With the continued support from various sponsors, faculty, staff and students, the Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy Cell of the Institute has made significant progress in the last year. The Ministry of Communications & Information Technology has funded an ambitious project worth almost Rs. 50 crores to develop a unique state-of-the-art facility for Molecular Beam Epitaxial Nano-Semiconductor research. A landmark in industry-academia research collaboration was etched with an MOU being signed with the Indian Railways to set up a Centre for Railways Research at IIT Kharagpur that will help the Indian Railways to develop next-generation technologies in some of the key areas through cutting edge research. The research programme in sustainable energy received a major boost with the formal initiation of the P K Sinha Centre for Bio-Energy. Other areas of national importance for which sponsored research projects have been recently taken up include Seismic Hazard Assessment, National Mission on Education through ICT, National Agriculture Innovation Programme, Mission Mode Projects on Hydrogen Production through Biological Routes, MEMS Design for RF Applications, Bio De-polymerization of Low Grade Lignite to Bio Methane, etc. During the year 2009-10, the Institute received from various agencies a total of 194 new research projects worth Rs 141.92 crores and 129 new consultancy projects worth Rs 10.12 crores aggregating a total of 323 new projects worth Rs 152.04 crores.