Indian medical researchers have access to a variety of funding sources to support their work. Here are some prominent agencies and programs offering research grants:
1. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR): ICMR is the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination, and promotion of biomedical research. It offers extramural grants to scientists working outside ICMR institutes in fields like medicine and public health. Funding is provided for various types of research projects, including small and intermediate grants.
2. Department of Biotechnology (DBT): DBT operates under the Ministry of Science and Technology and provides funding for research in biotechnology and related fields. It supports research grants, fellowships, and the establishment of Centers of Excellence across India.
3. Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB): SERB, a statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology, offers research support through various schemes. The Core Research Grant (CRG) scheme provides funding to individual researchers or groups in recognized institutions. The Scientific and Useful Profound Research Advancement (SUPRA) scheme supports high-quality research proposals.
4. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR): CSIR is an autonomous body that has emerged as the largest research and development organization in India. It operates numerous laboratories and offers funding through schemes like Extra Mural Research (EMR) funding, Junior and Senior Research Fellowships, and the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes.
5. DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance: This partnership offers funding for biomedical research through various fellowship schemes. The Clinical/Public Health Research Centres Scheme provides substantial grants for five-year projects aimed at improving health outcomes.
6. Department of Science and Technology (DST): DST offers support for research across a wide array of scientific and technological disciplines, including life sciences and biotechnology. It operates through a range of funding mechanisms, such as research project grants, fellowships, scholarships, and awards.
7. International Funding Agencies: Several international organizations provide research funding opportunities for Indian researchers. For a comprehensive list of these agencies, you can refer to resources provided by institutions like the Christian Medical College Vellore and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.
US Government
All federal government agency/department grants can be found on : https://www.grants.gov/
Agencies/departments that also list grant funding opportunities on their own websites:
- Administration on Aging (AOA)
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
- Department of Defense (DOD)
- Dept of Education (DOE)
- Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- Dept of Homeland Security (DHS)
- Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
- National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)
- National Science Foundation
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) PCORI funds studies that can help patients and those who care for them make better-informed healthcare choices in addition to healthcare delivery and disparities research.
- Disability and Rehabilitation Research Program (DRRP) This program funds knowledge translation, building capacity for minority research entities, individual research projects, and other work.
- Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center Program (RERC) This program funds advanced engineering research and development of innovative technologies to solve rehabilitation problems or remove environmental barriers for people with disabilities.
- Switzer Research Fellowship Program This program provides grants for individuals to perform research on rehabilitation, independent living, and other experiences of people with disabilities.
- Field-Initiated Projects Program Rehabilitation Research (FIP) This program is investigator-initiated research with projects to generate new knowledge.
- Model Systems Program This program provides coordinated systems of rehabilitation care and conducts research on recovery and long-term outcomes for spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and burn injury.
- Advanced Rehabilitation Research and Training Program (ARRT) This program increases capacity for high-quality disability and rehabilitation research by supporting grants to institutions to provide advanced research training to individuals with doctorates or similar advanced degrees.
- Rehabilitation Research and Training Center Program (RRTC) This program conducts advanced research, training, and information sharing on topic areas for improving rehabilitation methodology and service delivery systems; improving health and function; and promoting employment, independent living, family support and economic and social self-sufficiency for people with disabilities.
- Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) This program supports development of new ideas and projects useful to people with disabilities through grants to small business firms with strong research capabilities in science, engineering, or educational technology.
- Americans with Disabilities Act National Network This program funds 10 regional centers for providing information, training, and technical assistance to individuals, businesses, and agencies with rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Funding opportunities
- Weekly updates for funding opportunities
- Investigator-initiated announcements
- Eligibility requirements
- To Subscribe to the NIH Guide LISTSERV Send an e-mail to listserv@list.nih.gov with the following text in the message body (not the “Subject” line): subscribe NIHTOC-L your name (Example: subscribe NIHTOC-L Bill Jones). Your e-mail address will be automatically obtained from the e-mail message and will be added to the LISTSERV.
- NIH RePORT (Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools) provides access to reports, data, and analyses of NIH research activities, including information on NIH expenditures and the results of NIH supported research.
- NIH Regional seminars
- NIH Center for Scientific Review manages the review meetings, has resources including mock review meetings, early career reviewer programs, and YouTube videos.
- NIH Toolbox® for measurement and assessment tools
- NIH Deputy Director for Intramural Research Mike Lauer blog that provides useful updated information on funding activities on the NIH campus:
- Individual Institute Links:
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) NCCIH conducts and supports research, and provides information about complementary health products and practices. Among the many topics they fund are studies involving yoga, tai chi, cognitive behavior therapy, mind-body interactions and many more.
- National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR)
- National Institute on Aging (NIA)
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)(NICHHD)
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
- National Library of Medicine (NLM) In 2019, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) has about $64 million in funding for data science and biomedical informatics projects.
Nongovernment Sources
- AARP Foundation
- Alzheimer’s Association
- American Hand Therapy Foundation
- American Heart Association
- American Diabetes Association
- Donaghue Foundation The Foundation supports a diverse portfolio of research projects, from understanding the mechanisms of disease, to improving clinical treatments, to public health initiatives that prevent illness—all founded on excellent science.
- John A. Hartford Foundation The Foundation makes grants by invitation only.
- Learning Health System Rehabilitation Research Network (LeaRRn)– overarching objective is to establish a national resource network to advance stakeholder-partnered, rehabilitation LHS research to improve quality of care, demonstrate value, and enhance patient and system outcomes.
- Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
- Retirement Research Foundation
- Robert Woods Johnson Foundation
- The Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH)/Baylor College of Medicine
Researchers are encouraged to explore these funding opportunities and carefully review the specific requirements and application procedures for each program. Staying updated with announcements from these agencies can help in securing financial support for medical research projects.
