE)/ Principal Investigator (PI)/ Co-PI will furnish a Progress Report of the work on the project after attaining the following benchmark in the first 6 (six) months of project implementation:
a. Appointment of manpower, providing date of appointment & qualifications.
b. Status regarding acquisition of assets sanctioned under the project.
c. Status regarding procurement of sanctioned equipment under the capital head.
iii. The Institute (COE) 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 another Institute as assistance. If the Institute is unable to implement or complete the project, it shall refund to ANRF the entire grant received or the balance of the grant, with interest.
iv. All the personnel, including Research personnel appointed under the project, for the full/ part duration of the project, are to be treated as temporary employees and will be governed by the administrative rules/ service conditions (for leave, TA/DA, etc) of the implementing Institute.They are not to be treated as employees of the ANRF or the Government of India, nor as permanent employees of the Institute. The ANRF will have no liability what so ever for the project staff after the project duration is completed.
v. For the expeditious implementation of the research project,the PI will seek the assistance of the Institute in the process of selecting and appointing sanctioned research personnel/staff, as well as in making payments to them. Scale and emoluments for posts not covered under the ANRF order are governed by the norms prevalent in the implementing Institution or as decided in consultation with ANRF.
vi. The project becomes operative on the date the Electronic Transfer is received by the implementing Institution (COE).
vii. If the results of research are to be legally protected, they should not be published without action being taken to secure legal protection for the research findings.
viii. Any Intellectual Property (IP) generated under the program shall be governed by a joint IP policy developed between ANRF, Ministry of Mines, and the concerned COE, ensuring fair benefit sharing between academia and industry partner.

Utilization of the Funds :
i. The host institute (COE) and the Principal Investigator (PI) must ensure that the funds are used exclusively for the approved research project.
ii. The host institute (COE) must maintain separate audited accounts for the project. Funds should be kept in an interest-earning bank account, with any accrued interest reported to the ANRF in the Statement of Expenditure (SE) or Utilization Certificate (UC).
iii. The COE (University/Institute/Organization) will take the responsibilities of submission of all Financial Documents for the disbursement, receiving, and settlement of funds in time as required.
iv. Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) is implementing the new TSA hybrid model for fund flow in respect of ANRF Schemes (Scheme Code - 4211). The COE (University/ Institute/Organization) should follow the TSA-SOP available at www.anrfonline.in
v. The fund shall not be utilized for the construction of any building unless a specific provision is made for that purpose by ANRF. The host institute is responsible for providing essential infrastructure (accommodation, space, water, electricity, communication, etc.) for the project.
vi. Any expenditure incurred prior to the issue of the financial sanction and after the expiry of the sanctioned duration of the project will not be admissible.

Monitoring the Progress of the Project
i. PIs should submit annual progress reports in their specified format through the ANRF online portal.
ii. In addition to annual reviews, mid-term evaluation may be conducted by the Mission Technical Program Committee (MTPC) to assess translational progress and technology readiness.
iii. ANRF will periodically monitor the project. The PI should attend the Monitoring Meetings/Workshops to present the progress/outcome of the research project, as and when organized.
iv. ANRF may designate a specialist or an Expert Panel to visit the host institute to review the progress of the work being carried out and to suggest suitable measures to ensure the realization of the objectives of the project. During the implementation of the project, the Institute will provide all necessary facilities to visiting scientists, specialists, or the Expert Panel, including accommodation, during their visit.
v. Proposals should outline expected TRL advancement at the end of each year to demonstrate technology maturity.
vi. All projects must comply with applicable environmental, safety, and statutory regulations during implementation.

Release of Next Instalment of Funds :
i. At the end of each financial year (FY) and at the time of seeking further instalment of grant, the Institute/PI has to furnish the following documents strictly as per ANRF formats, and upload the same through the ANRF online portal:
a. Audited Utilization Certificate (UC), and up-to-date Statement of Expenditure (SE) for the financial year in the correct format.
b. Annual/interim progress report, as per approved format.
c. List of publications/patents, if any, from the project.
d. List of Assets acquired till that Financial Year.
ii. The release of the next installment of the grant will be contingent upon the submission of financial statements and their acceptance by ANRF.

Transfer, Extension, and Termination of the Project :
i. If the PI/COE HoC/Director wishes to terminate the project, they must inform ANRF immediately, providing proper justification. The host institute (COE) should not incur any expenditure from the date of termination of the project or the date of resignation of the PI, whichever is earlier.
ii. The PI/COE HoC/Director must seek the consent of ANRF if they intend to be away from the implementing Institute (except for field work related to the project) continuously for a period of more than eight weeks after submitting a proper supportive plan, without disturbing the interest/progress of the project.
iii. ANRF reserves the right to terminate the project at any stage if it is convinced that (i) appropriate progress is not being made, (ii) the grant has not been utilized properly, or (iii) furnishing of false information or suppression of factual information.
iv. Transfer of the project from one Institution to another is not allowed as the support is institution-specific (COE).
v. The duration of the R&D project will be up to 3 years.

Settlement of Accounts of the Project :
i. The following documents must be uploaded to the ANRF online portal within three months after the completion of the project duratio n:
a. Final Consolidated Statement of Expenditure (SE), giving expenditure financial year-wise (FY) from the date of start till the date of completion.
b. Utilization Certificates (FY-wise), matching with Statement of Expenditure figures.
c. Project Completion Report (PCR) with a list of publications and patents filed/granted.
ii. The host institution, with the coordination of the Principal Investigator (PI), is primarily responsible for the timely submission of utilization certificates, statements of expenditure, progress/monitoring reports, the project closure report (PCR), and the refund of any unspent balance at the end or in the event of early closure of the project. If, due to unforeseen circumstances, the PI is unable to settle the project's accounts, the host institution must submit the above documents to ANRF for the proper closure and settlement of the project's accounts.

Maintenance of Assets Procured Under the Project :
i. The host institute (COE) must maintain an audited register of permanent or semi-permanent assets acquired primarily with capital funds, including immovable property and movable capital assets listed in the sanction order. The Institute may be required to send a list of these assets to the ANRF.
ii. Assets acquired with project funds are considered part of the Institutional Inventory, gifted by the ANRF. They cannot be disposed of or encumbered without prior approval from ANRF. ANRF has the discretion to allow other investigators to utilize the assets for projects sanctioned by ANRF or advise the host institute to transfer them to any other institute if deemed appropriate.
iii. The Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG), at its discretion, shall have the right of access to the books and accounts of the Institute maintained in respect of the fund received from the ANRF.

For successful online submission of the application, the following points may be noted:
a. PI and Co-PI(s) should first register on the official website,click here to register anrfonline.in
b. After logging in, applicant(s) are required to fill all the mandatory fields in the Profile Detail section.
c. Some of the key elements of the proposal should be defined clearly, such as Project Title (max 500 characters), Project summary (max 3000 characters), Keywords (max 6), Objectives of the project (max 1500 characters), Target values being set for the project, Expected output and outcome of the proposal (max 1500 characters).
d. Other Technical Details (OTD) of the proposal must be uploaded as a single file in PDF format.