Applications Invited for Proposals for Harnessing the Potential of Northeastern Mushrooms

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About the Organization

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) is the nodal agency for research and its applications in the Life Sciences and promotes the development and large-scale use of biotechnology in India. Established in 1986, the DBT has made significant contributions to the growth and application of biotechnology across various sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, animal sciences, environment, and industry. The department has set up R&D projects, demonstrations, and infrastructural facilities to ensure a clear impact of biotechnology in the country. India is now one of the top 12 biotech destinations globally and ranks third in the Asia Pacific region. The DBT's vision is to attain new heights in biotechnology research, shaping biotechnology into a premier precision tool for creating wealth and ensuring social justice, particularly for the welfare of the poor.

About the Grant

The North Eastern Region (NER) of India is home to an extraordinary diversity of mushrooms with immense cultural, culinary, medicinal, and economic value. From traditional uses in food and medicine to new possibilities in biotechnology, nutraceuticals, and sustainable livelihoods, mushrooms of the Northeast offer vast untapped potential. Mushroom offers a sustainable solution to many of the challenges faced by rural farmers, providing them with new opportunities for income generation, employment, and agricultural diversification. Given its wide-ranging advantages, mushroom cultivation has a crucial role to play in the socio-economic development of the North East, helping build a more resilient and prosperous future for its communities.

Recognizing the potential of the mushrooms in the North-East region, the call for proposals invites innovative Research & Development initiatives for North East Region of India that can strengthen advance cultivation practices, and create value-added products. The aim is to transform Northeastern mushrooms into a source of scientific discovery, economic empowerment, and global recognition.

Proposals are invited in the following subareas initially for duration of 3 years:

• Advancement of Cultivation Technology, Substrate Innovation & Characterization and Development of Spawn:
• Development of short-duration cultivation techniques for economically important mushroom species.
• Effective pest and disease management strategies tailored to NER conditions.
• Identification and optimization of locally available substrates ensuring low-cost production, sustainable and scalable options.
• Innovative Research on different types of mushroom spawn - grain, liquid, sawdust, and plug spawn for improved productivity and quality.
• Nutraceuticals, Therapeutic, and Food Fortification:
• Metabolite profiling, clinical studies, allergenicity assessments, and nutraceutical validation of NER mushrooms for development of value-added mushroom-based products.
• Value Addition:
• Modern processing technologies for post-harvest management, including freeze drying, improved packaging, and storage systems.

Eligibility

Scientists/Researchers working on regular positions in recognized Research Institutions/Govt. Colleges/Academic Institutions/Universities of NER, India and other parts of the India (only in collaboration with NER Scientists as the Main PIs) having relevant research experiences on the proposed area of research, and desirous of undertaking research activities as enumerated above can submit proposals in this Call. The relevant research experiences must be evidenced through high quality research publications in the SCI indexed journals.

How to Apply

Interested and eligible researchers should submit proposals online through DBT electronic project management system, “eProMIS‟ (http://dbtepromis.nic.in/Login.aspx) under the “Submit Proposal under Calls” selecting the area, “NER Programme”.

Last Date of Submission: 24th January, 2026

For more information please check the Link

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Tags Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Innovations and Technology Livelihood Rural Development Research Others