DBT Bio-CARe (Biotechnology Career Advancement and Re-orientation Programme) for Women Scientists

Bio-CARe (Biotechnology Career Advancement and Re-orientation Programme) for Women Scientists

Bio-CARe

THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ANNOUNCES THE CALL FOR PROPOSALS UNDER  “ BIOTECHNOLOGY CAREER ADVANCEMENT AND RE-ORIENTATION PROGRAMME FOR WOMEN SCIENTISTS’

In an attempt to enhance the participation of Women Scientists in Biotechnology Research, the Department of Biotechnology announces the Call for Proposals under the Bio-CARe scheme for women scientists.  The programme is targeted towards Career Development of employed/unemployed women scientists.  The scheme is open for all areas of Life Science / biology (including agriculture, veterinary science and medicine).  Age limit for application has been kept as 55 to ensure maximum impact.

The programme aims at providing support for project grants to women scientists (employed & unemployed) for whom it is the first extramural research grant (Women Scientists who have received any earlier grant from any Government Funding Agency as PI are not eligible).  The purpose is to build capacities for women scientists after a career break so as to help them undertake independent R&D projects. 

Interested scientists may send their Letters of Intent (LoI) to Mrs. Rugmini M Menon, Senior Scientific Officer – II, Department of Biotechnology, C.G.O. Complex, New Delhi – 110 003.  

Email: biocare.dbt@nic.in

Details of the scheme and LoI format are on DBT website www.dbtindia.nic.in

Last Date of Submission of LoI  is 31st May 2012.

Biotechnology Career Advancement and Reorientation Programme for Women Scientists

RESEARCH GRANT OPPORTUNITY (RGO)

DETAILS OF THE SCHEME:-

The purpose is to build capacities for women scientists employed fulltime in Universities and small research laboratories or unemployed women scientist after a career break so as to help them undertake independent R&D projects.

I.          ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

(i) M.D/M. Tech /Ph. D/Equivalent degree in any branch of Life Sciences

(ii) Women Scientists who are employed or unemployed or are coming back after a break.

(iii)Women Scientists for whom it is the first grant.  (Women Scientist who have already availed any grant as PI from Government Funding Agency under WOS (A&B) of DST are not eligible to apply).

(iv) Women Scientists upto 55 years of age

(v)The scheme is open to women applicants from all areas in  Life Science or biology (including agriculture, veterinary science and medicine)

II.        GUIDELINES FOR APPLICATION & PROCEDURE:

(i)         Since women for whom it is the first grant are eligible, the applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent (LoI) for preliminary screening.  LoI should describe what she intends to achieve in the project period.

(ii)        For unemployed candidates, a letter from the Mentor Scientist /Institute in whose lab she proposes to work should accompany the LoI.  In case, where Mentor/Institute  is not identified, but LoI looks interesting a Mentor/Institute can be identified and requested to be associated.

(iii)           LoI’s will be screened by an Expert Committee and those which get shortlisted based on the following criteria will be intimated to submit full proposal.

1.         Scientific merit of the proposal

2.         Experience and the qualification of the PI

3.         Publications

4.         Infrastructure of the Host Institute

(iv) Women whose LoIs look promising but could not qualify for full proposal will be called to participate in a Mentorship workshop.  The workshops will be held from time-to-time to help women scientist to understand what good grant writing and thereby help them to improve their project proposals and apply next time when the department calls for LoIs.

(v)Project proposal can be for a 3+2 years (two years extension is subjected to review).

(vi) Any woman scientist can be considered for a maximum of 3 such applications run consecutively not in parallel with total duration of the support under this scheme not extending beyond fifteen years.

III.BUDGET/STIPEND:

(i)There would be a provision for stipend fellowship amount as lumpsum in the following 3 slabs for the unemployed candidate in the budgets provision.  The slabs would be decided based on post Ph.D experience

Grade – I   Rs.35, 000/- (Ph.D+ nil experience)

Grade – II Rs.40,000/-(Ph.D + more than 5 years research/industrial experience)

Grade– III Rs.45,000/-(Ph.D+ more than 10 years research/industrial experience)

The candidate will have to provide proof of year of experience.

If a selected candidate is availing a Post-Doctoral or Contractual fellowship she will have to resign from the same before accepting the project under Bio-CARe programme.

(ii)           For employed candidate an additional amount of Rs. 5,000/- over her salary would be provided as an incentive

(iii)       All research related expenses to be booked under Equipment, Consumables, Manpower, Contingency, Travel etc as in other ongoing R&D Schemes.

IV.       OTHERS

(i)            The successful candidate will be informed through biocare.dbt@nic.in .  No interim correspondence will be entertained and canvassing in any form would lead to disqualification of the applicant.

(ii)            LoIs received after the deadline/incomplete LoIs shall not be considered.

FOR DETAILS, PLEASE REFER http://dbtindia.nic.in/uniquepage.asp?id_pk=665