Social Innovation Immersion Program
Fellowship under SPARSH-Social Innovation Fellowship of BIRAC, GoI
Call Open
Theme: Waste to Value
Last Date:
30th September 2021
Program Overview
The Social Innovation Immersion Program, a flagship program of BIRAC, Govt of India is an
intensive 18 months fellowship program designed to cultivate a pipeline of social innovators and change makers who will identify the unsolved societal challenges and address them through development of innovative solutions.
KIIT-TBI being the implementing partner of the program handholds these social innovators throughout the entire cycle of their journey and strives to ensure successful translation of their ideas to proof of concept and also provide a pipeline of funding opportunities to scale up these socially relevant solutions
Features of the Fellowship
₹ 50,000 pm fellowship for 18 months + ₹ 5 Lakhs mini kick start grant
Eligibility: Indian undergraduate (B.Tech, BE, MBBS) or Postgraduate (MSc, MS, M.Tech, MPhil, MD) & PhD below 35 years
Calls
The current call is focused on Waste to Value addressing the most pressing problems the world faces today – WASTE!
The third call focused on Food and Nutrition which appealed to innovation and novel interventions to address India’s nutritional challenges.
The second call specifically targeted the challenges associated with “Ageing and Health” with the aim of increasing the average life expectancy and adding life to years. The cohort with were with diverse backgrounds and skills sets and identified solutions to pertinent problems faced by the ageing demography.
The first call focused on finding and solving challenges associated with Maternal and Child Health, which was a success. The four social innovators hired under the program have raised follow-on funding and have since taken their ideas closer to commercialization.
Program Details
As part of this structured program you will have access to a pool of mentors/domain experts and high-end laboratory and research facilities. The program will take you through a boot camp and field immersion to ensure that you have the right skills and inputs to come up with high impact solutions.
The program will act as a catalyst to
1
Identify and provide support
to cutting edge innovations towards affordable product development that can bring significant social impact and address challenges of inclusive growth.
2
Encourage young innovators
to establish technology based start-ups and provide a pipeline of funding opportunities to scale up socially relevant solutions.
3
Create and foster
a pool of social innovators and provide a platform to share best practices, understand intricacies of business models in social innovation and network.
The overarching aim of this program would be to identify and equip problem solvers who can innovate as technologists, think like entrepreneurs and act as agents of social change.
Current Call: Waste To Value
Focus SDGs
Indicative Themes
- Circular Economy
- Waste reduction
- Reducing carbon footprint
- Sustainability
Indicative Waste Streams
Solid and liquid, that societies generate; municipal, industrial, commercial, agricultural, medical and electronic waste, waste water sludge and animal waste, to mention a few.
Program Offerings
- Clinical/Rural Immersion
- Access to BIRAC and KIIT-TBI network of Mentors and Investors
- Mentoring by TISS, Mumbai (Knowledge Partner)
- Access to state-of-the-art high-end scientific facilities
- Follow-on Funding Opportunities on completion
Program Structure
Once selected, each SIIP fellows embarks on a tailored made program of 18 months to
Pre – Immersion Bootcamp
1 month
Problem Identification and Mapping through Field Immersion
4 months
Need Screening & Idea Filtration
1 month
Concept Generation and Solution Design
2 months
Development of Functional Prototype and a Business Plan
10 months
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the qualifications for selection?
Ideal applicant would be a graduate/post graduate/PhD from Medicine, Biotechnology, Biomedical, Design and other Engineering disciplines with a passion for solving unment clinical needs and preference to work in a multidisciplinary team.
Where will be the fellows stationed?
The social innovators would be a full time fellow at KIIT Technology Business Incubator, Bhubaneswar for the duration of 18 months. This program will take the innovators to various clinical and non-clinical environments covering urban & rural healthcare and community settings as part of their immersion.
When will the next applications be open?
The call for applications normally opens in every 18 months on various thematic area aligned to the UN sustainable development goals. The program runs for 18 months post induction of social innovators.
What is the outcome expected from a SIIP Fellow?
At the end of the program, the fellows are expected to identify the most pertinent problem that needs to be solved and develop and design the solution towards it. They should reach a stage where they can pitch for the next level of funding. During the tenure we would make sure that they would incorporate their start-ups, file provisional patent applications and identify the potential regulatory challenges.
Who owns the intellectual property for inventions created as part of Social Innovation Program?
The IP generated during the SIIP program would rest with the social innovators and neither BIRAC nor KIIT-TBI would claim the IP rights
What career paths do the SIIP Fellow pursue after the program?
Since the fellowship provides you an end-to-end view of the early stages of the innovation process, it would be a key experience to add in your resume. The alumni from the past two cohorts have started their own enterprise and have raised the follow on funding to drive their innovation to the next level.
How to apply for this fellowship?
The applications for SIIP fellowship will be invited at the national level through advertisements in national dailies and suitable magazines.
The application will have to be submitted online through BIRAC portal. In the application form, please select KIIT TBI, Bhubaneswar as your choice of the SPARSH Centre.
The shortlisted applicants will be called for a presentation at KIIT TBI before a Technical Expert Committee.