Sarkari Yojana
Biotechnology Career Advancement And Re-orientation (BioCARe) Programme For Women Scientists
About Biotechnology Career Advancement And Re-orientation (BioCARe) Programme For Women Scientists
BioCARe — the Biotechnology Career Advancement and Re-orientation Programme — is a special scheme run by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology, aimed at getting more women scientists into biotechnology and related research in India. It’s built mainly for unemployed women scientists seeking their first sanctioned extramural research grant, giving them a solid entry point into the scientific profession, a way back into the mainstream, and a springboard for further work in science and technology. Indian women scientists can apply, and the Processing and Management Unit (PMU) set up at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, manages the programme on DBT’s behalf.
Scheme Overview
Central Government
Ministry Of Science And Technology
Individual
Scheme Details
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for Biotechnology Career Advancement And Re-orientation (BioCARe) Programme For Women Scientists, applicants must satisfy the following conditions:
Eligible Areas for Financial Support
Animal and Marine Biotechnology, or allied areas
Animal and Marine Biotechnology, or allied areas.
Bioengineering and Biomaterials, or allied areas
Bioengineering and Biomaterials, or allied areas.
Medical Biotechnology, or allied areas
Medical Biotechnology, or allied areas.
Environmental Biotechnology and Bioenergy, or allied areas
Environmental Biotechnology and Bioenergy, or allied areas.
Plant and Agriculture Biotechnology, or allied areas
Plant and Agriculture Biotechnology, or allied areas. 1. Employment:
Candidates already in regular or permanent employment cannot…
Candidates already in regular or permanent employment cannot apply.
Women scientists in temporary research or academic positions…
Women scientists in temporary research or academic positions may apply, but must leave their current role if a BioCARe project is approved for them.
Anyone who has already received extramural funding as…
Anyone who has already received extramural funding as Principal Investigator from a government or government-supported funding agency is ineligible, since this must be their first independent, sanctioned research project. 2. Age: The applicant must be 45 or younger as of the application deadline. 3. Educational Qualification:
Category-I:
Women scientists holding a Ph.D. in any Life Sciences discipline or allied/interdisciplinary sciences, MD, MDS, or M.V.Sc.
Category-II:
Women scientists holding an M.Tech in Biotechnology or allied areas, MPharma, or equivalent. Note: Candidates registered for a Ph.D. and already drawing a fellowship cannot apply. For the Mentor
Must be a permanent employee at the Host…
Must be a permanent employee at the Host Institute, and must not be the applicant's spouse or relative.
Will supervise the applicant's project in their own…
Will supervise the applicant's project in their own laboratory.
The BioCARe proposal must be the applicant's own…
The BioCARe proposal must be the applicant's own initiative, not an extension of the Mentor's research.
The proposed research should complement and draw on…
The proposed research should complement and draw on the Mentor's own research interests and expertise.
Must have at least 5 years of service…
Must have at least 5 years of service remaining.
Must guarantee the applicant lab space and resources…
Must guarantee the applicant lab space and resources for the project, plus scientific guidance and career advice throughout its tenure.
Must have run at least three ongoing and/or…
Must have run at least three ongoing and/or four successfully completed extramural research projects as PI in the last five years, funded by government or government-supported agencies. For the Institution
Applicants can apply through a government-supported/funded institution (central…
Applicants can apply through a government-supported/funded institution (central or state universities, autonomous institutions, private universities/institutes, etc.) or an Indian non-profit institution.
The institution must follow the Department of Biotechnology's…
The institution must follow the Department of Biotechnology's (DBT) guidelines and conditions.
Benefits Provided
Biotechnology Career Advancement And Re-orientation (BioCARe) Programme For Women Scientists provides the following benefits to eligible applicants:
Date of Commencement of Project & its Duration
The project runs for three years, as specified…
The project runs for three years, as specified in the sanction order.
It starts from the date the candidate joins…
It starts from the date the candidate joins the institution, but must begin within 45 days of the sanction order being issued. The institution's authorities/Mentor and Nodal Officer must inform the Department of the grant receipt date, no later than 15 days after the institute receives the grant.
Successful candidates must join their host institution within…
Successful candidates must join their host institution within 45 days of the sanction order, or the grant is withdrawn. Project Cost & Fellowship to Project Investigator Budget support depends on the applicant's qualifying degree, split into two categories: Category-I: Ph.D. in any Life Sciences discipline or allied/interdisciplinary sciences, MD, MDS, or M.V.Sc. — Research grant capped at ₹60,00,000 (including a consolidated fellowship of ₹68,000/month). Category-II: M.Tech in Biotechnology or allied areas, MPharma, or equivalent — Research grant capped at ₹40,00,000 (including a consolidated fellowship of ₹50,000/month).
