India Advances with Biomedical Research Career Programme Phase III

The Union Cabinet, under the stewardship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has sanctioned the extension of the Biomedical Research Career Programme (BRCP) into its third phase. An official statement from the Ministry of Science & Technology reveals that this initiative is a joint effort by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Wellcome Trust (WT), UK, facilitated by the India Alliance for the programme's next stage, spanning from 2025-26 to 2030-31, with an additional phase extending to 2037-38. The total funding for the programme is pegged at Rs 1500 crore, with contributions of Rs 1000 crore from the DBT and Rs 500 crore from the Wellcome Trust, UK.

In pursuit of the Viksit Bharat goals to boost skill and innovation, the DBT has embarked on Phase III of the BRCP. The initiative intends to foster top-level scientific talent dedicated to pioneering biomedical research and promote interdisciplinary research aimed at translational innovation. Additionally, the programme seeks to fortify the infrastructure for high-caliber research and diminish regional disparities in scientific capabilities, all to elevate India's biomedical research capacity to a globally influential stature.

Originally inaugurated in 2008-2009 by the DBT in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust, UK, through the India Alliance, the BRCP offers research fellowships in India that meet international standards. Following an expansion in Phase II in 2018/19, Phase III introduces several key programmes: Early Career and Intermediate Research Fellowships, tailored for scientists in their nascent professional stages, a Collaborative Grants Programme focusing on Career Development and Catalytic Collaborative Grants, and the Research Management Programme to reinforce core research strategies.

(With inputs from agencies.)