In order to stimulate new collaborations, and the preparation of joint projects under national funding programmes, India and Germany will soon start joint research in the field of biotechnology. The priority areas of the programme include biodiversity, neuroimaging and diagnostics.
The programme facilitates bilateral cooperation in biotechnology between the scientific communities of India and Germany by way of joint research projects; bilateral workshops and seminars; and exchange visits of scientists.
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, New Delhi and the German Aerospace Center, Project Management Agency (DLR-PT), Bonn are the nodal implementing agencies from the Indian and German sides respectively.
Scientists and faculty members working in regular capacity in universities, national R&D laboratories or institutes and private R&D institutes can be part of this programme. Partners from all kind of private sectors are welcome, but financing is limited. For Indian scientists from the private sector, only local hospitality in Germany as part of the exchange visit is available from the German side. For German scientists from private sector, only travel costs are available for small and medium size enterprises.
The DBT-BMBF has called for proposals from the eligible scientists. The proposal should have relevance to German and Indian national programmes and multinational programmes (e.g. EU-programmes). It should include preparation of new projects in applied fields of mutual benefit and justification for collaboration. The proposal should have quality and originality of research approach and it should include young scientists.
Earlier, within the agreement of Indo-German cooperation in Science and Technology (S&T) of 1974 and the Special Arrangement in Biotechnology for the period 2001-2006 signed on the 15th of February, 2001, a Programme of Cooperation was signed between the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India and Forschungszentrum Julich BMBH (FZJ), Federal Republic of Germany, defining cooperation in biotechnology between India and Germany.