Vijayawada: The NTR University of Health Sciences is set to establish an Artificial Intelligence-based Disease Modelling and Decision Centre on its campus, expand research stipends to a wider pool of medical students, and enhance faculty research grants, Vice Chancellor Dr. Pullala Chandrashekhar announced at a press conference here on Monday.
The decisions, taken at the 244th Governing Body meeting held on March 17 under the chairmanship of Health and Medical Education Secretary Saurabh Gaur, are expected to cost approximately Rs. 22.13 crore annually and will remain in effect for three years, after which they will be reviewed and revised in keeping with the needs of the time.
The Vice Chancellor said the initiatives were in continuation of the steps being taken by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Health Minister Satyakumar Yadav to raise the standards of medical education in the state, and that the university was aligning its own decisions with that broader direction.
AI Centre with Gates Foundation and Singapore University Partnership
The proposed Disease Modelling and Decision Centre will be established in strategic partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and will use artificial intelligence for early prediction, prevention, and rapid response to disease outbreaks in the state. The university is also set to enter into a formal agreement with the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore, which will provide advisory and technical guidance on the centre's functioning and disease management priorities.
The centre will cost Rs. 5.73 crore in its first year, and approximately Rs. 3.70 crore annually thereafter. Official government orders formalising the arrangement are expected shortly.
Research Stipends Extended and Enhanced
In a significant expansion of its research support programme, the university has decided to provide stipends to at least 1,000 students annually — up from the current 500 — for short-term research projects. The stipend amount has also been revised upward, with each student now receiving Rs. 5,000 per month for six months, amounting to Rs. 30,000, compared to the earlier provision of Rs. 10,000 for two months.
Crucially, the benefit has been extended beyond allopathy to include students enrolled in Ayush, Dental, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Allied Sciences and other paramedical courses. Over the three-year period, approximately 3,000 students are expected to undertake short-term research projects under the scheme.
Faculty Research Grants Expanded Fivefold
The university has also substantially widened the scope of faculty research grants. Under the earlier arrangement, 25 faculty members from allopathy and dental streams were eligible for grants of Rs. 2 lakh each annually. Under the revised policy, eligibility has been extended to Ayurveda, Unani, Naturopathy and Homoeopathy faculty as well, taking the number of eligible researchers from 25 to 200. Individual grants will now range between Rs. 2 lakh and Rs. 5 lakh, depending on the significance of the research paper.
Sports Fund and Alumni Engagement
Each government medical college affiliated to the university will receive Rs. 10 lakh annually for the conduct of sports events and development of grounds, with the objective of ensuring the physical and mental well-being of students alongside their academic pursuits.
A separate allocation of Rs. 10 lakh per college for three years has also been earmarked to strengthen alumni engagement. The university will serve as a bridge between colleges and their former students — many of whom hold senior positions across the country and abroad — with a view to channelling their expertise and support towards institutional development.
Round-the-Clock E-Resource Access
Through the NTR Med-Net Medical Online Services Consortium, the university has launched a 24-hour e-resource platform at a cost of Rs. 3 crore, providing students and faculty across allopathy, dental and Ayush colleges with access to journals, videos and other research material. Director of Publications Dr. K. Sudha said the platform would prove particularly valuable to those with an active interest in research.
The press conference was also attended by Registrar Dr. T. Sai Sudhir, Director of Research and Development Dr. M. Lakshmi Suryaprabha and Controller of Examinations Srikanth.
