ICMR Launches "First in the World Challenge"

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.