Cabinet approves Inter-Institutional Agreement between India and USA for cooperation in the field of medicine

Introduction

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given ex-post facto approval to the Inter-Institutional Agreement between India and the USA in the areas of regenerative medicine and 3D bioprinting, new technologies, exchange of scientific ideas/information and technologies, and joint use of scientific infrastructure.

Benefits:

The joint research projects, training programmes, conferences, seminars etc. under this Agreement will be open to all qualified scientists and technologists, and will be supported on the basis of scientific merit and excellence. Scientific research and technology development in the areas of regenerative medicine and 3D bio-printing will have potential for generation of new Intellectual Property, processes, prototypes or products.

Both institutes anticipate the general academic exchange contemplated under the Agreement will lead to the development of specific projects, each of which may have academic, clinical and commercial implications.

Salient features:

The objective of the Agreement is to contribute towards the development of research and education of both the Institutions through academic collaboration. The general areas of common interest where collaboration and exchange of knowledge are intended for both include:

(1) Exchange of faculty members and students for training, study and research especially in the areas on 3D Bioprinting;

(2) Execution of joint research projects; and

(3) Exchange of information and academic publications.

Background:

In line with Govt. of India's stress on stronger and long-term cooperation between the Government of India and the United States of America for mutual benefit in the areas of Science and Technology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Trivandrum, an Institute of National Importance under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, has entered into an Agreement on Academic Cooperation with the Wake Forest University Health Sciences on behalf of its Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM), North Carolina, USA. The Agreement was signed by Prof. Asha Kishore, Director, SCTIMST on behalf of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum and Mr. Gregory Burke, Chief Science Officer & Sr. Associate Dean for Research Admin and Prof. Anthony Atala, Director on behalf of Wake Forest University-Health Sciences on behalf of its Institute for Regenerative Medicine, North Carolina, Unites States on 13thDecember 2018.

Source

Press Information Bureau , 17 July 2019