The Multi-institutional Collaborative Grant supports integrated, interdisciplinary biomedical research built around a single unifying goal. Teams combine complementary expertise across three to five institutions to address complex questions through interdependent objectives.
The Team Lead PI and lead host institution must be based in India, while other participating not-for-profit institutions may be in India or overseas. The 2026 round is closed, and India Alliance has not announced the next opening date.
Benefits & funding
- Teams may request up to ₹10 crore for a five-year project; shorter projects are ineligible.
- Eligible costs include support-staff salaries, equipment, research materials, project services, animals, travel, collaborative visits and other justified project expenses, but not new physical spaces.
- The budget may include overheads of up to 5% and a flexible funding allowance of up to ₹20 lakh across the five-year term.
- Each award must support at least 10 interns from resource-limited settings and train at least one investigator or academician from a resource-limited institution.
Eligibility
- A team must include 3–5 investigators from at least three institutions; a team of four or five may include no more than two investigators from one institution.
- Every investigator must hold a PhD, MD/MS, MPH or equivalent degree, have a strong career-stage-appropriate research record and show a strong record of securing competitive grants or fellowships.
- The Team Lead PI needs at least five years of experience leading an independent laboratory or group, prior leadership of collaborative programmes, and salaried employment at an eligible India-based host for the award term plus two further years.
- Each Team PI needs at least three years of experience leading an independent laboratory or group and salaried employment at an eligible host; overseas Team PIs must be at not-for-profit institutions.
- There are no age or nationality restrictions.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Education required
Master · PhD
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Application process
- 1Form an eligible team, identify the Team Lead PI and participating host institutions, and agree on roles, resources and a unified research plan.
- 2Complete the prescribed application form and assemble PI and institutional undertakings, applicable collaborator or cohort-access letters, and other required attachments.
- 3Combine the application and attachments into one PDF and submit it through the India Alliance process by the announced deadline.
- 4Applications pass through screening, peer review, interview shortlisting and interview; all Team PIs must attend the interview in person, while an overseas Team PI may attend online.
Program timeline
Applications opened.
1 April 2026
Application deadline.
15 May 2026
Within two months of submission
Screening outcomes are typically communicated.
After peer review and shortlisting
Interviews and final selection.
Next round
Not yet announced.