Documents Required
Applicants should keep the following documents ready before starting the application:
Aadhaar number
Aadhaar number.
Government-issued proof of identity
Government-issued proof of identity.
Government-issued proof of address
Government-issued proof of address.
Brief description of the proposal
Brief description of the proposal.
Brief profile of the mentor
Brief profile of the mentor.
Caste certificate, if SC/ST/OBC
Caste certificate, if SC/ST/OBC.
Disability certificate, if applicable
Disability certificate, if applicable.
Date-of-birth certificate (birth certificate, etc.)
Date-of-birth certificate (birth certificate, etc.).
Proof of all educational qualifications (degree certificates and…
Proof of all educational qualifications (degree certificates and marksheets).
Proof of passing any national-level exam (NET-CSIR/NET-UGC/GATE/DBT-JRF/ICAR-JRF/IIT-JAM, etc.),…
Proof of passing any national-level exam (NET-CSIR/NET-UGC/GATE/DBT-JRF/ICAR-JRF/IIT-JAM, etc.), if applicable.
Details of the applicant's achievements (publications, dissertations, patents,…
Details of the applicant's achievements (publications, dissertations, patents, books, chapters, etc.).
Declaration by the candidate
Declaration by the candidate.
How to Apply
Online Application
Applicants can apply for Biotechnology Career Advancement And Re-orientation (BioCARe) Programme For Women Scientists through the online application process outlined below.
Advertisement for Inviting Applications BioCARe gets advertised on the PMU and Department of Biotechnology websites. Interested candidates must apply through the link provided there — applications through any other channel are rejected outright. The full application has two parts: Part A covers the applicant's general information, and Part B covers the research proposal, budget, and regulatory details (see Annexure). Selection Process a) An Expert Committee set up by the Department screens eligible applications for shortlisting, based on:
Novelty
Novelty.
Scientific merit
Scientific merit.
The applicant's and Mentor's experience and qualifications
The applicant's and Mentor's experience and qualifications.
Publication record
Publication record.
The Host Institution's infrastructure
The Host Institution's infrastructure. b) Shortlisted applicants submit a full proposal for peer review; based on the reviews, selected candidates present their research proposal to the Expert Committee. c) Once a project gets technical approval, a formal sanction order follows the Expert Committee's (EC) recommendations. Total project cost is based on the latest equipment quotations approved for the project and other relevant documents on consumables submitted by the applicant. Post-Selection Instructions for Candidates
The programme cannot be used to pursue a…
The programme cannot be used to pursue a Ph.D. or other higher studies.
Applicants with only an MSc, or currently pursuing…
Applicants with only an MSc, or currently pursuing a PhD/MTech/MPharma/MVSc/MD/MDS/equivalent, cannot apply.
The applicant must already hold a Ph.D./MTech/MPharma/MVSc/MD/MDS/equivalent degree…
The applicant must already hold a Ph.D./MTech/MPharma/MVSc/MD/MDS/equivalent degree before applying.
Anyone currently on a postdoctoral or contractual fellowship…
Anyone currently on a postdoctoral or contractual fellowship must resign from it before taking up the BioCARe project.
The applicant cannot hold another fellowship/grant/award providing salary/stipend/emoluments…
The applicant cannot hold another fellowship/grant/award providing salary/stipend/emoluments alongside the BioCARe project.
Anyone holding, or having held, funding under a…
Anyone holding, or having held, funding under a DST women-specific scheme or similar from another agency is ineligible.
Candidates must devote 100% of their research time…
Candidates must devote 100% of their research time to the BioCARe project, confirmed by the Host Institution in annual technical and financial reports.
If the applicant takes up regular employment during…
If the applicant takes up regular employment during the project, she stops receiving any fellowship or honorarium from BioCARe.
She must get a Co-PI nominated from the…
She must get a Co-PI nominated from the institute/organisation where she takes up regular employment, submitting all necessary documents afresh.
Applicants must state their years of experience since…
Applicants must state their years of experience since their qualifying degree (PhD/MTech/MVSc/MD/MDS/MPharma) in the application, with supporting documents.
Candidates must clearly flag any non-research career break…
Candidates must clearly flag any non-research career break and submit evidence of it with the application.
Exclusions / Who Is Not Eligible
1. Candidates who are registered in Ph.D. and receiving any fellowships are not eligible to apply
Official Application & Website
Verify the latest eligibility, dates and instructions before applying.