Introduction and Funding Scope

The Indian Council of Medical Research has announced a call for investigator-initiated research proposals under the ICMR Small Extramural Grants (ICMR ANVESHAN Extramural Grants) scheme for 2027. This initiative provides financial assistance to Indian researchers working outside ICMR institutions to undertake high-impact scientific research across medicine, public health, and allied subjects.

The funding support for approved projects under this call ranges from ₹10 lakhs to less than ₹2 Crores. Selected proposals can receive support for a maximum execution period of up to three years. Multidisciplinary projects addressing national health priorities or building upon previous ICMR research leads will be given preference during evaluation.

Research Categories Covered

The ANVESHAN call considers investigator-initiated proposals falling under four broad research categories: Discovery Research, Development Research, Delivery Research, and Descriptive Research.

Discovery Research focuses on proof-of-concept studies, biomarker identification, novel drug delivery, biomaterials, and AI-ML algorithms for medical applications. Development Research supports the creation of point-of-care diagnostics, health technologies, medical devices, and clinical trial phases. Delivery Research focuses on implementation science and health system interventions, while Descriptive Research aims to generate critical data on disease burdens and health risk determinants.

Eligibility Criteria

Indian scientists and researchers holding regular employment at recognized Indian medical institutes, academic institutions, or research organizations outside of ICMR institutes are eligible to apply as Principal Investigators. Contractual or temporary faculty members are also eligible to submit proposals subject to standard ICMR extramural guidelines.

Applicants must ensure they do not exceed ICMR's institutional project ceilings. Researchers currently managing more than five ongoing ICMR-funded projects or holding total ongoing grant amounts exceeding ₹25 Crores are ineligible to apply under this call.

How to Apply

Eligible applicants must submit their complete research proposals electronically through the ICMR Electronic Project Management System portal. Investigators should register on the portal, complete their PI profiles, and navigate to the proposal submission section to submit their application.

All proposals must be submitted online on or before 20 January 2027 by 5:00 PM IST. Detailed guidelines, templates, and instructions are available on the official ICMR notification page and the e-PMS portal.

Important Dates

• Call announcement date: 2026-11-06
• Application deadline: 2027-01-20

Contact Details

• Email: po.epms@icmr.gov.in, harpreet.pawar@icmr.gov.in