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DBT Invites Joint Proposals From Indian, German
Scientists
In order to facilitate collaborations between Indian and
German scientists, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has invited proposals
in the area of biotechnology under the national funding programme.
The programme is expected to facilitate bilateral
co-operation in biotechnology between the scientific communities of India and
Germany by way of joint research projects, workshops, seminars, exchange of
exchange visits of scientist, scientific delegations and composite (scientific
and industrial) delegation.
According to department sources, the programme is as per the
agreement of Indo-German co-operation in S&T and the Special Arrangement in
Biotechnology. A Programme of Cooperation was signed between the Department of
Biotechnology, Government of India and Forschungszentrum Julich BMBH (FZJ),
Federal Republic of Germany, defining cooperation in biotechnology between India
and Germany. DBT and International Bureau of the German Federal Ministry of
Education and Research (IB/BMBF at DLR), Bonn will act as the nodal agencies for
the programme.
The programme will cover areas such as microbial
biotechnology, bioprocess engineering, structural biology, and development of
cellular systems to rapidly screen pharmacological and therapeutic substances.
It will also focus on stress tolerance in plants, especially in genomic,
proteomics and private R&D institutes are eligible to apply under this
programme. All received proposals will be reviewed and processed independently
by both sides. The research projects would be implemented subject to necessary
clearances from the government and laws and regulations of the host and
sponsoring countries. The duration of the programme is two years, which can be
extended by one year, sources said.
Financial support for the Indian component would be provided
by DBT and financial support of the Germen component would be provided through
International Bureau of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
(IB/BMBF at DLR), Bonn. It is expected that the funded cooperation will enable
the partners to develop applicable scientific results, which could be
commercialised and may lead to formation to joint ventures. All publications,
patents coming out of these projects, need to be jointly authored by both Indian
and German scientists.
(Ref: Chronicle Pharmabiz dated August 30, 2007)
Programme To Develop Cost-Effective
Medical Solutions Launched
To accelerate the pace of technology innovation in the
country, government today launched a programme to develop cost-effective medical
solutions. The programme, a collaborative venture of the Stanford-India
Biodesign Programme and Department of Biotechnology, aims to create technology
innovation and develop leaders in biomedical technology innovation and develop
leaders in biomedical technology.
The programme seeks to provide training to young engineers
from IITs and leading engineering institutions, with help of a medical
institution, to identify major health needs in India and develop solutions that
are cost-effective. People with advanced degrees in engineering, medicine and
business with an interest in invention and early stage development of new
biomedical technologies could apply for the programme. The focus of the
programme will be on the development of implants, medical devices and
bioinstrumentation. |
