ICMR grants Rs 12.84 crore to MAHE for Advanced Research Centre
ICMR Grant Fuels MAHE's Efforts to Innovate in ICU and Palliative Care Through New Research Centre
Manipal: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has sanctioned a grant of Rs 12.84 crore to the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) to establish the ICMR–MAHE Centre for Advanced Research (CAR) at the Manipal Hospice and Respite Centre (MHRC).
The Centre will be led by Dr. Naveen Salins, Professor and Head of the Department of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care at Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Manipal, serving as Principal Investigator. Dr. Arun Ghoshal, Assistant Professor, has been appointed Co-Principal Investigator.
The inauguration ceremony featured several dignitaries, including Dr. Ashoo Grover, Scientist G and Head of the Division of Delivery Research at ICMR, as Chief Guest, and Dr. Roopa Shivashankar, Scientist E (Medical), Division of Delivery Research, ICMR, as Guest of Honour. The event was presided over by Dr. H. S. Ballal, Pro-Chancellor of MAHE, and organised by Dr. Sharath K. Rao, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Health Sciences), MAHE. Other prominent participants included Dr. Anil K. Bhat, Dean of KMC Manipal, and Dr. Cherian Varghese, Director of the Prasanna School of Public Health.
In his address, Dr Ballal emphasised that the partnership between ICMR and MAHE represents “the highest level of national recognition for MAHE’s research culture” and reflects the University’s enduring commitment to “science that heals and research that transforms.” Dr Sharath K Rao outlined the roadmap for health research at MAHE, reports ANI.
The newly established Centre for Advanced Research aims to address a pressing need in India’s healthcare system—the provision of ethical, compassionate, and evidence-based care for patients with advanced and terminal illnesses admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICUs). The CAR will develop and evaluate a Multifaceted Comprehensive Appropriate Care Package (MCACP) that integrates palliative care principles within critical care settings.
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According to an ANI report, the Centre’s work spans multiple disciplines—medicine, nursing, bioethics, health economics, law, and public health—reflecting MAHE’s belief in the “One Health–One Humanity” approach to research and innovation. By co-developing and testing a nationally scalable model of appropriate care for ICU patients with advanced illness, the CAR aims to influence policy, improve health-system responsiveness, and generate evidence that aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
