New Fellowship Launches to Attract Global Talent in India

Blockchain For Impact (BFI) has introduced the India Reimagined Fellowship, a global initiative aimed at attracting top-tier scientific and professional talent to India. This program focuses on addressing urgent challenges in biomedical science and public health, with a goal to empower a new generation of researchers, entrepreneurs, clinicians, and innovators.

The fellowship will provide each selected fellow with a grant of USD 300,000 (approximately INR 2.5 crores) over a three-year period. This funding is designed to cover essential expenses, including relocation, salary, project costs, laboratory infrastructure, staffing, equipment, and other approved research activities. Applications for the fellowship will be accepted only through institutional nominations.

Up to three fellowships will be awarded in the current cycle, with one fellow designated for each host institution. The application process is open on a rolling basis, with a submission deadline set for January 31, 2026.

Empowering Innovation in India

Dr. Vijay Chandru, Co-founder of Strand Life Sciences and Co-founder and Chairman of CrisprBits, emphasized the potential impact of the fellowship. He stated, “After serving a tenured faculty role in the US, I believe these reimagined fellowships of BFI, enhanced a thousand times over by an endowment of USD 1 billion contributed by private philanthropies, would just lift the innovation quotient of the nation and lead us to a Viksit Bharat at a stage when tech innovation and translation has to play a critical role.”

Sandeep Nailwal, Founder of Blockchain For Impact, echoed this sentiment, highlighting India’s capacity for significant advancements in biomedical research. He remarked, “India has the talent and institutions to drive global breakthroughs in biomedical research. With India Reimagined Fellowship, we are creating a bridge that connects global expertise with Indian opportunities, ensuring long-term impact through science, innovation, and entrepreneurship.”

Host institutions participating in the fellowship must be approved under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) or must be exempted from this requirement. These institutions are expected to provide comprehensive infrastructure and administrative support to facilitate the successful integration of fellows and their research efforts.

Fellows will be required to commit full-time to their roles in India for the entire duration of the fellowship, focusing on achieving bold and scalable outcomes.

Strategic Focus on Long-Term Capacity Building

The India Reimagined Fellowship underscores BFI’s mission to catalyse deep scientific innovation by linking global expertise with India’s research ecosystem. This initiative represents a strategic effort to enhance long-term capacity in India’s biomedical and public health sectors, fostering robust global collaborations rooted in local impact.

The fellowship aims to create sustainable “impact engines” that can tackle pressing healthcare challenges in India, reinforcing the country’s role as a hub for global scientific advancements. By attracting leading experts, the program seeks to drive innovation that can lead to significant improvements in healthcare delivery and public health outcomes.