(20.12.21) Marking a new step in Indo-German research collaboration, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), represented by its Director Prof. Balram Bhargava, and the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungs- gemeinschaft, DFG), represented by its President Prof. Katja Becker, have concluded a Memorandum of Understanding which will enable them to jointly fund Indo-German medical research projects.

“We will only meet the pressing global challenges such as the climate crisis if we can count on an effective global research networks. This is particularly evident with respect to medical research, as the corona pandemic has clearly shown,” DFG President Katja Becker said after the signing of the MoU. Becker added that she is very pleased that DFG is now in the position to co-fund excellent Indo-German medical research projects together with ICMR.

ICMR and DFG will now discuss the details of their first joint funding activity, tentatively planned for the year 2022.

ICMR is the apex body in India for the formulation and coordination of biomedical research. It is an autonomous body under the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India. Its research priorities coincide with the national health priorities towards prevention of communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases; improving reproductive and child health and nutrition; promoting basic medical sciences and drug research including traditional medicines. ICMR promotes biomedical research in the country through intramural and extramural research.

DFG is the central self-governing research funding organisation in Germany. It serves all branches of science and the humanities and especially promotes interdisciplinary cooperation among researchers. The DFG promotes excellence by selecting the best research projects on a competitive basis and facilitating national and international collaboration among researchers.