Job Description

Call for Investigator-Initiated Research Proposals for “ICMR Follow-on SMALL Extramural Grants” (“ICMR Follow-on ANVESHAN Extramural Grants”) – 2026

No.: ICMR/IDC/EPMS/CallforProposal/2025

Date: 19th December, 2025
Overview and purpose
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 (see
table 1) 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 initiated in the last 5 years, are encouraged to submit their
proposals under this category to take-up their research-leads forward. A maximum of 100 proposals
would be considered.