E-YUVA Scheme: BIRAC’s Innovation Fellows (for post graduates and above)

The scheme “Empowering Youth for Undertaking Value Added Innovative Translational Research (E-YUVA)” was started by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) to promote a culture of applied research and need-oriented (societal or industry) entrepreneurial innovation among young students and researchers. The scheme provides funding support (through fellowship and research grant), technical and business mentoring, exposure to bio incubation model, orientation to an entrepreneurial culture, etc. to students at various levels including undergraduates, post-graduates, and post-doctoral.
The scheme provides support under the following two categories:

• BIRAC’s Innovation Fellows (for post graduates and above)
• BIRAC’s E-YUVA Fellows (for under graduate students)

BIRAC’s Innovation Fellows (for post graduates and above):
BIRAC’s Innovation fellows shall apply as an individuals and are required to work full-time at EYC. BIRAC’s Innovation Fellows are expected to initiate biotech startups. Hence, only proposals with the potential to commercialize innovative products and technologies will be considered for support.

Areas covered:

BIRAC Innovation Fellowship proposals can be submitted in any domain including Healthcare, Lifesciences, Diagnostics, Medical Devices, Drugs, Vaccines, Drug Formulations and delivery systems, Industrial Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Agriculture, Secondary agriculture, Waste Management, Sanitation, Clean Energy and Artificial Intelligence/IoT/ Automation with application in any of these areas. BIRAC encourages interdisciplinary proposals from any stream that can help the conversion of innovative ideas into biotech products and technologies in any of the above fields.

Nature of Proposals supported:

• Translational research proposals to develop innovative products and technologies with the potential to address unmet needs.
• BIRAC’s Innovation Fellows are expected to initiate biotech startups. Hence, only proposals with the potential to commercialize innovative products and technologies will be considered for support.

Number and Duration of Fellowship:

• Each EYC can have 3 Innovation Fellows at any given time.
• Fellowship is provided for a period of 18 months with a provision of 6 months extension only for deserving cases.

Expected Deliverable:

The scheme’s mandate is to promote and encourage young students to embrace translational research to develop innovative products and technologies addressing unmet needs. The work supported through BIRAC’s Innovation Fellows are expected to work towards

• Individual to Company(I to C) conversion
• IP creation

BIRAC’s Innovation Fellows will receive fellowship grants and annual research grants as mentioned below:

Fellowship grant:

1. INR 30,000/- per month for Post-graduate fellow
2. INR 50,000/- per month for Post-doctoral fellow

Annual research grant:

1. INR 3,00,000/- per year for Post-graduate fellow
2. INR 5,00,000/- per year for Post-doctoral fellow

Note: EYCs and BIRAC provide continuous mentoring support to fellows, including but not limited to Technical Mentoring, IP Support, Legal Support, Networking, and Outreach, Training, Regulatory Advice, Business Mentoring and Fundraising.

Post Graduate Fellow:

1. An Indian Student who has completed a Master's degree in any field of science is eligible to apply for this fellowship.
2. The fellow should apply within 3 years of completion of the degree (Females are exempted from this condition).

Post-Doctoral Fellow:

1. An Indian student who has completed a Ph.D. in any field of science is eligible to apply for this fellowship.
2. The fellow should apply within 2 years of completion of the degree (Females are exempted from this condition).

Other requirements:

• BIRAC’s Innovation fellows are required to work full-time at EYC.
• Students pursuing PhD cannot be considered for fellowship grants.
• Selected fellows cannot pursue PhD during the fellowship tenure.

Online

Application Process:

Step 01: The applications for fellowships will be invited at the national level through advertisements in national dailies/website/ suitable magazines.
Step 02: Online application submission needs to be done through the BIRAC website. (https://birac.nic.in/)
Step 03: Applicants need to create a user account on BIRAC’s website followed by filling up of online application form. Click here for a step-by-step guide for the application
Note: In the application form, the applicant will be asked to indicate up to 3 choices for E-Yuva Centres. Click here for E-YUVA Centers contact details

Selection Process:

Step 01: The Centre-wise list of applicants will be created and sent to E-cells/respective Centre for eligibility check and further evaluation.
Step 02: The shortlisted applicants/teams will be called for a presentation before a Technical Expert Committee along with BIRAC nominees at respective EYCs.
Step 03: The selected applicants will be called as BIRAC’s Innovation Fellows and will enter into an agreement with EYC.