On October 1, 2023, the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, approved the continuation of the Biomedical Research Career Programme (BRCP), Phase-III. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Wellcome Trust (WT), UK, and the SPV, India Alliance are partnering to implement this program. Phase III will cover the period from 2025-26 to 2030-31, with a possible extension of six years (2031-32 to 2037-38) for servicing existing fellowships and grants approved until 2030-31. The total cost of Phase III is Rs. 1500 crore, with DBT contributing Rs.1000 crore and WT, UK contributing Rs.500 crore.
Phase III aims to foster skills and innovation, nurture scientific talent for biomedical research, promote interdisciplinary research, strengthen research systems, and reduce regional disparities. The program will include Early Career and Intermediate Research Fellowships, Collaborative Grants Programme, and a Research Management Programme.
Phase III is expected to drive scientific excellence, skills development, collaboration, and knowledge exchange. Anticipated outcomes include training over 2,000 students and postdoctoral fellows, high-impact publications, patentable discoveries, increased support to women (10-15%), and 25-30% of collaborative programs advancing to TRL4 and above, and a larger footprint of activities in Tier-2/3 settings.
Key Entities Referenced
Biomedical Research Career Programme (BRCP): A program aimed at fostering skills and innovation in biomedical research in India through fellowships and grants. Phase III focuses on talent, capacity, and translation aligned with national priorities and global benchmarks
Department of Biotechnology (DBT): The Indian government agency responsible for launching and implementing the Biomedical Research Career Programme (BRCP).
Wellcome Trust (WT): A UK-based charitable foundation partnering with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) to implement the Biomedical Research Career Programme (BRCP).
India Alliance: A dedicated Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), with the approval of the Cabinet, offering research fellowships, based in India, for biomedical research
Cabinet
Cabinet approves Phase III of Biomedical Research
Career Programme (BRCP)
Posted On: 01 OCT 2025 3:28PM by PIB Delhi
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the continuation of the
Biomedical Research Career Programme (BRCP), Phase-III. This Programme is being implemented in
partnership between the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Wellcome Trust (WT), United
Kingdom and the SPV, India Alliance for Phase III (2025-26 to 2030-31, with another six years (2031-32 to
2037-38), to service fellowships and grants approved till 2030-31, at a total cost of Rs. 1500 crore with DBT
and WT, UK contributing Rs.1000 crore and Rs.500 crore respectively.
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), in alignment with Viksit Bharat goals for fostering skills and
innovation, has launched the Phase III of Biomedical Research Career Programme (BRCP). The program will
nurture top-tier scientific talent for cutting-edge biomedical research and promote interdisciplinary research
for translational innovation. It will also strengthen systems supporting high-quality research, and reduce
regional disparities in scientific capacity, to create world-class biomedical research capacity with global
impact.
The Department of Biotechnology in partnership with the Wellcome Trust (WT), UK, launched the
“Biomedical Research Career Programme” (BRCP) in 2008-2009 through the DBT/Wellcome Trust India
Alliance (India Alliance), a dedicated Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), with the approval of the Cabinet,
offering research fellowships, based in India, for biomedical research at the world class standards.
Subsequently, Phase II was implemented in 2018/19 with an expanded portfolio.
In Phase-III, the following programmes are proposed to be implemented: i.) Early Career and Intermediate
Research Fellowships in basic, clinical and public health. These are globally recognized and tailored for the
formative stages of a scientist's research career. ii.) Collaborative Grants Programme, these include Career
Development Grants and Catalytic Collaborative Grants for 2-3 Investigator teams for early and mid-senior
career researchers respectively with strong research track record in India, iii) Research Management
Programme to strengthen core research endeavours. Phase III will also focus on strengthening mentorship,
networking, public engagement, and developing new and innovative national and international partnerships.
Together, the research fellowships, collaborative grants and the research management programme with pan
India implementation will drive scientific excellence, skills development, collaboration, and knowledge
exchange. Expected outcomes include training over 2,000 students and postdoctoral fellows, generating high-
impact publications, enabling patentable discoveries, earning peer recognition, enabling 10-15% increase in
support to women, 25-30% of collaborative programmes to approach TRL4 and above and an expanded
footprint of activities and engagement in Tier-2/3 setting.
Phases I and II positioned India as an emerging hub for biomedical science of international standing. India’s
rising investment in science and its growing role in the global knowledge economy demand a new phase of
strategic effort. Building on the gains of earlier Phases, Phase-III will invest in talent, capacity, and translation
aligned with national priorities and global benchmarks.
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MJPS/SKS(Release ID: 2173562)