DBT releases guidelines for career advancement and re-orientation programme for women scientists

New Delhi, November 16, 2022:

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has released the guidelines for the implementation of research projects under the Biotechnology Career Advancement and Re-orientation (BioCARe) programme for women scientists, including in the field of medical biotechnology or allied areas. It has called for Letter of Intents under the scheme for women scientistsupto age of 55 years, aiming at career development of unemployed/not in regular position women scientists.

BioCARe Programme, a special scheme of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, is aiming at enhancing participation of women scientists in India towards research in Biotechnology and allied areas.

The programme is mainly for the career development of unemployed female scientists’ for whom it will be the first “sanctioned” extramural research funding. Through this endeavour of the Department, a concerted effort would be made to give women scientists a strong foothold into the scientific profession, to help them re-enter into the mainstream and to provide a launch pad for further forays into the field of science and technology.

The DBT has invited applications from Indian female scientists to apply in the programme, in the field of animal and marine biotechnology or allied areas; bioengineering and biomaterials or allied areas; medical biotechnology or allied areas; environmental biotechnology and bio energy or allied areas; and plant and agriculture biotechnology or allied areas. The LoIs has to be submitted through the Department’s e-PROMIS portal on or before December 24, 2022.

The scheme is meant for Indian Female Scientists only and the candidates in regular or permanent employment are not eligible to apply for BioCARe.

However, women scientists who are working in any temporary positions in research or academics may apply in the scheme but they have to leave their earlier assignment if a project is approved to them under BioCARe programme.

“The research support will be provided only to women scientists (unemployed/not in regular position) for whom this is the first extramural research grant (Women Scientists who have received any earlier grant from any Government Funding Agency as Principal Investigator are not eligible),” said the DBT announcement.

Candidates who have already received any extramural funding as Principal Investigator for research from any government funding agency/government-supported funding agency are not eligible to apply under this programme as it should be their first sanctioned and independent project for research. The woman scientist should be upto/below 55 years, as on the last date of the submission of the application. Candidates who are registered in Ph.D and receiving any fellowships are not eligible to apply.

For the Category I projects, for which the qualifying degree of the candidate should be PhD in any discipline of life sciences or allied areas or interdisciplinary sciences the research grant is up to Rs 60 lakh including consolidated fellowship of Rs 68,000 per month. For Category II, for which the qualifying degree is MTech in Biotechnology or allied areas/Mpharma/equivalent degree, the research grant will be uptoRs 40 lakh including consolidated fellowship of Rs 50,000 per month.

The eligible applications will be screened by a Expert Committee constituted by the department for shortlisting based on the parameters including novelty, scientific merit, experience and the qualification of the Applicant as well as Mentor, publications record and infrastructure of the Host Institution.PharmaBiz