CSIR-USISTEF Critical Minerals and Quantum Technology Grant
Funds joint U.S.-India applied R&D teams working on Critical Minerals and Quantum Technology through the USISTEF competitive grants program.
Eligibility · India and United States (joint partnership required)
The CSIR-USISTEF Critical Minerals and Quantum Technology Grant is a competitive project grant administered by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR, India) under the U.S.-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF) — a joint initiative of the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), India. This call specifically targets joint U.S.-India collaborative R&D in two technology areas: Critical Minerals and Quantum Technology.
Each selected project receives up to INR 15,000,000 (approximately USD 165,000) over a 24-month period. No minimum award is stated. No total pool size or expected number of awards is published. The funding covers applied R&D activities with an explicit requirement for a business plan and proof of commercial concept, indicating both technical and commercial milestones are expected.
Joint initiatives can originate from U.S. and Indian entities including startups, government agencies, academic institutions, or commercial organizations, and any combination thereof. There is no explicit restriction on for-profit entities; startups and commercial endeavors are explicitly listed as eligible applicants. The project must have a cross-border U.S.-India partnership at its core.
Applications are submitted through the IUSSTF endowment portal (endowment.iusstf.org). The submission window closes July 31, 2026. The source does not publish a detailed multi-step evaluation sequence or scoring rubric, beyond requiring that proposals focus on applied R&D, incorporate a business plan and proof of commercial concept, and demonstrate significant sustainable commercial potential.
Note: the source labels the project duration as "Fellowship Duration: 24 months", which may reflect USISTEF's hybrid fellowship-and-project-grant structure. No further breakdown of that label is provided. Applicants should verify whether individual fellowship components attach to specific team members, in addition to the project-level award.
Critical Minerals and Quantum Technology. Projects must focus on applied R&D with a business plan and proof of commercial concept.
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