Free scoping read. A written assessment of your manuscript in two business days, at no cost.

Start one

Funding callLife sciences · India

Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant (PM ECRG)

The Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant (PM ECRG) from the Anusandhan National Research Foundation supports early-career researchers at recognised Indian institutions with up to Rs. 60 lakhs, excluding overheads, over three years. This guide covers suitable research areas in the life sciences, eligibility and readiness checks, what review panels typically value and how to plan a competitive proposal.

Pubrica InsightsEditorial team, reviewed by a subject specialist
Next deadline
2 December 2026
Last checked
10 November 2026
Funder
Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF)
Sources
1
Apply through the official call

Key dates

Application deadline
2 December 2026
Details last checked
10 November 2026
Apply through the official call

About the call

Funder
Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF)
Country
India
Scheme type
Project grant
Funding
Up to Rs. 60 lakhs (excluding overheads) over three years
Eligibility
Researchers up to 42 years of age (with relaxations) holding a regular academic or research post at a recognised Indian institution, applying within two years of joining; open across science and engineering disciplines including life sciences.
Scope
Life sciences

Topics consistent with the call

  • Molecular and cellular biology research establishing a new laboratory programme
  • Biotechnology and bioengineering with potential applications in health or agriculture
  • Infectious disease biology and host–pathogen interactions
  • Neuroscience, physiology and developmental biology using experimental models
  • Computational and systems biology integrating large biological datasets
  • Plant, microbial and environmental biology relevant to national priorities

Based on the published scope; the official page sets out the full themes and requirements.

Is your work a fit? Check before you apply

  1. Confirm that you are within the age limit of 42 years, or eligible for a relaxation.
  2. Check that you hold a regular academic or research post at a recognised Indian institution.
  3. Verify that you are applying within two years of joining your current post.
  4. Ensure the budget fits within Rs. 60 lakhs, excluding overheads, over three years.
  5. Prepare a complete, institutionally approved proposal before the 2 December 2026 deadline.

Why This Funding Call Matters

The first years in an independent post are critical for researchers to set up a laboratory, recruit students and generate the results that support future funding. Start-up support is often limited, and a substantial early grant can make the difference between a slow start and a productive programme. The PM ECRG targets this window, encouraging recently appointed researchers to establish ambitious research directions in India across science and engineering, including the life sciences.

Who Should Apply

Academic backgrounds

  • Molecular biology and biochemistry
  • Biotechnology
  • Microbiology
  • Neuroscience
  • Computational biology

Institutions and sectors

  • Universities
  • Indian Institutes of Technology and Science Education and Research
  • National research laboratories and institutes

What Reviewers Typically Value

  1. An original research direction that establishes the applicant’s independent identity.
  2. Clear objectives that are achievable within three years.
  3. A realistic budget and plan for setting up the laboratory and team.
  4. Evidence of the applicant’s potential from doctoral and postdoctoral work.

Ideas You Could Develop

Antimicrobial resistance mechanismsA project characterising resistance genes in clinical bacterial isolates and their mobility between strains.
Stress tolerance in crop plantsA study identifying molecular regulators of drought tolerance in an important Indian crop using genetic and genomic tools.
Neural development modelsAn experimental programme using zebrafish to study genes linked to neurodevelopmental disorders.

Your Plan to the Deadline

A suggested schedule working back from 2 December 2026. Adjust it to the stage your work has reached.

  1. By 7 Oct 2026

    Read the call documents; confirm eligibility, budget limits, assessment criteria and institutional requirements.

  2. By 21 Oct 2026

    Agree the research question, aims, team and partners; contact your research office.

  3. By 4 Nov 2026

    Draft the case for support, methods, impact and budget.

  4. By 18 Nov 2026

    Obtain internal review, letters of support and institutional sign-off.

  5. By 27 Nov 2026

    Final checks against the funder’s guidance and formatting rules.

  6. By 2 Dec 2026

    Submit through the funder’s system before the deadline.

What you gain

  • Funding for the research, team and resources it needs.
  • Recognition from a competitive, peer-reviewed process.
  • Reviewer feedback that strengthens future applications.
  • A track record for larger grants and fellowships.

What happens after you apply

  1. Eligibility check: the funder confirms the application meets the call rules.
  2. Peer review: external reviewers assess the proposal against the published criteria.
  3. Panel: a committee ranks proposals; some schemes include an interview.
  4. Decision: outcomes are released on the funder’s timetable.
  5. Award: successful applicants agree terms and reporting requirements before starting.

What the Funder Are Looking For

The PM ECRG seeks proposals from early-career researchers who have recently joined a regular academic or research post at a recognised Indian institution and wish to build an independent research programme. Strong proposals typically present an original, focused research plan, a realistic budget within the stated limit and evidence of the applicant’s potential. Applicants should confirm eligibility relaxations, submission steps and assessment criteria on the ANRF website.

Read the official pageThis guide summarises the opportunity. Confirm deadlines, eligibility and requirements on the official page before you plan your work, and record the date you checked it.Open the official page

Expert help

How Pubrica Can Help

Pubrica’s subject specialists can help you prepare a competitive proposal, planned back from the deadline. You remain the author of your work.

Grant writingProposal writing structured to the funder’s guidance and assessment criteria. Literature review and gap analysisThe evidence base and the gap your proposal addresses. Study designStudy design and methods that reviewers can assess. Statistical analysis planSample size and analysis plans for the proposal. Data management planData management and sharing plans to funder requirements. Proposal editingEditing of the full proposal for clarity and consistency.
Go to the official page

FAQs

Questions Researchers Ask

The next published deadline is 2 December 2026. Dates can change, so confirm them on the official page before you plan your work.

The stated eligibility requires applicants to apply within two years of joining, so those outside this window may not qualify. Check the current ANRF call documents for the precise rules and any relaxations that may apply.

Researchers up to 42 years of age (with relaxations) holding a regular academic or research post at a recognised Indian institution, applying within two years of joining; open across science and engineering disciplines including life sciences. Confirm the full eligibility rules in the call documents.

Yes. Pubrica’s specialists can review, write, edit and format your proposal. You remain the author and the person responsible for the submission.

Sources

  1. Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). (2026). Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant (PM ECRG). Retrieved 10 November 2026, from https://anrf.gov.in/

How to cite this page

Pubrica Insights. (2026). Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant (PM ECRG). Pubrica. https://pubrica.com/insights/calls-and-conferences/prime-minister-early-career-research-grant-pm-ecrg/

  • ANRF
  • Early career
  • India
  • Life sciences
  • Research grant

Other Open Funding Calls

Closes 19 November 2026FAPESP Young Investigator Grant for International ResearchersBrazil Closes 24 November 2026MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026 (HORIZON-MSCA-2026-DN-01)International Closes 30 November 2026First in the World Challenge Grants 2026India

All calls, conferences and fundingGrant writing

Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant (PM ECRG)Next deadline 2 December 2026

Official page
Get a free quote

Regulations

Check your project against this rule

  1. 1Your work
  2. 2Your details
  3. 3Send
What do you need?

Material you send is held under signed confidentiality, with access limited to the assigned team and encrypted transfer. It is not used to train anything and is not passed to third-party tools. Ask for the agreement before you send anything you would rather cover first.