ICMR invites proposals for Centre for Advanced Research under Extramural Research Program, Details

New Delhi- Through a notice, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has called for concept proposals for the Centre for Advanced Research (CAR), under the Extramural Research Program.

The Last Date for concept proposal is November 21, 2024. Under its Extramural Research Programme, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) funds the Centre for Advanced Research (CAR) to promote advanced research by experienced research teams.  

What the CAR is expected to do:

Conducting decisive research that helps in solving an important healthcare problem by a research team. It can have single or multiple linked research projects with clear deliverables. It encourages in-depth research, to generate new knowledge and solutions for health problems in multiple aspects of causation, progression, management and prevention.

Priority diseases or conditions:

Research teams planning to undertake studies in finding solutions for prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment or rehabilitation of the following diseases or conditions will receive preference for selection as CAR.

Tentative Timeline:

 Last date of submission: 21-Nov-2024; 1700hrs (Thursday)

 Review and short listing: 03-Jan-2025

 Detailed proposal submission: 31-Jan-2025

 Final selection: 15-Feb-2025

 Release of fund: 21-Mar-2025

Important note for the submission of proposal:

1. Submission portal is open

2. After completing mandatory section of PI profile, Go to Proposal submission → Click on Call for proposal → Click on ‘Apply Proposal’ → Select ‘Call for Centre for Advanced Research (CAR),under Extramural Research Program, ICMR – 2024’ from the dropdown → Click on ‘Apply New Proposal’ and fill the form step by step.

3. Kindly ensure that all sections are adequately filled with the necessary details.

4. Inclusion of at least one Co-PI from PI’s institute is mandatory.

5. PIs are advised to submit proposal well ahead of the last date, since servers may be overloaded and slow to respond.

6. For technical concerns related to the application process, please mail to po.epms@icmr.gov.in 

Duration of project and funding:

Current budgetary ceiling is between INR 8 crores to less than INR 15 crores per CAR. Duration of project will be for a maximum period of five years. 

How to apply

A proposal can be submitted for financial support through ONLINE MODE ONLY by the Principal Investigator on behalf of the proposed team of Scientists/ professionals who have a regular employment in Medical Institutes/ Research Institutes/ Universities/ Colleges/ recognized Research & Development laboratories/ Government and semi-government organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations. The research team should have credentials for relevant skills, experience and demonstrated ability to solve health problems under consideration.

Research teams with outstanding achievements, recognition and proven excellence in the area and having the necessary infrastructure to carry out further work are encouraged to apply.

The institute and principal investigator will be supported to establish CAR with an aim that the facility so created would continue to function even after this funding gets over. CAR should develop trained health research personnel. After completion of the project, the host institute would be expected to take over activities of the centre as permanent activity.

ICMR scientists/institutes are not eligible to apply under this call. ICMR scientists may be named as coinvestigators in these projects, but no funds will be given for ICMR institutions or scientists in these cases. Format for project proposal is provided at Annexure-I & II.  

Table-1: Priority Diseases and conditions

Over-arching:

 Ageing and disabilities

 Oral Health

 Mitigating Health impacts of Climate Change 

Format for submission of Concept note for Centre for Advanced Research

1. Title of the proposed CAR (up to 30 words): should be specific, concise and yet sufficiently descriptive and informative.

2. Summary (up to 1500 words): A structured summary should contain the following subheadings:

a. Rationale/ gaps in existing knowledge (300 words),

b. Novelty (200 words)

c. Objectives (100 words)

d. Methods (500 words)

e. Expected outcome (200 words)

f. Evidence for expertise on specific area of research (200 words)

Experts will review and score each project proposal. The scoring criteria are as follows:

1. Skill and experience of Research team (PI, CoPI): 05

2. Publications* (01-April-2017 to 31-Mar-2024) including IF? 05

3. Impact of publications on (public health or clinical protocol) 10

4. Concept note:

o Choice of the problem for research on solutions 02

o Novelty and appropriateness of methods 02

o Likelihood of success 02

o Possible impact expected 04

Total 30

(* Publications as first, last or corresponding authors)

To view the official Notice, Click here :  https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/car20242-253482.pdf