​ICMR Launches "First in the World Challenge"

• 05 Nov 2024

In November 2024, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) announced a pioneering initiative to inspire groundbreaking health solutions through bold, innovative research ideas.

• The “First in the World Challenge” by ICMR aims to encourage Indian scientists to develop revolutionary health solutions that have never been tried or tested globally.
• ICMR, India’s top body for biomedical research and one of the world’s oldest medical research councils, has introduced this initiative to promote novel ideas and groundbreaking health technologies.
• The scheme focuses on the generation of entirely new knowledge and the development of breakthrough technologies, including vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, and interventions that can revolutionize health outcomes.
• Proposals must bring forward bold, high-impact research ideas that have the potential for “first of its kind” innovations with wide-ranging global health benefits.
• Projects aiming solely at incremental knowledge gains or process improvements will not be eligible for funding, as the challenge seeks transformative rather than minor advancements.
• The initiative operates under a high-risk, high-reward model, where the ICMR is willing to embrace potential failures to achieve unprecedented successes.
• Researchers can submit proposals individually or as part of a team, with the flexibility for collaborations between institutes to strengthen the research efforts.