UK Group to fund biomedical research in India

The Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance, a joint initiative of Department of Biotechnology, Government of India and the Wellcome Trust (UK) - the largest charity in the UK funding innovative biomedical research internationally - is embarking on funding for the best researchers to build excellence, strength and breadth in biomedical research in India.

The announcement was made by Dr M K Bhan, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India; Sir Mark Walport, Director, The Wellcome Trust (UK) and Prof Anuradha Lohia, CEO, The Wellcome Trust - DBT Indian Alliance.

The partners met in Hyderabad yesterday and today to support their selection committee, which has just today selected young scientists for the award of the India Alliance's Early Career Fellowship scheme.

The Alliance intends to spend up to 80 million pounds in five years nurturing talent and developing a critical mass of cutting-edge biomedical reasearchers of the highest international standards, whose work has the potential to have a significant impact on health in India, says Sir Mark Walport, Director, The Wellcome Turst (UK).

''Until very recently, many Indian scientists did not have access to sophisticated infrastructure and a robust support system for conducting internationally competitive research. Thus, young scientists would migrate to developed countries after completing their PhD. "The good news is that a nation-wide understanding of the problems has led to huge investments by the Government of India in building the required infrastructure and creating many new jobs recently,'' added Dr M K Bhan, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology.

-- (UNI) -- 05MS29.xml

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