Ahmedabad, Dec 1 (IANS) In a bid to strengthen evidence-based policymaking and accelerate the state’s long-term development goals, the Gujarat State Institution for Transformation (GRIT) has invited research proposals under its Research Support Programme.

The initiative aims to generate high-impact studies aligned with the state’s ‘Viksit Gujarat @ 2047’ roadmap, with a focus on sustainable, inclusive and innovation-led growth.

In a notable move, non-academic individuals and non-academic organisations have also been made eligible to apply.

GRIT has urged all eligible applicants to submit high-quality proposals through its official website by December 15, 2025, exclusively via the online application portal.

Detailed guidelines for applicants are available on GRIT’s website. All proposals will undergo a rigorous evaluation process based on key criteria, including relevance to policy priorities, methodological soundness, scientific integrity, and potential impact on state-level policy formulation and implementation.

Alignment with Gujarat’s developmental priorities will be a major component of the assessment framework.

For 2025-26, GRIT has sought research proposals across four priority themes shaping Gujarat’s long-term development path: sustainability initiatives that aid the state’s transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy aligned with India’s 2070 net-zero target; strategies to drive economic advancement in tribal regions by improving livelihoods, human development outcomes and sustainable socio-economic progress; innovation and entrepreneurship across agricultural value chains to raise farmer incomes, fix systemic gaps and promote agri-enterprise models; and targeted studies to accelerate the growth of Gujarat’s service sector by enhancing competitiveness and identifying emerging opportunities for expansion.

GRIT officials said the programme offers a unique opportunity for citizens, experts and institutions to directly contribute to Gujarat’s policy ecosystem.

By opening the doors to non-academic contributors, the state aims to bring diverse perspectives and ground-level insights into policy design, an approach expected to shape the development blueprint leading up to 2047.

–IANS

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