Research Proposals for ICMR Follow-on Intermediate Extramural Grants

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) provides financial assistance to Indian scientists working outside ICMR institutes to conduct research in the fields of medicine, public health, and allied disciplines aimed at improving the health of Indians under its Extramural Research Programme. The proposed research projects in response to this Call for Proposals are investigator-initiated, i.e. conceptualised and implemented by the Principal Investigator and her/his team of co-investigators.

The project should be well-circumscribed, and time bound to achieve specific and measurable objectives. Multidisciplinary projects which aim to find solutions to priority disease and conditions will receive preference for funding. Research proposals that take forward leads from previous ICMR grants to fruition will also be given preference.

Follow-on Research Grant :
The ICMR has created a new category of ‘Follow-on Research Grant’ to leverage the transformation of research-leads generated through its previous grants to the next steps. This category will enable continuity beyond initial grant cycles and ensure promising innovations are not discontinued due to gaps in funding. Overall aim is to maximize the benefits on the ICMR's research investments. The Principal Investigators with demonstrated significant outcomes having translation potential from their previous ICMR’s projects, preferably completed in the last 5 years, are encouraged to submit their proposals under this category to take-up their research-leads forward. A maximum of 50 proposals would be considered.

The following four types of research proposals will be considered for funding. Some indicative examples of each category are given below.
I. Discovery Research focuses on generating proof-of-concept studies and preclinical validation of novel diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, including the identification of biomarkers, antibodies, vaccine candidates, drug targets, and novel molecules such as phyto-pharmaceuticals, receptors, activators, and inhibitors. It includes drug discovery and drug delivery systems, non-animal and animal models, organoids, organ on-chip, biomaterials and personalized medicine including immuno- therapeutics and genomic medicine. The scope also includes AI-ML algorithms for drug and biomarker discovery, as well as proof-of-concept studies for cutting-edge devices, biosensors, and 3D-printed materials for medical applications.
II.Development Research aimed at developing interventions for screening, diagnosis, prevention, treatment of diseases/conditions or make existing interventions simpler, safer, more efficacious, or more affordable. Examples of such research includes development of Point of care tests, molecular diagnostic tests, medical devices, health technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning predictive tools/models to solve health problems, phase-1 and phase 2/3 (or equivalent phase) clinical trials of vaccine and therapeutics etc.
III.Delivery Research or implementation research aimed at learning how to overcome barriers in delivering effective interventions to the people who need them. This will include health system-based interventions to scale-up access, and to successfully implement national health programmes or schemes, reducing inequity and improving quality of health care. Some examples include learning how to achieve single digit neonatal mortality rate in a district, how to integrate newer technological interventions into primary health care system to improve health and wellbeing of the population, how to optimize functioning of Ayushman Arogya Mandir (Health & Wellness Centres) or how we can reduce treatment gaps for mental health conditions. When submitting a delivery research proposal, it is essential for project investigators to possess a thorough understanding of delivery research and its various phases. The proposed intervention must be clearly articulated, and investigators should demonstrate a commitment to engaging stakeholders throughout the process. It is crucial to show the necessity of implementing the selected intervention in the specified settings, including the support from relevant parties and the alignment of the intervention with local needs.
IV. Descriptive Research aimed to understand the disease or condition including its burden, risk factors and determinants and pathogenesis mechanism will be funded if it generates information required for decision making on health problems where it is lacking. Some examples include study the relationship between long-term indoor and outdoor air pollution exposure and pregnancy outcomes, possible impact of PCV vaccination and pneumococcal diversity, etc.

Duration of the project and funding : The budget for the project must range between ₹2 Crores to less than ₹8 Crores. The project duration will be up to a maximum period of four years. An additional period of up to 6 months for preparatory activities (with no additional costs) can be incorporated in the project proposal.

Who can apply?
I. Principal Investigator who have regular employment in Indian Medical Institutes/ Research Institutes/ Universities/ Colleges/ recognized Research & Development laboratories/ Government and semi-government organizations and NGOs (documentary evidence of their recognition including DSIR certificate, as applicable should be enclosed with every proposal) may apply.
OR
II. A contractual/temporary faculty may apply as Principal Investigator in ICMR funded research projects from Indian Medical Institutes/ Research Institutes/ Universities/ Colleges/ recognized Research & Development laboratories/ Government and semi-government organizations and NGOs (documentary evidence of their recognition including DSIR certificate, as applicable should be enclosed with every proposal), subject to the following terms and conditions :
a. The Head of the Institute must provide an undertaking stating that it will bear all the administrative and financial responsibilities with respect to the research proposal.
b. One of the Co-Principal Investigator of the project must be a regular employee of the institute.
c. The Principal Investigator will not draw any salary or remuneration from the project grant. A proposal can be submitted for financial support through ONLINE MODE ONLY (epms.icmr.org.in).The research team should have the credentials for relevant skills, and experience and have demonstrated the ability to solve health problems under consideration.

Proposal Review Criteria
Domain & Maximum score
Background & rationale of the project – is it likely to solve a priority problem? : 20
Possible impact – is it likely to have an impact on health outcomes? : 20
Novelty/innovation – is the study developing or testing a new idea? : 15
Methodology – are study methods appropriate to achieve the objectives? : 30
Implementation strategy and milestones to be achieved – is the study feasible in a timely manner? : 15

• The Project Selection Committee will give final scores taking into account reviewer’s scores and comments of all committee members.
• The committee may also provide comments for further improvement of the project.
• Top ranked proposals in each priority area will be funded.
• The proposed Budget will be reviewed by experienced researchers and justification/modifications may be asked from the PI, if required.

Points to keep in mind
• If similar projects are submitted for both intermediate and small grants by a PI/research team, the intermediate grant proposal will NOT be reviewed.
• If the same research team submits similar projects in the same call, the last submitted proposal will be considered for reviewing, and the others will be rejected without review.
• The PI must not have more than five ongoing research proposals funded by ICMR or the sum of grant amount of more than ₹25 crores from the ongoing research projects funded by ICMR.
• ICMR scientists/institutes are not eligible to apply in this call. ICMR scientists may be named as co-investigators in these projects, but no funds will be given to ICMR institutions or scientists.
• Addition of CVs of PI & 3 Co-PIs permitted.
• The outcomes of the study should be published in the indexed (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science) journals. Publishing in Indian journals e.g IJMR is encouraged.

Timelines
Submission of proposal : From 29th December 2025 (Monday) 10:00 hrs to 20th March 2026 (Friday) 17:00 hrs
Review and selection : July, 2026
Proposal improvement & final
submission of documents : September, 2026 (tentative)
Approval and release of funds : October, 2026 (tentative)