Women Scientist Scheme (Career Re-orientation)

Profile

The purpose is to build capacities for women scientists employed fulltime in Universities and research laboratories or unemployed women scientists after a career break so as to help them undertake independent R&D projects.

Qualification

M. Tech / M.D / Ph. D/Equivalent degree in any branch of Life Sciences
Women Scientists who are employed or unemployed and are desirous of coming back after a break
Women Scientists for whom it is the first grant. (Women Scientist who have already availed any grant as PI from any Government Funding Agency including WOS (A&B) Scheme of DST are not eligible to apply).
Women Scientists upto 55 years of age
The scheme is open to women applicants from all areas in Life Science or Biotechnology (including agriculture, veterinary science and medicine)

To Apply

Guidelines
(i) The eligible applicants should submit the project proposal online through ePromis (http://dbtepromis.gov.in) as and when the program is advertised in News Papers/DBT website (www.dbtindia.gov.in). The proposal should describe the objectives and work plan through which she intends to achieve the target in the project period in detail. The applicants should ensure to fill up all the fields as all fields are mandatory.
(ii) For Employed candidates, the proposal should be duly forwarded by Head of the Institute/Competent Authorities. For Unemployed candidates, a letter from the Mentor Scientist in whose lab she proposes to work and a forwarding letter of support from Head of Institute / Competent Authority should accompany the proposal.
(iii) The proposals will be screened and Peer reviewed and further shortlisted by an Expert Committee based on the following criteria: 1. Scientific merit of the proposal 2. Experience and the qualification of the PI 3. Publications in Referred Journal 4. Infrastructure of the Host Institute
(iv) Women scientists whose proposals look promising but do not qualify because the project content is not clearly described will be called to participate in a Mentorship workshop. The workshops will be held to help women scientist to understand what good grant writing and thereby help them to improve their project proposals and apply next time when the department calls for proposals.
(v) Project proposal would be initially for a period of 3 years.

Duration

3 years

Money

(i) For unemployed Scientist there would be a provision for fellowship amount as lumpsum in the following 3 slabs. The slabs would be decided based on post Ph.D experience:
(a) Grade – I Rs.35, 000/- (Ph.D+ nil experience)
(b) Grade – II Rs.40,000/-(Ph.D + more than 5 years research/industrial experience)
(c) Grade– III Rs.45,000/-(Ph.D+ more than 10 years research/industrial experience)
The candidate will have to provide proof of year of experience. If a selected candidate is availing a Post-Doctoral or Contractual fellowship she will have to resign from the same before accepting the project under Bio-CARe programme.
(ii) For employed candidate an amount of Rs. 5,000/- per month would be provided as an incentive. This will be in addition to the salary she is receiving from the parent institution.
(iii) All research related expenses to be booked under Equipment, Consumables, Manpower, Contingency, Travel etc. as in other ongoing R&D Schemes.

IndiaBioscience

Grants