Focus Area – Prerna

The next phase

PRERNA 3.0 will focus on

Building on the success of PRERNA 1.0 and 2.0, we propose the continuation and expansion of this collaborative platform (PRERNA 3.0) across the three partner institutes. The next phase will focus on:

Sustained Mentorship and Joint Training

A structured, multisite mentorship model that provides collective guidance to early-career researchers.

Pooling of Interdisciplinary Talent

The platform will bring together diverse types of expertise across institutes to promote cross-disciplinary research and innovation.

Strengthening Research Capacity

By nurturing young investigators, PRERNA will ensure a sustained pipeline of competent researchers equipped to tackle national and global health challenges.

A sustained, collaborative research training ecosystem nurturing the next generation of public health leaders, aligned with national and global health priorities.

Advancing research in priority areas — maternal and child health, infectious diseases, nutrition and implementation science

Shaping evidence-based health policies to address national health challenges

Influencing global health research through high-impact contributions to science, policy and practice

Components

Integrated into every activity

Seven components applied across all PRERNA 3.0 activities to create maximum impact in national and global health.

Component 01

Strategic alignment with national health priority

Component 02

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Component 03

Capacity building of early career researchers and health system professionals

Component 04

Ethical research practices

Component 05

Knowledge dissemination to stakeholders

Component 06

Policy advocacy

Component 07

Global and national collaboration

Programme structure

The first six months will be utilised for the development of a structured early career researchers’ programme, formation of the Technical Advisory Group, and hiring of early career researchers. The 48-month long young investigators training programme will start after this period. The annual TAG review will be followed by an intramural call for proposals. Each TAG review meeting will be preceded by an in-person workshop or science meeting. The last three months of the programme are to be used to write the programme report. 

Meetings and touchpoints

01One in-person annual meeting with TAG members to review ongoing projects and YI progress

02Virtual or in-person science meetings and workshops, alongside structured coursework

03Collaborative training programmes and in-depth cross-site immersion

04Periodic meetings with Mentorship Advisory Committee members at site level

Expected outcomes

What PRERNA 3.0 will deliver

30 +

Early career researchers trained through structured programmes and mentored by national and global experts

15 +

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses aligned with policy priorities

3 +

Multi-site research proposals developed and submitted for national or global funding

Enhanced institutional capacity for interdisciplinary public health research