The Council for Industrial and Scientific Research (CSIR) will soon have a web-based information system in place to provide details about the possible international collaborations and research options for its scientists. The information repositories will have all details about the foreign visits made by CSIR scientists and about the technical output, addresses of possible collaborators, first hand impressions of technology trends, clues about promising collaboration avenues, etc. The information system will be the web-enabled version of CSIR's International Science and Technology Affairs Directorate, ISTAD (WebISTAD).

The CSIR's international affairs team was busy developing the system for the last one year. The director of National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR), who also heads CSIR's IT Group was given the charge to periodic review of the project. WebISTAD is ready and is likely to be launched within a couple of weeks from now, it is learnt.

It is known that the system once in place will enable e-submission and e-clearance of project proposals to scientists. WebISTAD is also seen as a 'club' to exchange ideas, as the platform to initiate interactions and perhaps business opportunities.