Applications Invited for DBT-BIRAC Amrit Team Grant

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About the Organization

The Department of Biotechnology is the nodal agency supporting research and its applications in the Life Sciences and promotes & accelerates the pace of development and large scale use of biotechnology in the country. The department has made significant achievements in the growth and application of biotechnology in the broad areas of agriculture, health care, animal sciences, environment, and industry. The department has ensured that through several R&D projects, demonstrations and creation of infrastructural facilities a clear visible impact of this field has been seen.

The setting up of the department in 1986 gave a new impetus to the development of the field of modern biology and biotechnology in India. In more than a decade of its existence, the department has promoted and accelerated the pace of development of biotechnology in the country. The department has made significant achievements in the growth and application of biotechnology in the broad areas of agriculture, health care, animal sciences, environment, and industry.

About the Grant

The DBT-BIRAC Amrit Team Grants is a new initiative/program in accordance with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s call for “Jai Anusandhan” to support new and innovative collaborative research programs. The program will address national needs and propel India as a global leader in Biotechnology.

Under this initiative, ambitious research ideas, high-risk, milestone driven research for knowledge based discoveries and interdisciplinary efforts involving academia, the clinic and start-ups will be supported to address challenging problems beyond the scope of a single laboratory. Spin outs and venture creation will be encouraged. Outcomes are expected to enhance the bioeconomy, break silos and provide knowledge based solutions to societal needs.

The proposals will be considered in all domains of biotechnology including Healthcare, Agriculture, Plant, Animal Biotechnology, and Biomanufacturing. Applications will be assessed for relevance, risk, transformational impact and advances of scientific value. This initiative aims to foster excellent science, balancing high quality research with societal needs.

Scope:

• Targeting knowledge bottlenecks
• Break research silos and promote multi-organisational collaborations, involving Industry and start-ups
• Societal engagement: Identifying solutions to problems of today and bring knowledge to addressing challenges of the future
• Provide in-depth mechanistic understanding of biological processes.
• Encourage investigations across systems to understand a common biological problem
• Integrate classical approaches with newly emerging scientific disciplines

Areas that will not be within the purview of this program-

• Disease Epidemiology;
• Creation of new clinical cohorts/ biobanks
• Clinical/drug trials;
• Stand-alone in silico approaches;
• Improvements to existing technologies;
• Training/ workshops/ capacity building efforts;
• Creation of infrastructure facilities only.

Eligibility

• The organization seeking support should:
• Be a Public Research or Educational Institute/University or Private Research or Educational University /Institute or Society/ Trust/NGOs/ Foundations/ Voluntary Organisation or a Start-up registered in India and should be a legal entity as per Indian law.
• Not be blacklisted by any Central/State Government/Public Sector Undertaking, Govt. of India.
• Not have pre-exited or terminated any contract with or by BIRAC in last 5 years as on the date of submission.
• Adhere to the Policies of DBT and BIRAC on data protection, confidentiality & conflict of interest.
• Private Research or Educational University /Institute, and Society/ Trust/NGOs/ Foundations/ Voluntary Organisation –
• Should have experience of at least 3 years in socio-economic or scientific research, teaching, training and extension activities; and must follow research as one of the mandates.
• Should submit the following supporting documents along with the proposal :
• Proof of registration at ‘NGO DARPAN’ of NITI Aayog (http://ngodarpan.gov.in/),
• Certificate of registration under Society Registration Act,
• Organization’s Memorandum of Association, oOrganization’s Articles of Association,
• Organisations Byelaws
• Valid DSIR-SIRO certificate/ DSIR inhouse R&D recognition certificate (as applicable) o Duly audited account statements for the past three successive years
• Applications must have one lead investigator/coordinator, and welldefined goals achievable within a duration of 2 years, extendable upto 5 years based on performance (i.e. maximum duration of the project will not exceed 5 years in any case). Teams should comprise investigators from a minimum of three host organizations/ three different Departments of the same organization (for large organisations), with all participating organizations contributing directly to the research problem identified. Teams may include one or more start-up with an academic laboratory.
• Applications led by women scientists are encouraged.
• Application may be submitted by the Coordinating PI, appending approvals of the competent authority of all participating organisations through DBT e-PROMIS portal- http://dbtepromis.nic.in (academiaacademia collaboration) and BIRAC portal (academia- start-up collaboration) only. Any proposal submitted after the call date or through any other mode shall not be considered.
• Participation of early- and mid-career investigators (definition of early career researchers is within 3-7 years of setting up an independent lab, mid-career researchers is between 7-15 years of setting up an independent lab) is encouraged. For the purposes of this program, investigators availing DST Inspire Faculty program, Ramalingaswamy Fellows and Ramanujan Fellows will be considered early career investigators.
• An investigator may participate in only one such proposal at a time.
• An organization may forward more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct. The host organization should undertake the overall responsibility of implementing the project including following of relevant statutory requirements/norms/guidelines/procedures.
• A single organisation/ single Department of the same organization shall not receive more than 40% of the total funded amount for each awarded grant.

How to Apply

For more information please check the Link

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Tags Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Healthcare and Healthtech Others