Food Allergy is an abnormal immunological response to certain foods in susceptible subjects. It is estimated that 4 percent of adults and 8 percent of children may be allergic to one food or the other at any time. There is a need for studies on the incidence, experimental approaches, and therapeutic aspects of food allergy for its treatment and management.

Taking this into account, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has solicited R&D proposals in identified thrust areas, starting from the generation of prevalence and incidence of food allergy in India. Also, the generation of prevalence data from community or population representative of entire country; development of structured and harmonized protocol for a pilot study that may be used in subsequent all India study.

Other research proposals could be to find out the Clinical spectrum of food allergy; multidisciplinary approaches having allergists as coordinators representing different regions of India; immunotherapy for food allergy.  Also, the experimental approaches towards food allergy; simultaneous detection methods of multiple food allergens; development of in vivo/ in vitro models for food allergy; development of non-invasive biomarkers for food allergy and studies of food allergy associated with newer diseases like (only suggestive) eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (non IgE mediated).

The proposals may be submitted by scientists or interdisciplinary groups working in recognised R & D Institutions. The proposals will be examined by constituted expert committee for consideration of financial support by DBT. These can be submitted online on Open DBT epromis website (http://dbtepromis.nic.in/login.aspx) by May 15, 2015.