Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
Short answer: go to anrfonline.in and log in with your old SERBONLINE username and password. If you were already registered as a Principal Investigator on serbonline.in, you do not need a new account. The ANRF portal states this directly: “Already registered PIs with the SERBONLINE portal (www.serbonline.in) may login using the same credentials.” Your credentials carried over when SERB became ANRF. If you have never registered, you must create an account first — there is no automatic account for new applicants.
This page explains which web address is the real one, what to do when your old login fails, and what the portal expects from you after you are inside. All portal details below were read directly from anrfonline.in on 23 August 2026.
Which address is the right one?
This is the single biggest source of confusion, because at least six different hostnames appear in search results for “ANRF login”. Only one of them is where you submit proposals.
| Address | What it actually is | Use it to log in? |
|---|---|---|
anrfonline.in |
The Electronic Project Proposal Management System (EPPMS). This is the live application portal. | Yes — this is the one. |
serbonline.in |
The old SERB portal address. It now redirects automatically to anrfonline.in/ANRF/HomePage. |
It will get you there, but bookmark the new address. |
serb.gov.in |
The information and announcements site, now branded as ANRF. Notices, tenders and staff recruitment notices live here. | No proposal login here. |
prism.serbonline.in |
ANRF-PRISM, a separate programme site. | Separate system, separate purpose. |
recruitment.anrf.gov.in |
Job applications for ANRF staff posts (Scientist C, Scientist D and similar). | No — this is employment, not research funding. |
anrf.uat.dcservices.in |
A testing server that leaks into search results. | No. Never submit anything here. |
If a search result sends you to a hostname containing uat, close it. “UAT” means user acceptance testing — it is a staging copy, and anything you enter there is not a real submission.
How to log in, step by step
- Open
anrfonline.in. - Click Login in the top-right corner of the page.
- Enter the username and password you used on SERBONLINE. For most established PIs, this is the same email address you have used for SERB proposals for years.
- Once inside, go to Menu → Proposal Submission → Form Submission. This is the path the portal itself gives for nearly every scheme.
- Before you can submit anything, complete the Profile Detail section under User Profile. The portal requires bio-data, a photograph and your institute address as mandatory fields.
The profile step catches many people out. The proposal form will not let you proceed while mandatory profile fields are blank, and the error message does not always say which field is missing. If submission is blocked, check your profile before you check anything else.
If you have never registered
Register first, then apply. The portal wording is consistent across schemes: applicants should first register on the online website, and only after logging in can they fill in the proposal form. Registration is self-service — your institution does not create the account for you.
One point that surprises applicants to the National Post-Doctoral Fellowship: your mentor must register separately too. The portal requires the proposed mentor to follow the same registration procedure and complete their own Profile Detail section, including bio-data, photo and institute address. If your mentor is not registered, your application cannot be completed. Ask them early — this is the most common cause of a missed N-PDF deadline.
Why your old login might not work
The credential carry-over applies to registered PIs. If your login fails, the usual explanations are:
- You had a co-investigator or reviewer account, not a PI account. These did not all migrate the same way.
- You are using an institutional email that has since been deactivated. The account still exists, but password-reset mail goes to an address you can no longer read.
- You are on the wrong portal. Credentials for the recruitment portal or PRISM are not the same as EPPMS credentials.
- You never actually registered. Having been a co-PI on someone else’s SERB grant does not mean you hold an account.
Use the password-reset link on the login page first. If the reset mail does not arrive, contact ANRF through the contact details published on the portal rather than creating a duplicate account — duplicate accounts cause problems later when your sanctioned projects are linked to the original record.
What changed when SERB became ANRF
The Anusandhan National Research Foundation replaced the Science and Engineering Research Board. In practice, the transition is visible in the portal’s own menu structure, which separates “ANRF Programs” from “Erstwhile SERB Schemes”. Both lists are still live on the portal, so a scheme you applied to years ago may still appear — but under the older heading.
Current ANRF programmes listed on the portal include the Advanced Research Grant (ARG), ARG MATRICS, the Inclusivity Research Grant (IRG), International Travel Support (ITS), the J. C. Bose Grant, the National Post-Doctoral Fellowship (N-PDF), the National Science Chair, Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR), the Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant (PM ECRG), the Ramanujan Fellowship and Seminar/Symposia (SSY). Schemes listed under the erstwhile-SERB heading include the Core Research Grant, Start-up Research Grant, SUPRA, MATRICS, SERB-POWER, SERB-SURE and the fellowships such as VAJRA and OVDF.
ANRF documents also refer to the funder as “ANRF (formerly SERB)” in older scheme text, so both names appearing on one page is normal and not a sign you are on a fake site.
