Aiming to enhance the innovative ability of the institutions and investigators with well-developed research programme in specific areas of biotechnology, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has launched a group of schemes known as Centres of Excellence and Innovation in Biotechnology (CEIB).

The scheme will provide funding to augment and strengthen institutional research capacity for promotion of excellence in interdisciplinary science and innovation in specific areas of biotechnology. The programme is intended for institutions with a substantial investment in, and commitment to, biotechnology research. The programme will provide flexible long-term support for highly innovative research (both basic and translational in nature) in biotechnology, which creates not only high-quality publications and intellectual property but also translational outputs through mid and high end innovation.

The overall aim of the CEIB programme is to establish Centres of Excellence, provide long-term support to outstanding scientists and provide institutional / departmental programme support.

Under the scheme, the DBT will provide three categories of grants. Under  the first category of Centres of Excellence in Biotechnology with a specific thematic focus involving single or multiple institutions, the DBT will provide support, in part or full, research and development activities from very basic or fundamental to translational or applied in areas of health, agriculture, energy, environment, industrial biotech research etc.

The second category of Outstanding Scientist Research Programme in Biotechnology is meant for providing long-term R&D support to an individual outstanding investigator of high scientific caliber with publications and / or patents record at the highest level. Under this category, the support is recognition of investigators for their recent performance and planned future work.

Under the Institutional Programme Support, to both single institutional programme as well as multi-institutional programme, the DBT will provide grants to the identified institutions or departments with multiple investigators in various disciplines.

Under this category, the DBT will provide funds to create and strengthen research capabilities at university or institutional level for categorical research by a number of investigators from different disciplines for a joint research effort; or investigators from the same discipline who focus on a common research problem.