The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has invited investigator-led research proposals under its First-in-the-World Challenge Grants programme for 2026, encouraging scientists to pursue innovative ideas with the potential to address important scientific and healthcare challenges.
The call was listed on the India Science, Technology and Innovation portal on Monday. The programme aims to support original research that goes beyond conventional approaches and explores ideas with the potential to produce significant scientific advances.
The initiative was inspired by India’s achievement with the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which successfully landed near the Moon’s south polar region. It reflects the wider ambition to encourage researchers to pursue challenging projects that could place India at the forefront of new discoveries.
According to the published call, proposals may be submitted by individual researchers or teams working across one or more institutions. Each team must designate a principal investigator responsible for the technical, administrative and financial management of the project.
Eligible applicants include scientists and faculty members working at government medical colleges, Institutes of National Importance, ICMR institutes, universities, recognised research and development laboratories, and non-governmental organisations that meet the programme’s requirements.
The call provides an opportunity for researchers to develop ideas that may require interdisciplinary collaboration, specialised facilities and sustained investigation. Such projects can contribute to new methods, technologies or approaches in areas relevant to science and public health.
Research funding programmes play an important role in supporting ideas that may be too early-stage or high-risk for conventional funding routes. By encouraging investigator-led proposals, the scheme aims to give researchers scope to develop ambitious projects and test new scientific approaches.
Applicants are expected to consult the official call for detailed requirements, documentation and submission procedures before applying. The published deadline for the 2026 call is November 30.
The initiative adds to India’s efforts to strengthen its research ecosystem and encourage scientific innovation through institutional support. Its impact will depend on the quality of proposals selected, the progress of funded projects and the results achieved through subsequent research.
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