Biological Sciences: Emerging

Opportunities in a Changing India

• M. K. Bhan, M.D
• Secretary, Department of
M.K. Bhan
Biotechnology, Government
Secretary
of India
Department of
Biotechology
India

1
 Lifesciences and biotechnology in India
Changing national and global expectations

Social transformation and Long-term

economic competitiveness

Affordable health care

Food and nutrition security

Energy

Ecological concerns

Green technologies/Energy

2
Recent trends
Biotech Industry growing at a rapid pace

• 2007-08 ~3 billion +*
• 2010 7 billion
• 2015 10 - 15 billion
• 2020 15 - 20 billion
* Annual turnover

3
Biotech Strategy aspires to improve
innovation
• Real Public R&D expenditure
• R&D personnel per million persons
• Education share of GDP
• IP protection
• Cluster specific environment
• R&D funded by industry
• R&D performed by universities
• Global / National Model
4
National Science and Engineering
Board for Advancement of Basic
Science
• Interdisciplinary education and science

• Research intensive universities and IITs

• Access to major equipment and resources

• Rapid response to new opportunities

5
Investment in education
Up from 7.4% of the
national budget to 20%

6
Includes 70 % investments by DBT and 30% from all other S&T
agencies – CSIR, DST, ICMR and ICAR
 Strategy Underlying New Initiatives-
I

• Research Intensive Universities, New

and by REDESIGN
• Expand science in IITs, Medical,
Veterinary, Agricultural schools
• Expand Translational Capacity
around Basic Science Institutes
8
 Strategy Underlying New
Initiatives- II

• Continue to create new

research institutions
• Academia-industry
partnerships
• Cluster development
9
 Institutions in the pipeline- 5 years
in health related services- II
• Stem Cell Institute
• National Institute of
Pharmaceutical Sciences (4)
• National Institute of Biomedical
Genomics

10
 Institutions in the pipeline- 5 years
in health related services- I
• Translational institute for Health
Science and Technology
• Regional Centre for Biotechnology
with UNESCO
• Food and nutrition science institutes
(2)
• Nanoscience Institutes (3)
11
 Institutions in the pipeline- 5 years
in health related services- III
• Molecular Medicine Centres (3)
• Indian Science Institute of Science
Education and Research (3)
• One Central University in each
state (30)
• New IITs (8)

12
 Science Clusters
Strength of Synergy

Teaching, discovery, creativity, innovation as a federation

Health & Biotech
Science Cluster
In the National
Capital Region

14
 National Capital Region
Technology Cluster
Translational Health
Science & Technology
Institute
Centre for Children UNESCO
Vaccinology Biology University
Centre
Clinical Centre for Health Park &
Development Science Technology
Agency Policy Incubation

Chronic Centre for

Centre for Disease
Diagnostics Biology Platform
Centre Technologies

Centre for Animal

Science and
Services
15
Bangalore Cluster
Beginning With Stem Cell Institute
Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms

Stem Cell Centre

CMC Vellore

Institute for Stem Cell &

NCBS,
Regenerative Medicine,
Bangalore
Bangalore

Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms

16
PUNJAB KNOWLEDGE CITY, MOHALI
(350 acres)

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF NATIONAL

SCIENCE EDUCATION INSTITUTE OF
AND RESEARCH NANOTECHNOLOGY

MANAGEMENT
INSTITUTE

AGRI-FOOD CLUSTER

National Biotech
Bioprocess Agri--food
Agri Park &
unit Biotechnology Incubator
Institute

130 acres
Special R&D Missions
•Emerging sciences initiative
•Nanoscience
•Open source drug discovery and delivery
•Stem cell research
•Infectious diseases and vaccines
•Genomics-driven breeding for designer crops
•Energy
•Science related to climate change
•Green technologies and processes
Incentives for Academia-
Academia-
Industry Collaboration

19
 Centres of Excellence (50)
University location highly preferred

• Fundamental sciences

• Interdisciplinary,
technology and solution
focused centres

• Private driven, public

partnered translational
research centres
20
Attracting students to Science

INSPIRE (one million fellowships)

STAR Colleges

DNA Clubs

Summer Schools

Teachers Program

21
 POST DOCTORAL PROGRAMS

Other Grants

• National Post Doc Scheme

• Young Investigators Awards

• Rapid Grant for Young Scientists

22
 Re-
Re-entry Fellowships / Awards

Ramanujan Fellowships (DST)

