The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) in collaboration with German government will soon begin joint research projects in the identified priority areas of biotechnology like neurobiology and neurosciences; structural biology; bioprocess engineering; applications of microbial biotechnology; cell culture technology; and infectious diseases.

The purpose of the programme is to stimulate new collaborations between the two countries, like the preparation of joint projects under national funding programmes. 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, exchange visits of scientists, scientific delegations and composite (scientific and industrial) delegations. The projects will begin by June this year.

The funded cooperation enables the partners to develop applicable scientific results which could ideally be commercialised and may lead to formation of joint ventures. All publications and patents coming out of these projects, need to be jointly authored by both Indian and German scientists.

The Department of Biotechnology, India and the International Bureau of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (IB/BMBF at DLR), Bonn are the nodal implementing agencies from the Indian and German sides respectively. Financial support for the Indian component would be provided by DBT and financial support of the German component would be provided through International Bureau of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (IB/BMBF at DLR), Bonn.

The DBT has called proposals for this Indo-German joint project from the Scientists or faculty members working in regular capacity in Universities, national R&D Laboratories or Institutes and private R&D institutes. The proposals should be relevant to German and Indian national programmes and multinational programmes (EU-programmes) and the quality and originality of research approach should also be relevant.

The new joint research projects are being considered under the agreement of Indo-German cooperation in S&T of 1974 and the Special Arrangement in Biotechnology for the period 2001-2006 signed on the 15th of February, 2001, and 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.