Innovative Young Biotechnologist Award (IYBA)

Har Govind Khorana-Innovative Young Biotechnologist Award (IYBA) initiated in 2005, is an attractive, career-oriented scheme to identify and nurture outstanding young scientists with innovative ideas and desirous of pursuing research in frontier areas of biotechnology. Young scientists up to the age of 35 years are considered for this award. Scientists without regular employment are also eligible for this award. A two-tier selection process is adopted for selecting the awardees every year. The expert committee may bestow the award to a maximum of 25 candidates. The award consists of financial support for a proposed project besides a fellowship of Rs.75,000 per month for those awardees who are not in regular employment. Such awardees not in regular employment must be attached to a senior faculty scientist (mentor) in any academic or research institute of repute, whereby laboratory space and other needed facilities shall be provided. It is expected that the awardees will work independently and that the mentor will facilitate the awardee’s research efforts. Awardees having regular employment will receive a cash award of Rs. 1 Lakh every year during the period of the project. The applicant should have an excellent academic career with a PhD and First Class in all academic degrees, along with a track record of high impact peer reviewed publications (with Cumulative publication of 6 as first or corresponding author) or should have invented technologies as evident by atleast 2 granted Indian or 1 International patent. The proposed research project must be of very high scientific quality, reflecting innovative thinking with clear objectives and execution methodology. The duration of the project will normally be for 3 yrs subject to satisfactory progress. In those cases, wherein very significant and exciting results have been obtained, the expert committee can recommend a further 2 yr extension i.e. a maximum period of 5 yrs.