British funding to boost Indian biomedical research

New Delhi: Biomedical research in India has got a major boost with the Wellcome Trust, Britain's largest health charity, entering into an agreement with the India's Department of Biotechnology to fund cutting-edge research.

The 80 million pound (US $140 million) scheme jointly funded by the biotechnology Department and the Wellcome Trust over five years aims to strengthen the research base of biomedical science by providing fellowship programmes to support researchers and senior fellows, reports IANS.

"We aim to train the best of scientists in India because the prospects for bio-medical research are very strong. India has a wealth of academic talent and it is important that we
can support the best researchers throughout their careers," Wellcome Trust Director Mark Walport said.

"This is a catalytic activity to develop science to its full potential in India. It is meant for both resident and overseas Indians - as an incentive to lure them back to the country," Walport said.

The programme will be executed by the Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance. Each year, the alliance is expected to award around 40 early career fellowships, 20 intermediate fellowships and 15 research fellowships.

India's Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said the scientists working as Wellcome-DBT fellows will retain their intellectual property rights even if their projects are translated into effective healthcare schemes.

He further assured that if a scientific project is sold to pharmaceutical companies, the scientist, institutes and the people will benefit. A part of the money earned will be ploughed back for further research, Sibal added.

"We assure full transparency. Once a scientific probe is completed, its results will posted on the public domain—the Internet—within six months. Only the best can avail of it," the Minister said.

The Wellcome Trust claimed the scholarships had a huge global outreach, especially for young scientists who were willing to return to India after completing their doctoral studies.

It will also allow overseas placements in the best laboratories in Britain and US if research necessitated it.

"But all overseas Indian scientists will have return to India and work here," Biotechnology Department Secretary MK Bhan said.