Are you submitting a proposal to the HMSC for international collaboration?

The Health Ministry Screening Committee (HMSC), operated by the Department of Health Research (DHR)/Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), aims to streamline the screening and clearance process for international collaborative research proposals in health conducted in India.

It ensures compliance with scientific, ethical, and regulatory standards, safeguarding Indian Principal Investigators and institutions from potential exploitation by foreign collaborators and vice a versa.

What needs to be done?

1. Register your proposal via the Biological Research Regulatory Approval Portal (BioRRAP) to obtain a unique BioRRAP ID. https://biorrap.gov.in
2. Submit your proposal on the HMSC portal with the valid BioRRAP ID.

Key Considerations: The HMSC meets monthly, but the review process can take approximately two months or more post-submission. However the application requires detailed information which might take months to prepare. So plan ahead!

Simple! Right??

But a lot of preparations need to happen months before the actual submission. I have listed a few things which you could start planning once you have submitted your proposal to the funding agency.

1. Detailed proposal outlining objectives, methodology, and collaborative framework. Which you might already have.
2. Ethics committee approval, the duration to obtain which may vary. So plan ahead. This may need informed consent forms, translations, data collection tools etc. Start preparing!
3. Proof of scientific screening/review for the proposal. You may need to have a review from your scientific advisory or ad hoc committees. Whatever fits your institutional processes.
4. CTRI registration if applicable. (You know if you know! Process of obtaining the CTRI no warrants a separate article)
5. Data sharing agreement ensuring ethical data practices and ownership acknowledgment by Indian institutes. Ensure that the Indian laws and guidelines of data sharing are followed. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
6. Material transfer agreements for sample exchanges with due justifications for the need of sample transport out of India if planned.
7. Clarity on scientific exchanges, including visits, publications, and capacity building. (Plan a budget for scientific exchanges and discuss the publication policies with your collaborators). Prepare FAIR publication policies.
8. Comprehensive budget detailing global and Indian project expenditures.
9. Various documents such as FCRA certificate, annual reports, audit reports, Darpan registration (for NGOs) DSIR certificate etc. the list is long. Read the HMSC portal meticulously.
10. Roles and responsibilities delineation for both foreign and Indian Principal Investigators and their respective teams.

The HMSC submission process requires a lot of preparatory work and adherence to regulatory frameworks, but it ultimately fosters robust international collaboration in advancing health research in India.

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