Indian Council of Medical Research

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world.

As early as in 1911, the Government of India set up the Indian Research Fund association (IRFA) with the specific objective of sponsoring and coordinating medical research in the country. After independence, several important changes were made in the organization and the activities of the IRFA. It was re-designated in 1949 as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) with considerably expanded scope of functions.

The ICMR is funded by the Government of India through the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

The Council's research priorities coincide with the National health priorities such as control and management of communicable diseases, fertility control, maternal and child health, control of nutritional disorders, developing alternative strategies for health care delivery, containment within safety limits of environmental and occupational health problems; research on major non-communicable diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, blindness, diabetes and other metabolic and hematological disorders; mental health research and drug research (including traditional remedies).

The Council also promotes biomedical research in the country through intramural as well as extramural research. Over the decades, the base of extramural research and also its strategies have been expanded by the Council.

In addition to research activities, the ICMR encourages human resource development in biomedical research through
(i) Research Fellowships
(ii) Short-Term Visiting Fellowships.
(iii) Short-Term Research Studentships.
(iv) Various Training Programmes and Workshops.