MoU between ICMR, NIAID & National Institute of Health of Department of Health & Human Services, USA

The Union Cabinet has approved Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and National Institute of Health of Department of Health and Human Services, USA on Wednesday.

Objectives of the MoU:

Cooperation will take place primarily at the ICMR’s National Institute for Research on Tuberculosis (NIRT) in Chennai in the scientific areas of epidemiology, medicine, molecular biology, medical entomology, parasitology, immunology, medicine, microbiology, and virology, with a focus on techniques for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of tropical infectious and allergic diseases.

Tuberculosis, parasitic infections, HIV/AIDS, Allergic illnesses, immune system diseases, other emerging and re-emerging pathogens, and other diseases of shared scientific interest are among the areas where collaboration is emphasised.

Financial implications:

Both governments can provide funding support for activities under this MoU depending on the availability of resources. To support individual projects, the Parties may seek additional funding and active participation from governmental, non-governmental, private sector, foundation, and other sources, as necessary and consistent with usual and customary practice. The Parties can also expend funds based on the individual, approved budgets of jointly approved, collaborative research projects and related activities.

Employment Generation:

The scope of employing Indian scientists, researchers, students on contractual project mode, as per applicable rules under collaborative research projects emanating from the ICER program would help them in learning various techniques skill development and capacity building in the area of TB and other diseases.

Background:

The joint statement between India and the United States was signed in 2003 in order to build an International Center for Excellence in Research (ICER) in Chennai. The agreement was first extended in 2008, then renewed in 2017 and is currently renewed as a Memorandum of Understanding. The ICER is a collaboration between the NIAID and the ICMR. This collaboration has helped develop a seminal understanding of the immunology of helminth infections, elaborated the effects of diabetes mellitus on the immune response to tuberculosis, conducted several studies to understand malnutrition and tuberculosis, and started a pilot study to study the effects of helminth infection, SARS-CooV-2 seropositivity on the immune response, among other things.