The Newton Fund is a new initiative which will enable the UK to use its strength in research and innovation to promote the economic development and social welfare of 15 partner countries
Using high quality research teams based in the UK and India, two of the centers will focus on research into antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and the other on cancer biology. Nearly £3.5million will be invested by UK, through the MRC and the Newton Fund, with matched funding provided by DBT.
The centers will take a global perspective in tackling some of the largest global health problems of today and foster the next generation of researchers with specialist skills.
The Cambridge-Chennai Center Partnership on Antimicrobial Resistant Tuberculosis: A team of international researchers, from across a number of disciplines, will look to develop new diagnostic tools and new treatments to address the sharp rise in cases of multidrug resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The partnership between the University of Cambridge and the National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT) in Chennai, India, will generate a rich and lasting clinical and genomic dataset.
UK-India Center for Advanced Technology for Minimising the indiscriminate use of Antibiotics (UKICAT-MA): This center will focus on finding solutions to the excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics. In partnership with the University of Sheffield, University of Bradford and L V Prasad Eye Institute in India, the new center will establish smart materials for the detection and targeted delivery of antibiotics for eye infections, and promote the use of these new technologies in other infective diseases.
MRC-DBT Joint Centre for Cancer Biology & Therapeutics: Cancer is among the leading causes of disease and death worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that the number of new cases will rise by about 70 percent over the next two decades. This center will link the MRC Cancer Unit at the University of Cambridge with the National Center for Biological Sciences in India to foster research on cancer biology and therapy through collaborative research programs, translational research and capacity building.
As per Prof. K VijayRaghavan, secretary, Department of Biotechnology, "The Department of Biotechnology, Government of India is delighted to partner with the MRC in creating research centers which will address vexing challenges in medicine through quality science and collaboration. India is committed to working with the best in the world, for India and for the world. We are acutely aware that the fruits of our partnership can mean better lives for the most-needy everywhere and are committed to make the collaboration succeed."
In his statement, Dr Mark Palmer, director of International Strategy, MRC mentioned, "With a 100-year history of strategic international collaboration, MRC scientists today collaborate with researchers in more than 100 countries. We know diseases don't recognise international borders and that addressing health problems around the world demands a global response. These exciting partnerships between excellent scientists in India and the UK is a key part of our international effort to pool expertise and resources and deliver research that will make a real difference to global health."
