Centre for Research (CFR), formally instituted in 2019, is dedicated to providing a robust platform to nurture the passion for research amongst faculty and students at the undergraduate level. The Centre promotes research work from the diverse fields of sciences and social sciences. Two major research programmes are carried out under the Centre for Research, namely, the Summer Internship Programme (SIP)and the Annual Research Programme (ARP) .
The research work under the Summer Internship Programme is carried out during the months of May to July every year, wherein students (mentees) under the guidance of the faculty of the departments (mentors) carry out two-month projects in college. Prior to the announcement of the submission of the project proposals, an Orientation Programme is conducted for the mentors and mentees to give a formal introduction to the Centre for Research, Maitreyi College. A brief discussion about the composition of CFR, its objectives, how it works, previous achievements etc. is presented. For SIP, the students are encouraged to choose a problem that intrigues them and to work towards proposing viable solutions. The project proposals are invited under a broad theme, relevant to all disciplines. The notice for the call for proposals is published in the month of March on the college website. The program equips undergraduate students with experimental as well as soft skills, logical thinking, and introduces them to the rigours of research. The research work is then submitted as a project report whereby students learn technical writing and data analysis. The projects are evaluated by experts from different Universities and Institutes. Selected projects are also presented by the students in the student presentation session Avlokan.
Annual Research Programme was introduced by CFR in January 2020. The program is tailored for those faculty and students who are keen to actively pursue research activities throughout the year. The projects under ARP also provide scope for collaboration with experts from other Universities and Institutes. The research proposals are invited twice a year, in the months of November and May. The selection of the proposals is carried out after extensive review on the basis of crisp objectives, detailed working methodology, viable outcomes, and justification of the budget head. The final ARP progress report is submitted on the completion of the research tenure of one year. The projects under CFR are run with advice and suggestions from the Advisory Committee for Professional Grooming (ACPG), a Staff Council Committee of the college.
The CFR organizes Equinox: The Annual International Conference, under the aegis of Vantage: Journal of Thematic Analysis. This conference serves as a platform to showcase multidisciplinary research work in the fields of sciences and social sciences. A broad theme is proposed, which is further classified into various sub-themes under which the abstracts are invited. This structure allows a diverse range of research topics to be covered during the event. The conference features the participation of distinguished speakers, academicians, research scholars as well as students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels to discuss scientific and social issues and to propose viable solutions. The conference includes platform and poster presentation sessions during which the participants get an opportunity to present their work, share their findings and exchange their ideas with others. It is an excellent opportunity for students and faculty to engage with peers, learn from experts across the world, and delve into relevant scientific and social issues.
CFR also organizes educationaltripsfor students of various departments to endorse experiential learning and encourage research acumen among students. These trips allow students to explore and address the actual problematic areas during onsite visits and interaction with local inhabitants. Other than these, special lectures and training workshopsare organized for students to make them competent in research proposal writing, learning new software, preparing effective presentations etc. The significance of citations and issues related to plagiarism are also discussed in the training workshops. These training workshops play a crucial role in inculcating a better understanding of research ethics among students.
CFR has been publishing a peer-reviewed open access e-journal, ‘Vantage: Journal of Thematic Analysis’, from the year 2020. It is a multidisciplinary and multilingual journal that publishes high-quality research papers. This bi-annual journal is published in April and October. The members of the Advisory and Editorial Board of the journal are distinguished academicians and research scientists from reputed Universities across the globe.
From the academic year 2023-24, CFR has started a new programme namely, Vocal for Local. In this programme, the project proposals that involve mapping, documentation or any such activity that enhances knowledge about the campus are supported by funding from Ankishtha Fund.