In Environment and Occupational Health, the Indo US Joint Statement was renewed and signed in June 2015 as Indo US Memorandum of Understanding on Environment and Occupational Health and was further extended w.e.f. June 2020 for next five years. The Indo-US program is managed by a Secretariat from India and US, for the respective countries . For implementation of activities, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been identified as the nodal agency on behalf of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR) as the US nodal agency on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services, USA. The overall scientific goals and procedures are approved and monitored by a Joint Working Group (JWG) consisting of members representing both India and US. The JWG meetings are held annually and alternatively in India and USA.
3rd JWG meeting was held in Delhi on 30th August 2019 wherein it was suggested that capacity building and work force development be strengthened. Efforts to be made for training in exposure assessments, laboratory methods and emergency response preparedness, epidemiology and risk communication for scientists and technical staff
Goal of Joint Collaboration
The primary objective of this Joint Program is to facilitate collaboration between the two countries in environment and occupational health programs, including the identification, monitoring and prevention of diseases caused by environmental and occupational factors. The guidelines for the implementation of the collaborative projects under this Program include research projects, demonstration projects, capacity building and development of improved methods and approaches. The nodal agencies in each country arrange the training workshops, visit of scientists, collaborative research programmes and exchange programmes between two countries. They also provide the scope of the program, identify the participants and suggest the procedures on developing and reviewing collaborative research projects, publications, financing and protection of human rights.
Call for Joint Research Proposals
In wake of substantial rise of air pollution as a contributor to premature mortality and disease burden globally, with a greater impact in low-income and middle-income countries like India, the ICMR is launching Call for Research Proposals in the areas of (i) Bio-monitoring; (ii) Air pollution and Health & (iii) Low cost Devices for Air Pollution. Under this joint MoU, this call is being made in collaboration with NIEHS as part of the NIEHS call https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-ES-20-010.html
It may be noted that under joint MoU; the projects are invited only in the areas of (i) Bio-monitoring; (ii) Air pollution and Health & (iii) Low cost Devices for Air Pollution . The other areas mentioned in NIEHS call will not be covered under this MoU and are available to investigators to collaborate under the usual channels for Indo Foreign collaborations.
Procedure for Submission of Proposals
As a first step, a collaborative full proposal justifying financial and manpower requirements needs to be submitted simultaneously by both the US and Indian investigators to their respective secretariat. The financial ceiling for Indian investigator is 05 crores for total duration of project. Indian investigators should submit to Member Secretary, ICMR for review by Project Review Group (PRG). The last date for submission of full proposal is 15th October 2020, 5PM. The submitted proposal would be reviewed by ICMR and US review panels. The proposal should also include the willingness of foreign investigator to collaborate in the research area. It is mandatory to have Institutional Ethics Committee or IRB clearance before the proposal can be funded. After the proposal has been reviewed by PRGs of both countries and agreement reached on proposal relevance to program areas, both US and Indian investigators will be provided witechnical comments of both Project Review Groups.
(1) Submission
A. How To Submit
a. Identify the US collaborator
b. The proposals should be prepared jointly by the Indian and US side and submitted concurrently by each Investigator to the identified Member Secretary of his/her country. The following information needs to be provided in the concept proposal:
i. Justification of proposed research
ii. The role of Indian and US investigators respectively
iii. Benefits to each country from the proposed proposal.
iv. Outline of Methodology.
v. Budget for each collaborative institution (PIs to note that funding decisions may take 8-12 months)
vi. If multi-centric, the role of each center.
vii. Written willingness of foreign investigator to collaborate.
c. The submitted proposals should abstain from the areas involving conflict of interest.
B. Who Can Submit
Any scientist working in a permanent position in a Medical College, Research Institute, or University, anywhere in the country including Government, Semi-Government and Registered bodies can apply for financial assistance.
C. Where To Submit
The full proposal should be submitted to Member Secretary
D. When To Submit
Full Proposals - 15th October 2020, 5PM
(2) Evaluation
(a) The full proposals will be technically evaluated by the Project Review Group of both the countries.
(b) The recommendations of the Project Review Groups will be considered by the Indo-US Joint Working Group for final decision.
It may be noted that processing of proposals would take approximately 8-12 months from date of submission.
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