The Hindu : New Delhi News : Medical fund scheme to accelerate pace of innovation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 03, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Medical fund scheme to accelerate pace of innovation

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

ICMR would test, validate novel and highly creative ideas

NEW DELHI: Ready to take some risks and give the Indian medical innovation sector more than just a fair chance at making it to the international market, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has probably for the first time initiated a novel scheme for its `trendsetters'.

Titled `Medical Innovation Fund', the scheme is aimed at accelerating the pace of medical innovation in the country. Under this latest `capsule', ICMR would test and validate novel and highly creative ideas "even if they have a high probability of failure".

This scheme will be open to only ICMR scientists for support. If proved rewarding based on initial experience, the scope of the scheme will be enlarged by inviting joint proposals between ICMR laboratories on one hand and other scientific institutions or universities on the other.

The scheme invites proposals from ICMR laboratories either individually or jointly with other ICMR institutes under the Medical Innovation Fund for support from ICMR.

"These proposals are meant for pursuing unreported, novel ideas having far reaching scientific and medical implications and is intended to be carried out by ICMR institutes where basic infrastructure already exists. It is, however, not meant for institutional strengthening but for promoting institutional ideas. Under the scheme, scientist who has proposed the idea for pursuing shall be the principal investigator of the research proposal. Sanctioned projects are to be monitored on six monthly basis," explained an ICMR official.

He added: "Any permanent employee from the scientific cadre or faculty members from ICMR can submit an idea in the form of a proposal either alone or in partnership with another ICMR laboratory. Such joint proposals would be forwarded through the main collaborating ICMR laboratory."

The tenure of the project will be normally two years and can be terminated earlier in case of slow progress, while promising leads can be further supported.

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