The Auroville Research Platform

The Auroville Research Platform supports fertile cooperation between visiting researchers and Auroville by providing a point of contact and resource centre for researchers interested in our community.

Key Requirements

In order to undertake any research in Auroville, please note the following key requirements:

1) Make contact with the Research Platform via email, so that we can understand your research intention and give you the appropriate orientation;

2) Obtain a visa that enables you to legally undertake research in India (not applicable for Indian citizens). If your research can be supported by us, we will facilitate this process.

3) Agree to share any outcomes of your research with us for Auroville’s archives.

Our Process

We identify whether your research project is

(1) a research project that meets an explicit research need of Auroville,

(2) a personal research project,

and process your request accordingly.

While we encourage you to explore and engage with Auroville’s research needs, our team supports all research proposals – to the extent that they appear viable – in the spirit of experimentation and collaboration that Auroville is based on.

Key Resources

Here are some key resources for you to consult in considering undertaking research in Auroville:

- Our Guide for Researchers can be consulted here.

- A growing database of research needs within Auroville is currently in progress, available for you to consult at http://auroville-learning.net/what-you-can-do/research/.

- A database of research already undertaken on and in Auroville is available for you to consult at: http://research.auroville.org.

Support and Services Offered

Research

We offer various resources to ensure that your research is original, relevant and of some utility for Auroville; that it can be executed with a strong understanding of the Auroville context, depending on your need. For example, we can provide you with:

- Assistance in identifying collaborative research opportunities with Auroville-based organisations and projects,

- Resource-persons or experts on your subject in the Auroville context,

- Research mentors, where needed (especially for undergraduate students),

- Assistance with identifying research participants,

- Database of research done on Auroville,

- Access to a network of researchers who are currently in Auroville, or who have done research on Auroville in the past.

Practical

- We are a point of contact in Auroville to answer any questions you may have about the logistics of your stay,

- We provide administrative support for the procurement of the correct visa needed to do research in Auroville – required by the Indian government*,

- We provide logistical support for presenting your research within the community.

*Please note that strong checks are undertaken by the Indian government to ensure that individuals do not exceed the limitations of their visa. We strongly discourage doing research on a tourist visa, as any activity that exceeds tourist visa limitations can lead to a ban from Indian territory for a minimum of 5 years.

Exchange

Our team aspires to increase the quality and impact of research undertaken on Auroville, as well as encourage its dissemination. We are thus also interested in institutional-level partnerships with international and Indian centres of research and innovation. We welcome the collaboration of our visiting researchers in working towards these goals, and encourage you to act as conduits to concretise our research networks! 

The Auroville Research Platform team looks forward to hearing from you at researchplatform@auroville.org.in!