India, Australia to take up joint research in Sc and Tech

Manipal, Mar 10 (UNI) India and Australia will take up joint research projects in the field of Science and Technology using the grants sanctioned by both the countries, Australian Education International (AEI) Director Sheel Nuna said today.

Speaking at an Indo-Australian symposium on 'Pharmagenomics' here, he said Australian Prime Minister John Howard, during his just-concluded visit to India had sanctioned a grant of 20 million US Dollars for the purpose and the Indian Government had also announced a matching grant. This seed fund would be utilised for joint research projects and scholarships.

Dr Nuna said five million dollars would be used over the next five years, starting from June, for funding short-term research, benefitting about 500 scholars. The methodologies for funding the projects were being worked out in collabaration with the Union Department of Science and Technology, he added.

Symposium Convener Dr K Sathyamoorthy said Technology Information Forecast and Assessment Council-Centre of Relevance and Excellence (TIFAC-CORE) had been set up at the Department of Biotechnology in the Kasturba Medical College here with the core objective of developing an internationally recognised centre for Pharmogenomics to train manpower to lead pharmagenomic programmes and establish futuristic personalised medicine and disease management.

About 400 delegates from across the country and Australia were taking part in the symposium, jointly organised by AEI and TIFAC-CORE.

UNI MA RG VD BS1707