NAST provides innovation grants to 33 proposals

Kathmandu - Thirty three different individuals and organisations have received grants from Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) under the ‘Science for Society, Innovation for Prosperity’ programme. The NAST for the first time through government-level supported the amount to promote the thought ‘Science for Society, Innovation for Prosperity’.

It provided grant support of around Rs 22 million in order to make two programmes— ‘Innovation for Prosperity’ and ‘Development of COVID-19 Resistant Technology’. A total of 162 people had submitted proposals on the topic of innovation. Chief of NAST Technology faculty, Dr Rabindra Prasad Dhakal said that the grants were provided to 13 people after their selection.

He added that the NAST had received a total 118 proposals under COVID-19 Technology Development and 20 proposals were selected for the grants. The grant amount was mentioned in the budget programme of last fiscal year 2019/20, shared Dhakal. Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, NAST, Kathmandu University and Tribhuvan University have collaborated for the formulation of working procedure of the programmes.

NAST Spokesperson Suresh Kumar Dhungel said that the programmes would be very helpful to tranfer new thinking into production, to connect innovation with conservation and industry, to select a medium to forward innovation ahead and to know about ongoing activities about science sector in the society. Dhungel added the NAST has selected different proposals like developing an automated sugarcane crushing technology, developing different smart technologies for hatching chicken eggs, among others.

Proposals regarding the development of technology for PCR test and RDT procedures, proper management for collection of required data to take decisions in the COVID-19 sector, expansion of scope and measurement of temperature among the groups with the use of thermographic camera, use of software, testing of coronavirus in the samples of waste and drainage water, agriculture and energy development, food processing, and so on have been granted the NAST fellowship.

The NAST has, through consultations with a group of experts, reached to a conclusion that the implementation of proposed programmes would turn effective in bringing positive outcomes in the society, according to Dhungel. People having general knowledge to those having expertise on the issues have been awarded the fellowship, according to NAST, Faculty of Technology's administrative officer Dipendra Ram Bhandari.

''The people expressing willingness to explore skills in the areas of innovation and COVID -19 have been given the assistance ranging from Rs 6,700 to Rs one million,'' he said. Rs 9.6 million has been given for proposed innovative efforts while the remaining is towards the COVID-19, it is said. The fellowship was distributed on Thursday.

The NAST is to monitor to make proposed programmes effective and facilitate people/organisations concerned as much as possible to overcome possible issues while making efforts to realise the programmes. Dr Dhakal said the support to those interested in doing something in innovative sector would continue in the upcoming year as well.