FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

The Indian Roads Congress (IRC) annually compiles and publishes research reports on Road & Bridge Research works being done across India under a single apex publication titled "General Report on Road Research Work Done in India". Compiled in technical partnership with the Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), this publication disseminates and propagates technical knowledge and keeps civil engineers and policy-makers apprised of national and international research studies.

All organisations and professionals concerned with research & development, design, construction, monitoring, maintenance, traffic engineering, transportation planning, and geotechnical works are eligible and encouraged to submit reports. This includes MoRTH, NHAI, BRO, NRIDA, NHIDCL, State PWDs, CPWD, IITs, NITs, Engineering Colleges, autonomous research bodies, Engineering Consultants, Contractors, Concessionaires, and individual researchers.

The annual call covers findings of Research & Development Projects carried out during the respective financial year cycle (1st April to 31st March). Ongoing projects can report interim milestones achieved within this timeframe.

As per Item 2 of the official IRC guidelines, organisations should furnish reports in Proforma A or Proforma B only on those projects which have led to significant conclusions or are expected to make an R&D contribution of overall general interest to the highway engineering profession.

The IRC Highway Research Board prescribes four distinct proformae depending on project status, institutional category, and research scope:

Proforma A is tailored for ongoing or newly initiated road research projects. It captures: Section & Sub-Section Codes, Reporting Organisation, Project Title with Sponsoring Scheme details, Date of Start & Targeted/Actual Completion, Multi-institutional roles (R, S, C, I), Scope and Objectives, Research Methodology, Interim Conclusions / Supporting Data, Significance & Utilisation Potential for IRC, Limitations & Recommendations for further work, Reports/Publications, and Contact Information.

Proforma B is specifically for completed projects. In addition to project timeline and cumulative progress, Proforma B places primary emphasis on: Final Findings & Conclusions, Limitations of Conclusions, Recommendations for Further Work, Reports/Publications, Recommendations for Dissemination / Revision of IRC Codes & Specifications, and Documented Field Applications.

Proforma C is designed exclusively for Post-Graduation (M.E./M.Tech/M.S.) and Ph.D. research projects conducted at IITs, NITs, CSIR laboratories, and Engineering Colleges. It records the degree programme, institution, guide/scholar information, proposed methodology (Laboratory vs Field investigations), salient findings, and recommendations for code dissemination.

Proforma D bridges field engineering practices with national research. It allows Engineering Consultancy Firms, EPC Contractors, and Concessionaires to document: (1) Special situations or problems faced during geotechnical investigations or highway construction, (2) Methodology / procedures adopted to solve site challenges, (3) Adoption of new materials or innovative technologies, (4) In-service performance of such new materials/technologies, and (5) Additional R&D required in the domain.

Each project proforma requires a 4-digit Section Code (e.g., 2200 for Flexible Pavements) and a 2-digit Sub-Section Code (e.g., 10 for Binders and Binder Improvement). These codes categorize your submission into the appropriate IRC Highway Research Board technical division.

The IRC Highway Research Board organizes research into 14 major domain sections: Highway Planning & Management (1100), Pavement Evaluation (1200), Pavement Performance (1300), Instrumentation & Micro-Processor (1400), Soil Stabilization & Low Volume Roads (2100), Flexible Pavements (2200), Rigid Pavements (2300), Composite Pavements (2400), New Materials (2500), Geotechnical Engineering (3000), Bridge Engineering (4000), Tunnel Engineering (5000), Traffic Planning & Management (6100), and Traffic Safety & Environment (6200).

If the research focuses on bitumen modification for flexible pavements, classify it under Section 2200 (Flexible Pavements), Sub-Section 10 (Binders and Binder Improvement) or 20 (Materials and Mixes). If it represents an entirely novel, unclassified material applicable to pavements or bridges generally, classify it under Section 2500 (New Material) with Sub-Section 10 (Pavements) or 20 (Bridges).

In multi-organisation research projects, each participating body must be designated with their specific role using the official single-letter code:

According to Item 6 of the official IRC guidelines: "In case of sponsored Research Schemes (e.g., MoRT&H Research Scheme R-19), ONLY the Sponsoring Organisation should report completion of the project, and NOT the implementing organisation(s)." Implementing organisations should report progress under Proforma A until the project is officially certified and closed by the sponsor.

For ongoing projects (Proforma A) and completed projects (Proforma B), maintain the exact same project title as reported in earlier editions of the General Report. For sponsored schemes, indicate the name of the sponsoring organisation and the Research Scheme number immediately after the title (e.g., "Investigation of Fatigue Characteristics of Stone Matrix Asphalt — MoRT&H Research Scheme R-82").

As mandated by Item 3 of the IRC notification, precise and concise information must be provided for EACH ITEM of the proformae in NOT MORE THAN 100 WORDS. Additional important technical information, data sheets, or charts may be appended separately as supplementary attachments.

Item 15 requires bibliographical citations of reports and papers published since the last reporting cycle. The summary may be up to 500–600 words and must strictly follow this order: AUTHOR(S) (Surname, followed by initial, in ALL CAPITALS). Title of Paper/Article/Report/Book, Nature of Report (e.g., M.E./Ph.D. Dissertation, Interim/Final Report), Journal or Periodical (along with Vol. and No.) / Conference or Seminar Proceedings (along with venue) / Publishing Organisation, Month and Year of Publication.

Yes. As per Item 16, if your research paper or technical report has been published in international journals, symposium proceedings, or any source other than IRC publications, complete copies of the publications should be enclosed (or uploaded as PDF attachments in the portal).

As per Item 17 of the guidelines, wherever more than one sub-item is reported (e.g., in Scope & Objectives, Involved Organisations, or Publications), you must number the sub-items 1, 2, 3, ... and list them cleanly one below the other rather than writing continuous run-on text.

The formal deadline for submitting road research reports for each annual cycle is 30th September of the respective reporting year. Early submissions are encouraged to facilitate timely technical review by the IRC Highway Research Board.

Submissions can be completed through the online GRRRP digital portal or via the standard official offline/email channels:

Once submitted by the Principal Investigator / Author, the research follows a 4-step governance lifecycle: (1) Submission: Proforma filled and submitted by researcher; (2) Institutional Endorsement: Institute Nodal Officer / Head of Department verifies data authenticity and endorses the file; (3) IRC Review & Appraisal: IRC Highway Research Board & Technical Committees evaluate conclusions and recommendation for code revisions; (4) National Archival & Publication: Approved entries are catalogued in the National Road Research Repository and published in the printed General Report volume.

For any editorial queries, classification assistance, or portal support, please contact the IRC Highway Research Board Secretariat: