The Department of Biotechnology and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have decided to jointly invite and fund collaborative research proposals in the area of HIV/AIDS and microbicides.
The objective of this collaborative programme is to augment advanced scientific R&D through a shared strategic plan and financial resource mobilization and also to promote greater collaboration among HIV/AIDS researchers in the country. The areas identified to be focused upon include, understanding the pathogenesis of HIV/AIDS, designing novel vaccines and microbicides concepts, curtail HIV replication etc.
The letters of intent (LoI's) received from various research institutions, universities, private companies and NGOs, are now being reviewed by an Expert Committee. The criteria for determining eligibility for support are scientific merit, priority of the proposed area, expertise and leadership qualities of principal investigator(s) and the team, collaborative abilities, core infrastructure and support facilities.
DBT sources informed that under the "Centres of Excellence" scheme in year 2005-06, the DBT has selected the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad as a Centre of Excellence for work on 'Genetics and Genomics of Silk Moths'. Further, five other institutions have been selected under the programme. These are the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore for a project on 'Research on cancer biology and therapeutics /Research on Industrially Important Non-Conventional Yeasts', University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore and International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, New Delhi (Development of drought tolerant rice varieties by biotechnological approaches), M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai (Characterization and validation of the mangrove genes in transgenic rice systems for abiotic stress tolerance) and the Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh (Development of technologies for therapeutic proteins).
Under this scheme, flexible support is provided to expand and develop faculty research capabilities and enhance research infrastructure. Each centre created under the scheme is expected to have a specific and sharp thematic focus with multi-disciplinary approach for achieving end goals. Announced last year, the scheme has elicited a very encouraging response. Proposals received from various institutions for consideration are peer-reviewed and placed before the Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) for its final recommendations. The proposals received for the financial year 2006-07 are now under various stages of review, DBT sources.