Expression of Interest for Establishing Technical Resource Centres 2026 supports the expansion of the national network for systematic evidence synthesis, thereby strengthening the development and implementation of evidence-based guidelines in India.

Overview

The Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has established a framework for developing evidence-based guidelines in collaboration with the Directorate General of Health Services and the Department of Health & Family Welfare. Following previous initiatives, Expressions of Interest are invited from eligible institutions or researchers for establishing additional Technical Resource Centres (TRCs). Selected TRCs will be responsible for conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses for prioritized review questions (PICOs) and assessing the certainty of evidence using the GRADE approach.

The programme aims to augment the existing pool of TRCs to meet the increasing demand for evidence synthesis across priority health areas. Objectives include conducting high-quality systematic reviews using standardized methodologies, building capacity through training and mentoring, and ensuring the timely availability of evidence to support guideline development processes.

Eligibility

Technical Resource Centres must demonstrate strong capability in evidence synthesis, including the ability to undertake systematic reviews within defined timelines and apply GRADE methodology. The Centre must possess the necessary infrastructure, human resources, and institutional commitment.

• The researcher/faculty and their teams must demonstrate substantial experience in conducting systematic reviews, with at least four published systematic reviews as the first or corresponding author in indexed journals.
• The primary applicant should have organized or conducted a minimum of two workshops on systematic reviews and/or GRADE methodology.
• The Principal Investigator (PI) must designate a Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) who is a permanent/regular faculty member from the same institution as the PI.

Only one TRC shall be established per department to ensure wider institutional representation.

Funding and Benefits

Financial support up to Rs. 16.5 Lakhs per year will be provided per TRC, subject to satisfactory performance and fulfillment of deliverables, as per existing norms.

Deliverables

Established Technical Resource Centres must ensure clarity and accountability through specific deliverables, including:

• A detailed technical protocol for conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses, outlining step-by-step procedures.
• Grading of the evidence profiles, summarizing key findings and including ratings of the certainty of evidence using GRADE's four levels: high, moderate, low, or very low.
• Completion of a specified number of systematic reviews and meta-analyses annually as requested by the secretariat.
• Conducting training sessions and workshops on evidence synthesis methodologies.
• Regular publication of synthesized evidence in reputable peer-reviewed journals.
• Submission of annual progress reports and a comprehensive report.
• Presentation of review findings at the expert group meeting.

Application Process and Timeline

Interested researchers, faculty, or scientists with regular employment in Medical Institutes, Research Institutes, Universities, or Colleges, and possessing the required capability, experience, and resources (preferably database access), may submit an application through the online application portal.

Applications will be evaluated by an expert committee using a structured scoring system. Selected participants will be notified via email and on the DHR website in July 2026.

Tentative Timeline:

• Release of Call: 13-May-2026
• Last date for submission of proposal: 12-June-2026 (17:00hrs)
• Review and selection: July-2026

Contact Information

For queries related to the call, contact Dr. Tushar Karmarkar, Deputy Secretary, Department of Health Research. Email correspondence can be directed to centreforguidelines@gmail.com.

The application link is available at https://forms.gle/Rg3BJkUTrZq7Zu3a8.