The Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has secured approval for six high-impact biomedical research projects under a specialised grant initiative of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), with total funding of approximately ₹15 crore.

The newly approved projects focus on major healthcare priorities, including early detection of gallbladder cancer, next-generation solutions for antimicrobial resistance (AMR), diagnostics for post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis, paediatric septic shock, and precision oncology for renal cell carcinoma. The funding will support extensive cohort studies, precision clinical trials, multi-omics biomarker discovery and advanced laboratory analysis.

The research programmes will involve collaboration across BHU’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Science and engineering departments, reflecting a multidisciplinary approach to biomedical innovation. The six projects are expected to strengthen translational research by connecting clinical investigation with advanced laboratory science and patient-care applications.

The announcement comes amid growing research activity at BHU. According to the university’s reported update, faculty members submitted more than 200 research project proposals over the past six months to various funding agencies, with decisions on several proposals still awaited.

BHU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi said the university is working to strengthen medical research alongside its patient-care infrastructure, with a focus on translating scientific discoveries into improved healthcare outcomes.

Prof. Manoj Pandey, Dean of Research at the Institute of Medical Sciences, highlighted BHU’s focus on expanding extramural research funding and building a stronger research ecosystem capable of contributing to institutional excellence and wider societal benefit. Meanwhile, Prof. S.N. Sankhwar, Director of the Institute of Medical Sciences, described the six ICMR grants as a significant recognition of the institute’s efforts to advance patient-centric and clinically relevant research.

With approximately ₹15 crore in funding across six biomedical projects, the latest grants are expected to support research into cancer diagnostics, infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance and critical care areas that remain central to India’s evolving healthcare and biomedical research priorities.

The development also reinforces BHU’s position as a major academic and medical research institution. Founded in 1916, the university continues to expand its research activity across medicine, life sciences and allied disciplines.