Aiming to enhance participation of women scientists in biotechnology research, the department of biotechnology (DBT) has invited research proposals exclusively from women scientists in the country under its ‘biotechnology career advancement and reorientation programme for women scientists’ (Bio-CARe) scheme.

The programme is targeted towards career development of employed/ unemployed women scientists. The scheme is open for all areas of life science/biology including agriculture, veterinary science and medicine. Age limit for this programme has been kept as 55 to ensure maximum impact. It would also be a good opportunity for women scientists who have had a career break to get into the mainstream of research.

The programme aims at providing support for research project grants to women scientists (employed & unemployed) for whom it is the first extramural research grant. Women scientists who have received any earlier grant from any government funding agency as principal investigator are not eligible for this programme. The purpose of the programme is to build capacities for women scientists employed full time in universities and small research laboratories or unemployed women scientist after a career break so as to help them undertake independent R&D projects.

Earlier in 2010, the DBT had launched the Bio-CARe scheme to facilitate participation of women scientists in biotechnology research. Under the scheme, there are two segments, Research Grant Opportunity (RGO) and Career Re-orientation Fellowship (CRF).

The RGO aims at giving project grants to women scientists (employed & unemployed) for whom it would be a first grant. The purpose is to build capacities for women scientists employed full time in universities and small research laboratories or unemployed women scientist after a career break so as to help them undertake independent R&D projects. Under this scheme, the women scientists who are unemployed will be provided monthly emoluments ranging from Rs.35,000 to Rs.45,000 per month. The employed women scientists in addition to salary will get an amount of Rs.5,000 per month as an incentive.

The Career Re-orientation Fellowship would be mainly for women scientists who are trained in a particular area, but leave their permanent jobs/or are unemployed and would now like to change their career path to take on newer areas. Specialized skills would be essential and this would require training in the relevant field such as IP management, bioinformatics, policy research and analysis, translational research, regulation etc. This training could be for a period ranging from three months to 12 months. Under this scheme, the women scientists who are unemployed will be provided a stipend of Rs.25,000 per month and employed scientists will get an amount of Rs.5,000 per month as an incentive in addition to their salary.

The eligible women scientists for the Research Grant Opportunity would be MD/M Tech/Ph. D/ equivalent degree in any branch of life sciences; women scientists who are employed or unemployed or are joining back after a break; women scientists for whom it is the first grant; and women scientists upto 55 years of age.

For Career Re-orientation Fellowship, specialized skills would be essential and this would require training in the relevant fields such as IP management, bioinformatics, policy research and analysis, translational research, regulatory issues for GM crops etc., clinical research management, quality assurance and quality control, technology transfer and licensing, etc. and clinical trial management.