The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) offers financial support through its Extramural Research Programme to Indian scientists working outside ICMR institutions. This funding aims to promote research in medicine, public health, and allied disciplines, ultimately improving the health of the Indian population. These guidelines outline the various extramural research programs, their review mechanisms, and operational procedures.

Extramural Research Grants

ICMR provides different types of extramural research grants to cater to various research needs and project scales. These grants include Investigator Initiated Research Proposals - Small Grant, Investigator Initiated Research Proposals - Intermediate Grant, and Centers for Advanced Research (CAR). Each grant type has specific funding limits, duration, and review criteria.

Small Grants are designed for well-defined, time-bound projects aligned with ICMR priorities. Intermediate Grants support validation or evaluation of interventions with proven concepts to address priority health problems. Centers for Advanced Research (CAR) promote advanced research by experienced teams focusing on solving critical healthcare challenges.

The funding for these grants varies significantly: Small Grants offer up to 2 crores, Intermediate Grants range from 2-8 crores, and CAR can receive up to 15 crores. The project duration also differs, with Small and Intermediate Grants lasting up to four years and CAR projects extending to five years.

Types of Research Funded

ICMR supports various types of research aimed at finding solutions to health problems. These include Discovery research focused on novel interventions, Development research aimed at creating or improving interventions, and Delivery research focused on implementing effective interventions.

Discovery research includes pre-clinical and phase-I studies, such as those involving phyto-pharmaceuticals, traditional medicines, and genomic methods. Development research focuses on developing point-of-care tests, molecular diagnostics, and AI/ML predictive tools. Delivery research addresses barriers to implementing interventions, including health system-based approaches.

While Descriptive research aimed at understanding diseases is considered, it is not prioritized unless deemed critical for finding solutions. Preference is given to research proposals focused on prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, or rehabilitation of diseases.

Eligibility and Application Process

To be eligible for ICMR extramural research grants, applicants must be Non-ICMR Indian Scientists/Professionals with regular employment in recognized institutions. These include Medical Colleges, Research Institutes, Universities, and Government/Semi-Government Organizations and NGOs.

A co-Principal Investigator who is a regular employee in the PI’s organization must be included in the project. ICMR scientists are not eligible to apply but can be named as co-investigators without receiving funds for ICMR institutions or scientists.

The application process is conducted ONLINE ONLY through the ICMR Electronics Project Management System (e-PMS). Proposals must undergo a plagiarism check before submission, and a corresponding undertaking must be provided. Plagiarized proposals will be rejected.

• PI registration/ Login

• Verify email ID and complete/ update PI profile

• Proposal submission

Guidelines for Operation of Projects

ICMR provides financial assistance to promote health research by supplementing the research facilities available at host institutions. Proposals considered for support include Investigator Initiated Research Proposals (Small and Intermediate grants) and Centre for Advanced Research (CAR).

The budget is sanctioned under broad sub-heads such as Staff, Contingency, Consumables, Travel, Equipment, and Overhead charges. The budget must be submitted in a prescribed format. Public funded institutions and private academic institutions with valid UGC/AICTE/PCI or NMC approved Medical colleges do not require DSIR certificate for applying.

If a project is shortlisted for funding, the PI must submit several documents within 3 months of receiving the approval letter. These include a Declaration & Attestation, Acceptance, Plagiarism Undertaking, Bank & Account Details, and Institutional Ethics Committee clearance (if applicable).

Key Operational Aspects

Funds are released in one installment annually, including the entire grant for equipment and recurring expenses. Subsequent year funding depends on the receipt of the annual progress report and Statement of Expenditure (SoE). The annual report and SOE should be submitted 3 months before the end of the year to ensure continuous funding.

Re-appropriation of funds is allowed within 20% of concerned subheads under the sanctioned budget, with due intimation to ICMR. For re-appropriation exceeding 20%, a request must be sent to ICMR with adequate justification. The date of project initiation is when the PI receives the grant, which must be communicated to ICMR.

The travel grant can be used for project-related activities such as visiting ICMR headquarters, attending training courses, and presenting research papers. International travels are not permitted under this head. All equipment procured through ICMR grants should bear a label stating “ICMR funded”.

Reporting and Intellectual Property

An Annual Progress Report must be submitted in the prescribed format to avoid funding disruptions. The progress of the project is evaluated by ICMR through peer review or an Expert Committee. A Final Project Completion Report must be submitted within three months of the project's completion date.

All new intellectual property generated from ICMR-supported research jointly belongs to the Council and the host institute. All raw data must be made available to ICMR upon project completion. Research papers and publications must acknowledge ICMR's assistance, including the IRIS ID number and proposal ID.

Overhead expenses are restricted to a maximum of 3% of the total recurring cost (excluding Travel & Equipment budget). The grant paid by ICMR must be refunded if the investigator discontinues the project before the end of the first year or fails to follow the approved technical program.