Wednesday, August 24 2005 14:45 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has set up an inter-disciplinary virtual university Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI) to be functional from next academic year to attract the young and potential scientists towards basic research and technology development.

Armed with a 'deemed university' status with facilities of summer and winter schools, HBNI has plans to tap young talented boys and girls as the country needs to maintain and grow the basic infrastructure for research and technology development in the years to come, its director Dr R B Grover told sources in Mumbai.

The attraction for students would be an advanced degree for those already employed or a promise of such employment while obtaining an advanced degree, he said adding, the gains for the DAE are envisaged in terms of strong links between its research centres (RCs) and the grant-in-aid (GIA) institutions through the generation of researchers and research problems.

Moreover, it is expected that the volume, quality and relevance of research and development will all simultaneously see an upward and more rapid growth, Grover, who is also the Director, Strategic Planning Group of DAE, said.

The concept underlying the HBNI is to promote advanced degrees masters and Ph D largely with the help of the RCs and GIA institutions, he said.

"It is envisaged that such an activity will concomitantly result in strengthening linkages between the GIA institutions and the RCs for advancing the pace of research in nuclear sciences on the one hand and, on the other, accelerate the process of translating R&D into technology products and their applications, Grover said.