BENGALURU: Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies has announced a grant of Rs 100 crore to the NIMHANS and National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), to set up the Centre for Brain and Mind (CBM). The grant will enable long-term research and practice to provide relief to patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, dementia and addiction.
An MoU was signed, under which the foundation will support the activities of the CBM for the next five years, starting in April. It will pursue long-term research and capacity building for both research and practice in the mental health field. Rohini Nilekani, chairperson, of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, said, “Mental health is an area that demands more attention and support.
The recent pandemic brought out this need even more starkly. The Centre for Brain and Mind hopes to build an ecosystem for the larger community of mental health practitioners. Its research on five critical disorders, which will no doubt be pathbreaking, will be open-sourced to allow more innovation in both academics and practice.”
Experts opined that the grant will strengthen existing research practices, allow the database and repository to become open source, and reach its potential of maximum utilisation by scientists all over the world. The capacity-building component of CBM’s work will entail better methods of public engagement, with interventions around severe mental illnesses, to reduce stigma and enhance awareness.