The Wellcome Trust / DBT India Alliance was initiated to enhance research in the field of health and biomedical sciences and is regarded as one of the top funding bodies in terms of the amount of funding in the world.
The Wellcome Trust / DBT India Alliance is a funding platform initiated by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India due to its collaboration with the Wellcome Trust, UK. This initiative was proposed by the Wellcome Trust to develop a strong biomedical research ecosystem in India. The objective was to promote scientific talent and advance innovations that address global health concerns. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) is a division of the Indian Government, subordinate to the Ministry of Science and Technology. It manages the development and commercialization of modern biology and biotechnology in India.
This collaboration has been designed to fund research, mainly in the fields of healthcare and biomedical sciences. One of the major objectives of this initiative is to further the research related to biotechnology. This is anticipated to render it as a precision tool of the future, for creating prosperity and provide job-related opportunities. This is to treat all the researchers on equal grounds of social justice, particularly for the welfare of the poor.
Different research and development projects, demonstrations, grants and infrastructure creation opportunities, sponsored by this alliance, have created a notable impact. The department has made significant progress in the growth and application of biotechnology in agriculture, health, zootechnics, environment and industry. Technologies proven at the laboratory level have been scaled up to pilot plant level and beyond. The alliance has received several laurels for their superior efforts to encourage research in the healthcare and biomedical sectors.
Wellcome Trust awards fellowships to researchers in two main domains, the first being in the basic biomedical research and the second being in the clinical and public health research. There are well-defined eligibility criteria and application formats for applying for these fellowships. Job opportunities and early career fellowships are also awarded by the alliance. Furthermore, the alliance conducts various workshops and organizes lectures on diverse scientific subjects of immediate importance and application. This has helped in generating awareness and knowledge in various areas of science.
Their grant portfolio for the year 2017-2018 comprised of 3,580 grants worth £4.3 billion. Wellcome Trust has funded 474 organizations in 97 different countries. 74% of its funding was in the UK and 26% outside the UK. They received over 5,400 applications requesting nearly £3bn in funding. Wellcome Trust has received 948 awards worth £640 million. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the Ministry of Science and Technology, in association with the Wellcome Trust, to encourage a three-tier fellowship programme on biomedical research at post-doctoral level, celebrated 10 years of their joint partnership in an event at New Delhi. In the past 10 years, the alliance has awarded 320 fellowships to researchers in 93 institutions over 34 Indian cities.
These initiatives have been announced on various social media platforms to be beneficial for all interested researchers. The alliance has also created news alerts for jobs opportunities and fellowships. They have encouraged research and prompted employment. Such efforts motivate young researchers to present innovative ideas and execution pathways before a team of world-class evaluators. They then receive funding to convert them into designs that may benefit mankind.
Editor: Dr. Prajakta Dandekar Jain
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