With an aim to promote and co-ordinate health research in the country, the Department of Health Research (DHR) has invited concept research proposals from eligible institutions under the 'grant-in-aid scheme for inter-sectoral convergence and coordination for promotion and guidance on health research'.

Major components of the scheme include research studies with emphasis on public health; translational research projects; inter-sectoral co-ordination including funding of joint projects; and cost effectiveness analysis of health technologies through a health technology assessment system.

Main objectives of the scheme are to support and encourage focused and deliverable research for estimation of disease burden/development of new technologies/process, diagnostics, to address health research issues for affordable healthcare in the country; to support studies on the issues pertaining to technology access particularly in the context of gender & child health care and under- privileged; translation of leads into products & processes for adoption in public health systems; development of collaborative health research projects involving different science & technology departments/organisations; and to evaluate the existing processes/ products/technologies for their comparative cost effectiveness to save public expenditure.

Government medical colleges/institutes/ universities; private institutions/NGOs registered with DSIR/DHR; individuals holding regular faculty position in universities, medical colleges, post-graduate institutions, recognized R&D laboratories and NGO; and professional bodies/scientific societies/scientific bodies are eligible to participate in the scheme.

The DHR launched this 'Grant-in-Aid for Inter-Sectoral Convergence & Coordination for Promotion and Guidance on Health Research' scheme in 2014 to promote and co-ordinate basic, applied and clinical research in the country.

The vision of the DHR by introducing this scheme is to bring modern health technology to the people through innovations related to diagnostic, treatment methods and vaccines for prevention; to translate them into products and processes and, in synergy with concerned organisations, introduce these innovations into public health service.