Biomedical Research Eligibility Test Syllabus 2024 (BRET Syllabus)

DHR-ICMR Non-Medical Fellowship for PhD 2024 –Biomedical Research Eligibility Test Syllabus is available here. You can download the PDF below.

The Biomedical Research Eligibility Test (BRET) will be held on 31-Jul-2024 (Tentative Date) for determining the eligibility of Indian National candidates for the award of junior research fellowship (JRF) through DHR-ICMR. The award of fellowship to the successfully qualified & eligible candidates will depend on their finding placement in a medical college/ hospital/ university/ national laboratory/ institution of national importance/ ICMR institutes/ centres as per the two categories given below:

A. To pursue doctoral degree from UGC-recognized universities/ research institutions/ institute of national importance in India.
B. To pursue the doctoral degree from 27 ICMR institutes/ centers, where in they will be registered for Ph.D. under the newly established AcSIR-ICMR Faculty of Medical Research.

A total of 500 fellowships would be awarded to work in the field of biomedical sciences/ health research. The fellowship duration will be for 5 years and the validity of the result will be of 2 years for placement in the ICMR funded projects. For more details about this test please read: Biomedical Research Eligibility Test 2024 (BRET) Notification. Please read on below for Biomedical Research Eligibility Test Syllabus 2024.

Scheme of Biomedical Research Eligibility Test:

The Test will consist of three parts. All the parts will consist of objective type, multiple
choice questions. There will be no break between papers. The subject-wise scheme of
examination is as per details below:

  • The test will consist of one paper of two hours duration.
  • The question paper will be divided into three sections A, B and C as per the Biomedical Research Eligibility Test Syllabus given below or in Annexure-IX (attached PDF).
  • All questions in each section are compulsory carrying one mark each.
  • Negative marking @0.25 will be made for each of the wrong answer.
  • Questions not attempted will be marked zero.

Biomedical Research Eligibility Test Syllabus – Pattern of Question Papers:

Biomedical Research Eligibility Test Syllabus- Section-A (Aptitude Section) comprising of 50 questions from the following areas:

  1. Reading Comprehension: Evaluate comprehension and interpretation skills across diverse fields.
  2. Reasoning Ability: Assess deductive reasoning, data interpretation, verbal and nonverbal reasoning.
  3. Analytical Ability: Analyze information systematically and logically, interpret data, and apply logical reasoning.
  4. Quantitative Ability: Evaluate logical reasoning, numerical analysis, and graphical interpretation.
  5. Quantitative comparison: Problem-solving through quantitative comparison and analytical reasoning

Biomedical Research Eligibility Test Syllabus- Section-B will be having 50 questions pertaining to cross-disciplinary areas and not from any specific domain but related to fundamental knowledge which is common to the topics listed below:

  1. Molecular basis of changes occurring in living cells.
  2. Cell structure and function including cell communication, signaling, growth,
    reproduction and differentiation.
  3. Basic understanding of physiological processes.
  4. Genetic inheritance and genomics
  5. Origin of life and evolution
  6. Biotechnological processes, techniques and applications
  7. Biosafety
  8. Bioethics
  9. Natural and acquired immune responses
  10. Common bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections

Biomedical Research Eligibility Test Syllabus- Section-C would comprise of 50 questions relevant to applied/analytical part of the biological processes from the eleven (11) specific disciplines/subjects as listed below, candidate will have to opt for only for one subject for this section:

  1. Microbiology (Bacteriology, Virology, Parasitology, Entomology, Mycology)
  2. Biochemistry
  3. Biostatistics
  4. Veterinary Science/Medicine
  5. Public Health
  6. Nursing
  7. Biotechnology
  8. Social Behavioral Sciences (Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology)
  9. Nutrition
  10. Pharmacology
  11. Biological Sciences (Life Sciences, Human Biology, Environmental Sciences,
    Zoology, Botany)

Biomedical Research Eligibility Test Syllabus of Subject for Part-C [50 questions]:

Questions relevant to applied/analytical part of the biological processes from specific disciplines/ subjects. Below are the main topics for which detailed topics are given in Biomedical Research Eligibility Test Syllabus PDF.

1. Biochemistry:

  • Molecules and their interaction relevant to biology
  • Introduction to biochemistry
  • Cell Biology and Molecular Biology
  • Enzymology and Metabolism
  • Biochemical Techniques and Instrumentation
  • Basics of immunology
  • Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
  • Proteomics and systems biology
  • Biochemical Techniques
  • Clinical Biochemistry
  • Biochemical correlation of Diseases

2. Biological Sciences (Life Sciences, Human Biology, Botany):

Life Sciences:
  • Developmental Biology and Physiology
  • Introduction to Applied Immunology
  • