One of the oldest medical research bodies in the word is ICMR. A national level examination is held for awarding scholarship or Junior Research Fellowship to the apt candidates by ICMR. The department of Health research under the ministry of Health and Family Welfare funds the ICMR for the Government of India. The Research Fellowships are given by ICMR to encourage biomedical research activities.

ICMR Scholarships

The candidates who want to secure a admission to the Ph.D/ Research Programme through Indian Medical Council’s support should first pass the ICMR JRF examination. On the basis of merit, the candidates are awarded fellowship. Out of a total of 150 Fellowships awarded, 120 Fellowships are awarded to candidates for their work in the field of biomedical sciences and thirty are awarded for work in Social Sciences. The various streams of biomedical science includes genetics, microbiology, human biology, bioinformatics, immunology, pharmacology, zoology, Environment Science, veterinary sciences, biology, bio-informatics etc. The various streams of social science include home science, psychology, sociology, statistics, social work, anthropology and Health Economics. ICMR holds the examination usually in the month of July. This scholarship will help the candidates to find placement in hospitals, medical colleges, national laboratories, universities etc.

Procedure for applying

All the leading newspapers publish the admission notice. This is usually published in the month of March or April. The admission notice can be seen on the website also. The candidates have to fill in the application form as per the instructions carefully. The council does not consider the forms which are not filled properly.

Duration and Emoluments

At present the existing value of scholarship is Rs. 16000/- per month. ICMR revises the amount of scholarship from time to time. The duration is limited to three years. There is an annual emergency grant of about Rs. 20,000/- per annum. After the completion of two years ICMR may increase the amount to about Rs. 18,000/- p.m. for the final year. This is usually done on the basis of the evaluation of candidate’s achievements. The candidates who receive the increased amount are called Senior Research Fellow. The duration of Senior Research Fellows is 5 years. Thus the candidates who receive the increased amount get the scholarship for a time period of 5 years. The committee decides on the continuation of fellowship of the candidates who receive Rs. 16000/- per month in the third year.

Eligibility Criterion for ICMR Scholarships

The candidates under SC/ST/OBC/Physically Handicapped applicants are given special consideration. This is as per policy guidelines. The candidates who qualify for the award will be given fellowship from ICMR.

Educational Qualification

The minimum requirement for ICMR fellowship is M.Sc./M.A. or equivalent degree. The minimum marks for the General/OBC Candidates is 55% of marks and that for the SC/ST & physically handicapped candidates is 50% of marks.

Age Limit for Test for ICMR Scholarship

The maximum age for admission for the eligibility test is 28 years. There is relaxation up to 5 years for SC/ST, physically handicapped (PH) and female candidates. The candidates under OBC category get an age relaxation up to 3 years.

Syllabus for Test for ICMR Scholarship

The syllabus of the examination is as per prescribed by UGC.

Method of selection

Pattern of Test for ICMR Scholarship

The duration of the test is 2 hours. The test is conducted in two sections.

• Aptitude test
• Subject Specific Section (Life Sciences & Social Sciences)

There are 50 questions in aptitude section. The topics which usually come under aptitude section are general knowledge in sciences, scientific phenomenon in everyday life, and common statistics. The questions carry 1 mark each and it is compulsory to answer these questions. The candidate is required to attempt any of two areas in the subject specific section. There are 100 questions in this section, out of which the candidate is required to answer only 75. The option for the subject in subject specific section is to be notified at the time of applying.  There is a negative mark of 0.25 for each wrong answer. The only medium of both the sections is English.

The subjects in Life science include genetics, molecular biology, microbiology, human nutrition, bio technology, biophysics, immunology, human biology, physiology, pharmacology, environmental sciences, zoology, botany, bio-informatics, and veterinary science. The major subjects covered in Social Science are health economics, social work, home sciences, statistics, psychology, sociology, and social work.

The candidates who clear the written test are usually notified by post. All the Employment newspapers notify the candidates about the result of the test. The candidates can find the list published on the official, website of ICMR.

The council publishes two separate merit lists. The first one comprises of candidates who qualify for the life science and the second one for those who qualify for the social science. This list is published on the basis of the test conducted by ICMR.

The candidates who are selected for the fellowship are permitted to enroll for the Ph.D programme in any university which is recognised under UGC/MCI. The fellowship is valid for a period of six months.

ICMR selects about 100 candidates for positions of Junior Research Fellow for various research schemes. The duration of the schemes may vary from scheme to scheme. These Junior Research Fellows if enrolled are permitted to complete their Ph.Ds while working. The result is valid for a period of two years to avail the council’s funded projects.

The candidates who are selected are required to join these courses on the particular date as intimated in the admission letter. The selection of the candidates who fail to join shall be considered as cancelled.

Monitoring Mechanism for ICMR Scholarship

The Junior Research Fellow has to submit annual reports after first year. The reports are to be submitted thereafter as per the norms of the council. After ten months from the date of joining as Junior Research Fellow the first annual report with complete details of research work is to be submitted. The usual procedure of submission is to submit through the Guide, who recommends for his appraisal. Subsequent annual reports are to be submitted two months before finishing of the fellowship year through the Guide.