What the main schemes offer
These figures were published on the ANRF portal as read on 23 August 2026. Scheme terms change between calls — always confirm the current figures on the scheme page before you build a budget.
| Scheme | Support | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| PM ECRG | Research grant up to Rs 60 lakh plus overheads. Travel capped at Rs 3 lakh and contingency at Rs 3 lakh for a three-year project. | 3 years, with no provision for extension |
| Advanced Research Grant (ARG) | Upper limit ₹5 crore. Travel up to Rs 5 lakh, contingency up to Rs 5 lakh. | Up to 5 years, released in phases (3+1, or 3+1+1) subject to demonstrated progress |
| N-PDF | Rs 80,000 per month plus applicable HRA. Rs 50,000 per month plus HRA if you have submitted your thesis but the degree is not yet awarded. Research grant Rs 2,00,000 per year; overheads Rs 1,00,000 per year. | 2 years, described as a purely temporary assignment |
| International Travel Support (ITS) | Economy airfare by the shortest route, airport tax and visa fees. Registration fee at actuals or Rs 50,000, whichever is less, for young scientists under 35 at the start of the event. | Per event; training programmes, schools and workshops limited to 21 days |
The N-PDF fellowship is taxable under Indian income-tax rules, and fellows may not hold any other government or non-government fellowship at the same time.
Eligibility traps worth knowing before you start typing
- PM ECRG excludes a long list of positions. Research associates, post-doctoral fellows, ad-hoc faculty, guest faculty, visiting scientists, consultants, project fellows and faculty whose contract is renewed every year are not eligible. You also may submit only one proposal per call.
- PM ECRG has a joining-date window. The standard rule is that you may apply within two years of joining your institution. The portal notes this was relaxed for the current call to applicants who joined on or after 1 February 2023 — a one-time relaxation, so check whether it still applies to the call you are answering.
- N-PDF excludes previous regular-grant applicants. If you have applied for PM ECRG, ARG or IRG in the past, you are not eligible for N-PDF. Mentors are also capped: no more than two ongoing N-PDF fellows, and no more than two applications in a single call.
- ARG has a remaining-service rule. You should generally have the project duration plus one year of official service left. If you are superannuating during the project, a colleague with enough remaining service must join as Co-PI. Projects of Rs 1 crore and above require a Co-PI from the PI’s institution in any case, and face an extra review round by the Empowered Technical Committee.
- ITS has a three-year cooling-off period. You cannot have taken ITS support in the last three years, counted from the start date of your last supported conference to the start date of the one you are applying for.
After the award: what the portal expects
The login is not only for applying. Once a grant is sanctioned, ANRF runs reporting through the same portal. Annual progress reports must be submitted in the specified format through the ANRF online portal, and closure documents must be uploaded within three months after the project duration ends. Expenditure incurred before the financial sanction is issued, or after the sanctioned period expires, is not admissible.
On the institutional side, the host institute must keep separate audited accounts, hold funds in an interest-earning bank account and report any accrued interest in the Statement of Expenditure or Utilisation Certificate. Assets bought with project funds count as institutional inventory gifted by ANRF and cannot be disposed of without prior approval. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has the right of access to the institute’s books for ANRF funds.
Changing institution mid-project is restricted. ANRF will consider it only for moves from a private, public or government institution to another public or government institution, or for general administrative transfers within government or publicly funded institutions. PIs also need ANRF’s consent to be away from the implementing institute for more than eight continuous weeks, other than for project field work.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a new account now that SERB is ANRF?
No, not if you were already a registered PI on serbonline.in. The portal confirms that existing SERBONLINE PIs may log in with the same credentials. Only first-time applicants need to register.
Is serbonline.in dead?
The address still works, but it redirects to anrfonline.in/ANRF/HomePage. Update your bookmarks to the new address so you are not relying on a redirect that may be withdrawn.
Where do I submit a proposal after logging in?
Menu → Proposal Submission → Form Submission. Complete your User Profile first, or mandatory-field errors will block you.
What are the current deadlines?
Deadlines change with every call and we deliberately do not reproduce them here, because a stale date is worse than none. Check the scheme page on anrfonline.in. As a guide, the portal notes that the N-PDF application window is usually about one month, and that N-PDF selection takes at least two months from the closing date, with results notified by email through the portal.
What file size limits apply?
For N-PDF, the work methodology and research plan must be a single PDF of no more than three pages and no more than 10 MB. Field limits also apply in the PM ECRG form: project title up to 500 characters, project summary up to 3,000, a maximum of six keywords, and objectives and expected outcomes up to 1,500 characters each.
Is anrf.uat.dcservices.in an official site?
It is an ANRF testing server, not the live portal, and it should not be used for any submission. Work only on anrfonline.in.
Related guides
- ANRF India: Anusandhan National Research Foundation Explained
- SERB (India): VAJRA and OVDF Programs for International Researchers
- DST (India): Department of Science and Technology
- DST INSPIRE Fellowship: PhD Eligibility, Stipend and How to Apply
- VIDWAN ID and Profile: India’s National Expert Database
- One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Related reading: India National IPR Policy — India’s university technology-transfer framework runs on the 2016 National IPR Policy, ANRF’s 2024 commercialisation mandate, and the 2025 Patents (Amendment) Rules — with no Bayh-Dole-equivalent statute tying them together. For more on this, see CASRAI’s guide to Research.gov login.