(http://dst.gov.in/whats_new/ramanujan_fellowship.pdf)

Ramalingaswami Fellowship (DBT)

(http://dbtindia.nic.in/research/researchfmain.html)

Swarnajayanti Fellowship (DST)

(http://dst.gov.in/about_us/ar00-01-sr-swarnajayanthi.htm)

Visiting Scientist from Abroad (DBT)

DBT - Welcome Fellowship (DBT)
(www.dbtindia.nic.in)
23
WELLCOME TRUST-DBT INDIA FELLOWSHIPS

Early Career Fellowships (40/year)

• Candidates - Indian nationals <1 year of

Post-doctoral research experience.

• Encourage Indian nationals who have

undertaken their doctoral studies overseas
to return to India (part of the fellowship
can done abroad).

• 4 year Fellowships

24
 WELLCOME TRUST-DBT INDIA
FELLOWSHIPS

Intermediate Fellowships (20/yr)

• Excellent Candidates with 3-6

years post-doc experience.

• Fellows to be based in an Indian

institute.

• Fellowships for 5 years.

25
 WELLCOME TRUST-DBT INDIA
FELLOWSHIPS

Senior Research Fellowships

• Outstanding researchers who wish to work in
India.

• 5 years, renewable for another 5 years.

• 10 fellowships each year; up to 6 fellowships

to be renewed.

26
Human Frontier Science
Program (HFSP)

1.Competitive international
collaborative grants.

2.Short and long- term

fellowships

3.Career development awards

.

27
Special services to young scientists
•Fast track research grants
•Rapid travel grants
•Small science meetings
•Career development awards
•Overseas training fellowships
•Young Scientists as PIs
Quiet change in the universities
And Technology Institutions

•Research intensive

•Autonomous programme

•Financial independence

•Effort-reward relationship

•Improved regulation

•Quality assessment
New Global
Partnerships
Available for
Young
Investigators in
India

30
Biological Sciences: Emerging
Opportunities In A Changing India.
• M. K. Bhan, M.D
• Secretary, Department of
Biotechnology, Government
of India

31
Thank You
Rapid establihment of new universities
and technology institutes

Indian Science Institute of Science Education and
Research (3)

One Central University in each state (30)

New Indian Institutes of Technology (8)

Translational Institute for Health Science and Technology

Regional Centre for Biotechnology with UNESCO

Food and Nutrition Science Institutes (2)

Nanoscience Institute (3)

Stem Cell Institute

National Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (4)

National Institute of Biomedical Genomics

Molecular Medicine Centres (3)
33
 RAPID GRANT FOR
INVESTIGATORS
BELOW 40 YEARS OF AGE

To reduce the age at which

scientists get their first Principal
Investigator grant and expand
opportunities for young
scientists.

Evaluated through an Inter-
disciplinary Research
Committee

34
 WELLCOME TRUST-DBT INDIA FELLOWSHIPS
Linking talent to opportunity

• DBT and WT have jointly launched ‘WT / DBT India Fellowships’

on September 10, 2008
• Each partner to contribute £ 8 million per year over 10 years
• 70 Post-doctoral Fellowships annually in 3 categories (Early
stage, Intermediate and Senior)
• SPV – Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance - set up as public
charitable trust to deliver the programme
• Benchmark for fellowships will be as per WT norms
35
 UAS, Bangalore Cluster
UAS CLUSTER MANAGEMENT BOARD

UAS
Bangalore
STEM CELL
NCBS INSTT
CENTRE FOR
CELLULAR AND
MOLECULAR
PLATFORMS

UAS
Agri-
Incubator
CTR. BASIC Centre SILK & BIOMAT.
PLANT SCI. INST

Centre for
Innovation &
Development
BIRAP- A new organization
for end-to-end innovation services
Clinical/ Field Trials Network for
SMEs Biotech Programme
•National Clinical Development Services Agency
with multiple functions, and Phase I – IV capacity
To be set up in NCR Biotech Cluster

•CRO for agri-biotech translation and field trials

Established in partnership with ICRISAT, Hyderabad

ICRISAT Facilty
 Strategy Underlying
new initiatives

Research Intensive Universities new
and by REDESIGN

Expand science in IITs, Medical,
Veterinary, Agricultural schools

Expand Translational Capacity around
Basic science Institutions

Continue to create new research
institutions

Academia-industry partnerships

Cluster development
39