UGC asks higher education institutions to get registered on BioRRAP

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked higher educational institutions and their affiliated colleges/institutions to get registered on Biological Research Regulatory Approval Portal (BioRRAP).

The integrated portal-Biological Research Regulatory Approval Portal (BioRRAP)-has been initiated by the Government of India (GOI) to provide regulatory information to researchers and to facilitate approvals.

According to UGC, it is one-of-a-kind digital gateway intended to make science and scientific research more accessible as well as make it easier to create businesses. The information on international research projects as approved by all line Ministries/Departments of GOI is expected to be integrated with BioRRAP (with unique BioRRAP ID for each proposal).

It is pertinent to mention here that an Inter-Ministerial high-level committee- Health Ministry's Screening Committee (HMSC) was constituted in the early 1980s with an aim to carry out screening of all projects in the field of health research involving foreign assistance and/or collaboration as well as to periodically monitor the implementation and progress of bilateral agreements, extension of ongoing research projects and endorsement of transfer of human biological material.

With regard to Research Projects by entities falling under the category of Central/State Government, the relevant approvals will be dealt with by the concerned Ministry of the Government of India. State Governments have been requested to forward all such proposals to the concerned line Ministry of Government of India, said UGC in its notice.

In respect of Non-Government Organizations, the Health Ministry's Screening Committee, operated by DHR/ICMR, that has been reconstituted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will review the research projects involving international collaboration/funding in health research including studies in humans, animals, plants & environment.

“The higher educational institutions are requested to follow the above provisions strictly and get registered on the portal,” UGC added.