IndiaBioscience launched the Young Investigators’ Meeting (YIM) in 2009 as its flagship annual event to foster collaboration, mentorship, and networking within the life science community in India. Over the years, it has played a pivotal role in shaping the careers of many early-career researchers across the country while promoting scientific excellence in India. The YIM series encourages open discussions, non-hierarchical interactions, and offers strong support for young scientists.
This year, IndiaBioscience organised YIM 2025, in partnership with the Shiv Nadar Institute of Eminence (SNIoU), Greater Noida. The organising committee included Karishma Kaushik, IndiaBioscience; Karthick Balasubramanian,Agharkar Research Institute; Anil Kumar Challa and Rohini Garg from the SNIoU, along with the IndiaBioscience team, interns, and volunteers.
Over five days, YIM 2025 provided a platform to young investigators (YIs) from India and postdoctoral fellows (PDFs) from institutions worldwide to engage with mentors, senior scientists, and institutional representatives (IRs) from across India. The meeting was structured into two parts: the first three days focused on the YIM component, featuring keynote lectures, mentor talks, spotlight and special talks, poster sessions, and panel discussions. The last two days concluded with the PDF satellite meeting.
On life science research ecosystem in India
Kaushik opened the session by introducing IndiaBioscience’s unique role in supporting life sciences research across India. In the welcome address, LS Shashidhara, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru, encouraged the emerging scientific community to stay hopeful and passionate despite the growing challenges in global scientific funding.
Delivering the keynote lecture, Sanjay Kumar Mishra from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) outlined India’s scientific vision and ecosystem for the next decade. “The boundaries of fundamental life sciences are expanding,” he noted. He emphasised how DBT’s latest graduate initiative, the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC), is fostering interdisciplinary integration of biology with technology.
Lessons from mentor talks
YIM 2025 brought together nine distinguished mentors — six from universities and research institutes across India and three international experts, including two from the Global South (Nepal and Taiwan).
This year’s mentors included Aarti Sevilimedu, Dr. Reddy’s Institute of Life sciences; Carl-Phillip Heisenberg, Institute of Science and Technology, Austria; Deepti Jain, Regional Centre for Biotechnology; Isheng Jason Tsai, Academia Sinica, Taiwan; Kaustuv Datta, University of Delhi; Ratna Ghosal, Ahmedabad University; Sameer Mani Dixit, Center for Molecular Dynamics, Nepal; Shamik Sen, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay; Siddhesh Kamat, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune. They shared their research journeys, reflecting on their paths from PhD studies to establishing their own research groups. Through their experiences, they offered valuable insights to budding researchers.
How to build a research group?
Establishing a successful research laboratory requires a combination of strong mentorship, strategic scientific exploration and collaborative synergy. Jain emphasised selecting relevant scientific questions as the foundation of a strong research group. Kamat further highlighted that hiring the right students who can ask the right questions is crucial for scientific progress. Sen added that allowing students to experience failure firsthand helps them learn, adapt, and grow in research. Heisenberg underscored the value of collaborating with individuals who challenge, guide, and inspire, fostering an environment for impactful interdisciplinary research.
Navigating the challenges in academia
A successful academic career comes with unique challenges, varying for each individual. In his talk for the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) Global Lecture Series (GLS), Jason Tsai encouraged researchers to embrace non-generic models to diversify scientific questions and broaden the scope of their studies.
Ghosal highlighted the importance of early adaptation and resilience in academia, describing it as a “survival of the fittest” environment where early independence is essential. Sevilimedu added another critical perspective, emphasising that
scientific solutions are not universal and that strong mentorship plays a key role in navigating the research landscape.
Budgeting when starting a lab
Dixit highlighted the unique challenges of conducting scientific research in Nepal, where obstacles themselves became research questions, ultimately driving the establishment of a leading research institute in the country. Datta talked about the importance of budget planning, advising that “planning your budget and identifying collaborative interests” can help ease early challenges in setting up a lab.
Overall, the mentors underscored the importance of financial foresight, strategic collaborations, adaptability, and strong mentorship in navigating the complexities of academia.
Decoding research funding — Insight from spotlight talks
YIM 2025 highlighted various external and internal funding opportunities. Rashna Bhandari, DBT-Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad, and a member of Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP), emphasised HFSP’s vision of fostering science beyond borders and supporting for interdisciplinary, innovative research. Leonor Teles-Grilo Ruivo, EMBO, Germany, discussed EMBO’s efforts to promote international mobility through a diversification approach. Neelanjana Sengupta, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, (IISER) Kolkata and a Humboldt fellow, explored diverse funding opportunities, highlighting the extensive family support offered by the Humboldt foundation.
Mishra underscored several underutilised Indian grant opportunities, comparing them to “a castle, with loose windows for you to penetrate and mark the trajectories.” Additionally, Shravanthi Rampalli, Ignite Life Sciences Foundation, outlined Ignite’s unique funding model, which incorporates an extended review process to better support scientific research.
Publish or perish? On academic publishing in life sciences
Rafal Marszalek, SpringerNature, UK, highlighted the ethical implications and the need for transparency in research publications. Furthermore, Madhurima Kahali, Taylor and Francis, expanded on the importance of openness in research, stressing its role in enhancing credibility. Lastly, Binay Panda, Jawaharlal Nehru University, highlighted the power of pre-prints urging researchers to, “do preprints, support science, and be vocal about it”.
Scientific research is incomplete without monetary support. Madhankumar Anandkrishnan, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, conducted a grant writing workshop, with detailed anatomy of writing a successful grant proposal. He emphasised having an interdependent project proposal for obtaining successful grants.
Broader engagement in life sciences in India
Fostering broader engagement enhances the evolution of scientific research in India. Surat Parvatam, Humane Society International, provided insights into the challenges of human transition research, highlighting the need for ethical and innovative approaches. Aditi Jain, American Society for Microbiology, introduced the One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) scheme by the Government of India, emphasising ASM journals’ complete support for ONOS.
Cait MacPhee, National Biofilms Innovation Centre, UK, advocated for stronger industry partnerships to create broader engagement opportunities. Finally, Sravanti Uppaluri, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, underscored the critical role of education in research training. She emphasised that “research should be a pedagogical tool to learn basic concepts.”
Together, these perspectives highlighted the multifaceted approach needed to expand engagement in life sciences, bridging gaps between academia, industry, and policy.
Effective research management and training
To foster mentorship and professional development, Balasubramanian led a breakout session focused on three key themes: establishing a research group, managing people and research effectively, and expanding the impact of scientific work. Participants were divided into 10 groups, each guided by mentors who facilitated discussions and provided insights. This brainstorming session generated multiple avenues of discussion, helping young investigators find practical solutions to common challenges in academia.
Further, Challa moderated a panel discussion on navigating the challenges of training students in academia. Panelists Bhandari, Datta, Ghosal, and Sanjeev Galande, SNIoE, shared their perspectives on curriculum evolution, cultural shifts in academia, and essential PhD requirements. Key takeaways from the discussion included the importance of equipping mentees with strong troubleshooting skills, upholding high ethical standards, ensuring inclusivity in training with equal opportunities for all, and fostering openness to constructive criticism.
The meeting concluded with closing remarks from Bhandari, who highlighted the dynamic changes in the scientific community. She emphasised the significance of community engagements like YIM in fostering cutting-edge research and strengthening scientific collaboration.
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