Announcement

National Innovation Foundation (NIF), constituted by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India aims to recognize, respect and reward grassroots technological innovators and traditional knowledge experts. NIF was established as an autonomous society in 2000 under the Chairpersonship of Dr R A Mashelkar, the then Director General, CSIR. It is mandated to build a National Register of green Grassroots Technological Innovations and Traditional Knowledge practices developed by various individuals and communities in the unorganized sector. NIF's commitment to grassroots innovators and traditional knowledge holders is aimed at (a) building their linkages with institutional scientists, technologists and designers to add value in their technologies, (b) providing micro venture innovation fund (MVIF) - support to help convert innovations into enterprises, (c) protecting their intellectual property rights and (d) creating a culture of creativity and innovation in society. Through its activities, NIF is striving to make India innovative, self-reliant and a world leader in sustainable technologies.

The role of Honey Bee Network: The Honey Bee Network was established about eighteen years ago to connect creative people across language cultures, acknowledge the contribution of innovators and expand policy and institutional space for local knowledge experts by ensuring fair share of benefits. NIF while building upon the Honey Bee philosophy, is trying to generate a movement in the country by linking green grassroots innovators with one another as well as with experts in modern science and technology, markets, design and other relevant formal sector institutions. The national campaign is a means to build solidarity among creative people, by unfolding the potential of genius at grassroots. Several values (7 E's) are being blended such as ethics, excellence, efficiency, environment, education, equity and empathy. Creativity in that sense is being combined with compassion, conservation and concern for the disadvantaged people. The entries received by NIF are screened for their possible validity, uniqueness, potential social impact, creativity or embedded valuable traditional knowledge. The selected entries are evaluated with the help of group of experts and Honey Bee Network collaborators. The most outstanding entries are given awards and also support for prototype development and scaling up depending upon the social criticality, potential impact, eco-friendliness, economic condition of the innovator, potential for value addition through linkage with science and technology and prospects of diffusion through commercial and non-commercial channel.

The competition: NIF solicits entries about unaided technological innovations and traditional knowledge developed by individual or group comprising farmers, artisans, fishermen and women, slum dwellers, workshop mechanics, students, local communities etc., in managing natural and/or other resources. Innovations can be in machines, gadgets, implements, or processes for farm operations, household utility, transportation for improved efficiency, energy conservation or generation, and reduction in drudgery, creative use of biodiversity, plant varieties, generation of herbal remedies for human or animal health or developing new or any other low cost sustainable green technology related to various aspects of survival in urban and rural areas. Creative ideas for innovative technologies are also welcome. Communities developing People's Biodiversity Register (PBR) or People's Knowledge Register (PKR) are encouraged to register/link their knowledge base with the National Register at NIF.

The awards: The best three innovations and traditional knowledge practices will be awarded Rs 1,00,000, Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 each in different categories. In addition, individuals and/or organizations that make extraordinary contributions in scouting grassroots innovations and traditional knowledge may also get awards worth Rs 50,000, 25,000 and 15,000 respectively besides recognition to many others. There will be several consolation prizes of Rs 10,000 each in different categories depending upon the number of entries and incremental inventiveness and potential social and environmental impact. Special awards will be given for innovations and outstanding traditional knowledge of/for women. There will be special prizes to recognize outstanding innovations by/ for people with physical disabilities. Certificate of appreciation may be given to herbal and traditional knowledge holders whose claims may not have been validated but whose contributions are worth emulating for the society. Three most outstanding innovative ideas may be given prizes of Rs 50,000, 25,000 and 15,000 in addition to consolation prizes of Rs 5,000 each. The outstanding entries will also be widely publicized in the Honey Bee Newsletter and through other media. Summary and/or details of the selected innovative practices and traditional knowledge practices included in the Register will be displayed at the websites of NIF with the Prior Informed Consent (unless such knowledge is already in the public domain) of the innovators/knowledge providers.

Who can apply: Individuals or communities who have achieved distinction in improving quality and productivity providing visibility, but not financially. NIF is very keen that women knowledge holders participate in this campaign in as large a number as possible. We have had rather limited participation from women in the past and we wish to rectify this situation with the cooperation of groups working with women in the unorganized sector.

without the aid of formal institutions are invited to participate in the Seventh national biennial competition for ideas, innovations and traditional knowledge. Ideas for innovative technologies which have not yet become products, are also welcome. The resources of NIF are dedicated to supporting innovators and traditional knowledge holders from the unorganized sector only. Therefore, entries from professionals that is, those having professional degrees or affiliation with formal institutions or have gained long professional experience in public or private sector are ordinarily not accepted. However, if anybody develops a technology in their individual capacity without any institutional help and that has grassroots applications, it may be considered for inclusion in a separate database of grassroots innovations by professionals. NIF may help them only through linkages and providing visibility, but not financially. NIF is very keen that women knowledge holders participate in this campaign in as large a number as possible. We have had rather limited participation from women in the past and we wish to rectify this situation with the cooperation of groups working with women in the unorganized sector.

Students: Young inventors and innovators are invited to send their ideas or innovations for a special category of awards for them. These should be unsupervised, an outcome of their own creativity, without any support from their teachers or outsiders. Students are also encouraged to join SCAI at grassroots (Student Club for Augmenting Innovations) to help other innovators (scai@nifindia.org). Supervised project from engineering or other professional colleges will not be accepted except under professional category. There will be prizes worth Rs 15,000, 10,000 and Rs 7,500 for the best three entries and several consolation prizes of Rs 5,000 each in this category.

How to participate: Individuals or groups may send as many entries as they wish on plain paper providing a) genesis of innovation and traditional knowledge b) background of innovation and c) background with complete educational qualification of the innovators/ traditional knowledge holders, accompanied by photographs and/or videos if possible and any other information that may help in replicating the innovations/traditional knowledge. Herbal entries may be accompanied by dried plant samples to enable proper identification procedure. The last date for the Seventh biennial competition is December 31, 2010. It is requested that every entry includes full postal address, to facilitate further communication.

Where to send entries

National Coordinator (scouting and documentation), National Innovation Foundation, Satellite Complex, Bungalow No 1, Premchandnagar Road , Jodhpur Tekra, Ahmedabad 380015 Gujarat.

Email: campaign@nifindia.org