ICMR TB Research Accelerator Program – EoI for TB Diagnostics, Treatment, Prevention & Implementation Research 2026

PI with regular employment (or contractual/temporary faculty with a regular-employee Co-PI and institutional undertaking) at Indian medical/research institutes, universities, colleges, recognized R&D labs, government/semi-government organizations, or NGOs. Industry partners must apply via an academic partner.

The ICMR TB Research Accelerator Program invites Expression of Interest (EoI No. TBacc/2025/1) from eligible organizations for the development and validation of Diagnostics, Treatment Regimens, Preventive Strategies and Implementation/Operational Research Studies for management of Tuberculosis, aligning TB research with NTEP programmatic priorities toward TB elimination in India by 2030.

Priority Research Areas:

Domain 1 – Case Finding and Diagnostics: Novel screening tools (including AI-based); non-sputum based tests (blood, urine, stool, tongue swabs); new methods for drug-resistant TB detection; biomarkers for latent TB and progression risk; detection of Extra Pulmonary TB; molecular tests differentiating live from dead bacilli.

Domain 2 – TB Treatment: Shorter regimens for minimal/non-severe TB; long-acting anti-TB formulations; new drug discovery/repurposing; regimens for drug-resistant TB; fixed dose combinations for DR-TB; therapeutic drug monitoring tools; AI-enabled adverse event management; gut microbiome modulation; pulmonary rehabilitation.

Domain 3 – TB Prevention: Improving TPT uptake; nutritional support strategies; tools to reduce TB transmission.

Domain 4 – Implementation/Operational Research: Cost-effectiveness of active screening; reducing care-seeking delays; immunodiagnostic tools for latent/early TB; digital intelligence and data-driven decision-making.

Two submission formats: Annexure 1 (Concept Note Format-1) for development of products at TRL ≥ 3; Annexure 2 (Concept Note Format-2) for evaluation of products at TRL ≥ 5 and implementation/operational research. Products under diagnostic/treatment/preventive categories must be at least TRL3 with established proof of concept; exploratory research and products below TRL3 will not be considered. Industry partners must apply through an academic partner. Multi-centric projects are encouraged. Applicants may submit interest in up to two priority research areas.

Proposals to be submitted as soft copy to [email protected] (Kind Attention: Project Management Unit, TB Research Accelerator Program).