DBT EFB
Funds investigator-led biotechnology projects in India advancing frontier biology through competitive grant pathways and programme review cycles.
The Emerging Frontiers in Biotechnology (EFB) program, initiated by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of the Government of India in 2023, accepts investigator-driven research proposals twice per year through fixed 45-day submission windows: April 1 to May 15 (midnight) and October 1 to November 15 (midnight). The October-November 2026 window is the next open cycle. All proposals must be submitted exclusively through the DBT eProMIS Web Portal (dbtepromis.nic.in); no other submission channel is accepted. The maximum budget per project is ₹100 lakh (INR 10,000,000). Since inception in 2023, EFB has supported 381 projects across both verticals — 191 in Biomedical Sciences and 190 in Biological Sciences.
EFB covers two research verticals. The Biomedical Sciences vertical encompasses vaccines and diagnostics, chronic disease biology, human genetics and genomics, drug development and repurposing, biomedical devices and biosensors, 3D/4D bioprinting, nanotechnology, synthetic biology, and host-pathogen biology. The Biological Sciences vertical covers plant sciences, agricultural biotechnology, animal biotechnology, bioenergy, bioresources, environmental biology, and bioprospecting. Computational biology, AI/ML, and HRD programs such as fellowships and awards are explicitly excluded from EFB eligibility and must be directed to other DBT programs.
Private for-profit companies, industries, and start-ups are categorically ineligible for EFB — only non-profit universities, government agencies, and DSIR-recognized research organizations may apply. One proposal per investigator per cycle is permitted across both PI and co-PI roles. Investigators with four or more ongoing DBT-supported projects are ineligible to submit. Government agency applicants must have a Zero Balance Subsidiary Account in ICICI Bank under the Bio-RIDE scheme, with no pending Utilization Certificates. Non-government nonprofit applicants must provide DSIR-SIRO certification and NGO Darpan registration. Program contacts include Dr. Dhananjay Kumar Tiwari (Scientist G) at dhananjay-tiwari@dbt.nic.in.
Investigator-driven research in biomedical sciences (vaccines, diagnostics, genomics, drug development) and biological sciences (plant, animal, agri biotech, bioenergy, environmental biology) at Indian institutions.
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