Impact Assessment and Public Policy
The Impact Assessment and Public Policy Division serves as a critical bridge between grassroots innovations and systemic change by evaluating their societal influence and shaping policies to amplify their reach. At the heart of its mission is conducting in-depth research on diverse innovation ecosystems, analyzing policy gaps, challenges, and opportunities to design interventions that empower grassroots innovators. The division strives to construct evidence-based resources such as policy briefs, white papers, and innovation roadmaps, offering actionable insights for strengthening support frameworks. It is dedicated to curating a dynamic repository of case studies and impact reports, documenting how grassroots technologies drive socio-economic progress, from rural livelihoods to environmental sustainability. To foster collaboration, the division organizes policy dialogues, seminars, and roundtables, convening innovators, industry experts, academics, and policymakers to co-create inclusive solutions. Central to its work is developing rigorous impact assessment frameworks to evaluate the technical viability, scalability, and societal benefits of NIF-supported innovations, ensuring their alignment with community needs. By synthesizing research into quality publications, the division translates grassroots success stories into tools for advocacy, education, and decision-making. Ultimately, this division not only measures the ripple effects of innovation but also champions policies that transform grassroots ingenuity into engines of equitable development.
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
Internship at IAPP division at NIF
The National Innovation Foundation–India (NIF), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. NIF serves as India's national initiative to strengthen grassroots technological innovations and outstanding traditional knowledge. NIF actively scouts, supports and nurtures grassroots technological innovations developed by individual innovators and traditional knowledge holders across diverse technological domains. It ensures due recognition and rewards for their contributions by providing support for value addition, intellectual property rights (IPR) protection, business development assistance and dissemination through commercial and non-commercial channels, thereby creating incentives for innovators and other stakeholders across the value chain.
The Impact Assessment and Public Policy (IAPP) Division of NIF India undertake in- depth research on innovation ecosystems, evaluate the social, economic & environmental impact of grassroots innovations, identify policy gaps, challenges, and opportunities, and contribute to India’s evolution into a creative and knowledge-based society. By expanding the policy and institutional space for grassroots technological innovators, the Division aims to strengthen evidence-based policymaking and ensure that innovation translates into measurable developmental outcomes.
We are delighted to announce the NIF-India Internship Programme 2026 at IAPP Division:
Purpose
- Skill development through hands-on experience in research, evaluation, impact assessment and policy analysis.
- Capacity building in data collection, literature review, analytical writing, and drafting policy briefs.
- Contribution to projects by supporting impact evaluations, innovation ecosystem studies, and sustainable development initiatives.
- Talent pipeline for NIF-India, nurturing promising interns for potential future recruitment.
Broad Areas of Research
- Impact assessment of grassroots innovations, public policy interventions, and livelihood initiatives.
- Innovation ecosystems and institutional frameworks.
- Policy gap analysis and opportunities for systemic change.
- Sustainable development and rural livelihoods.
- GIS and spatial analysis for regional development.
- Environmental impact assessment of innovations and development programmes.
Eligibility
- Graduation (Ongoing) or Masters (Ongoing) in Science or Social Science disciplines (Economics/Agriculture/Development Studies/Rural Development/Public Policy/ Livelihoods/ Sustainable Development/ Geography or related areas) from a recognized university
Duration
Minimum: 1 month, Maximum: 6 months. The study includes working at NIF Gandhinagar, Gujarat and on-site engagements /field studies etc.
Benefits to Students
- Stipend: Rs. 8000/-Month (for UG Students) & Rs. 10,000/-Month (for PG Students) + (Travel, Food & Accommodation allowances provided exclusively for field days)
- Certificate of Internship issued upon successful completion.
- Networking opportunities with researchers, policymakers and innovators.
- Hands on exposure to work in the area of grassroots innovation and inclusive development in contributing to Government of India's vision of making India Viksit Bharat by 2047
- Hands-on exposure to advanced research tools, including NVivo/MAXQDA, SPSS AMOS, VosViewer for bibliometric analysis, Mental Modeler for Cognitive Modelling, and UCINET for Social Network Analysis
Application Process
If anyone is interested in the internship, kindly send your request letter through your college along with CV on mahesh@nifindia.org
(The Institute must issue a valid No Objection Certificate and explicitly certify that no active disciplinary proceedings are pending against the candidate)
Contact Details for further Enquiries-
Mahesh Patel,
Scientist G,
National Innovation Foundation - India
(Autonomous Institute of the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India)
Amrapur, Gandhinagar-Mahudi Road
Gandhinagar, Gujarat-382650
Email: mahesh@nifindia.org
Phone: +91 9825304421