Research Projects

The Management is dedicated and committed in its efforts to promote research and innovation at VIPS. As a testimony to this is a dedicated Research Cell which also initiates and coordinates Minor Research Projects which are paid for by the Institute. The idea is to encourage and accelerate the pace of progress of research output from faculty and students. Faculty is provided funds to conduct a field research with students and then produce a research report. The topics have to be worthwhile and should not only teach the students latest research techniques and tools but also give insights to the institution on social, technical and economic issues which can be further be used to contribute to the society as a whole.

Proposals are invited from faculty members from different departments for minor projects. The approved project may get financial support from Institute. If a project proposal submitted by faculty has potential to be considered by outside agencies for financial grant, suitable help in form of coordination with outside agencies will be provided to the faculty to get the grant.

In view of the above all faculty members are requested to submit their research proposal to the research committee through research@vips.edu mail only. The proposal should contain the following:

• Names of faculty members, student members together with assigned roles to the students
• A brief summary of the research proposal (Approximately 500 words).
• A detailed research proposal containing the following

1. Title:  The research proposal should have a clear, meaningful and concise title reflecting the area scope of the investigation.
2. Introduction and / or Statement of the Problem:  The research proposal should begin by clearly stating the research problem to be investigated in the light of its theoretical and/or empirical context in the relevant area.
3. Aims and/or Objectives of the Study:  The general aim of the study as well as well as its specific objectives should be clearly stated in the proposal.
4. Conceptual Framework:  Given the problem and the theoretical perspective for investigation of the problem, the proposal should clearly bring out the concepts to be used and demonstrate their relevance for the study. Besides, the dimension of empirical reality that needs to be explored for investigating the problem should also be specified.
5. Research Question/ Objectives of Study/ Hypotheses:  Given the conceptual framework and the specification of dimension, the specific questions to be answered through the proposed research should be sharply formulated. In the case of an explanatory research design, specification of variables and positing of relationship among them through specific hypotheses must form a part of the research proposal.
6. Review of Literature:  (A brief survey to justify the feasibility of proposed work)
   The proposal should summarize the current status of research in the area and major findings, including the researcher’s own work in the area. Existing empirical findings may also be discussed. The overview should clearly demonstrate the relevance as well as inadequacy of existing findings or approaches and provide a rationale for the proposed study
7. Scope and Methodology:  The researcher must describe in detail (a) the scope and coverage of her/his study; and (b) approach and methodology with adequate justification. Emphasis should be given to bringing out innovativeness in approaches proposed to be followed. The detailing of the methodology may include research design, data to be collected and empirical and analytical methods to be used. The description of the methodology must be clearly linked to the aims of the research and the research questions/hypotheses of the study.
8. Relevance, Anticipated Outcomes and Proposed Outputs from the Research:  The proposal should include a statement on the relevance of the study and the anticipated outcomes. It should bring out the significance of the research problem, the contribution which the proposed study is expected to make to theory and to methodology as well as its practical importance to society and policy making. It should also describe the expected outputs from the study ( Books, research papers, occasional papers with themes etc.)
9. Tentative Chapter Scheme (optional):  Details of chapter scheme should be clearly spelt out in the research proposal
10. Time Frame:  The research proposal should include a phase wise time frame for different components of the study