Eleven Teams of Scientists from India and US to Start Work on Covid-19-Related Research

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The teams have been selected to take up these initiatives through a rigorous bi-national review process of proposals received under COVID-19 Ignition Grants in April 2020 issued by the US-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF).

Eleven teams of Indian and US scientists will soon jointly start scouting for out of the box solutions, ranging from novel early diagnostic tests, antiviral therapy, drug repurposing, ventilator research, and sensor-based symptom tracking for COVID 19, the Department of Science and Technology said on Saturday. The teams have been selected to take up these initiatives through a rigorous bi-national review process of proposals received under COVID-19 Ignition Grants in April 2020 issued by the US-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF), the DST said in a statement.

The USISTEF announced the awards to eleven bilateral teams proposing out-of-the-box, innovative ideas to address the COVID-19 challenge. The USISTEF has been established by India (through DST) and the United States of America (through the Department of State) for the promotion of joint activities for innovation and entrepreneurship using science and technology.

“The joint US-India S&T based entrepreneurial teams will work on initiatives that address the development and implementation of new technologies, tools, and systems to tackle COVID-19 related challenges, including monitoring, diagnosis, health and safety, public outreach, information and communication,” the statement added.

As countries battle the COVID-19 pandemic, innovations in science, engineering, and technology will play a critical role in finding solutions to the global challenge through the development of new vaccines, devices, diagnostic tools, and information systems, as well as strategies to help communities and nations manage and deploy resources to combat this pandemic, the statement added.

The USISTEF had announced the Call for Proposals under the category of COVID-19 Ignition Grants to support promising joint US-India S&T based entrepreneurial initiatives to address the COVID-19 challenge. The mission of the United StatesIndia Science & Technology Endowment Fund is to support and foster joint applied research and development to generate public good through the commercialisation of technology developed through partnerships between US and Indian researchers and entrepreneurs to help combat this pandemic, the statement added.