The Scheme “Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure (FIST)” is intended to provide basic infrastructure and enabling facilities for promoting R&D activities in new and emerging areas and attracting fresh talents in universities & other educational institutions. It is considered as complimentary support for enabling Departments/ Centres/ Schools/ Colleges to pursue research activities more effectively and efficiently. The beneficiary organizations need to connect with the I-STEM (Indian - Science Technology and Engineering Facilities Map) portal to display the utility and availability of slots of different facilities in their premises, for sample analysis by researchers outside the host organization. The Scheme provides optimal infrastructure facilities for post-graduate and higher research, such as, renovation of existing laboratory space (no fresh constructions) and cold room, modernization of laboratories involved in PG and higher research, acquisition of essential equipment, up-gradation of existing facilities, networking & computational facilities including software & databases, scientific & technical books (no journals), maintenance & refurbishing of existing and new facilities etc. The facilities provided under the Program are intended to support the efforts of the Department as a whole or a number of faculty members in the Department. The synergy and focus of research may preferably be aligned to National Missions/ priorities. The duration of support for each FIST Project will be for a period of 5 years.