Dr Mary Francis, executive director and dean, ICTCR and director, Jovis Clinical Research Pvt Ltd, has been given the 'Bharat Gaurav Award' from the All India Business and Community Foundation, (AIBCF), recently.

The award, for her contribution to the clinical research industry and entrepreneurship, was conferred on her at the 18th International Achievers Summit held on March 23, 2009 at the Indian Habitat Center, New Delhi. The summit, on 'Emerging India: Promoting Partnerships globally', was organized jointly by the Indian Achievers Forum, India and the India Thai Chamber of Commerce, Thailand.

Dr Francis, who is the executive director of the International Center for Training in Clinical Research (ICTCR), a premier institution on clinical research education, said she was overwhelmed by the award and it inspired her to make the institute a leading global institution. "Hard work and dedication pays. That is what this award means to me. It has given me tremendous confidence to know that our work in the clinical research industry is being recognized," she said. Dr Francis, who has been in the clinical research industry for more than 18 years, said that she would be using every opportunity presented to her to work for the students of ICTCR and to make them leading professionals of the industry.

Jovis Clinical Research Pvt is a consultancy firm and offers project management services to pharma companies both domestic as well as international for doing clinical research projects in a system oriented and ethical manner and also working with deadlines. It undertakes project management activities on behalf of the sponsor companies to co-ordinate projects with various CRO's. Auditing and monitoring clinical research projects on behalf of sponsor companies.

The Bharat Gaurav trophy was handed over to Dr Francis by justice M S A Siddiqui, and the citation was handed over to her by H E Wilfred Kenely, high commissioner on behalf of the Republic of Malta.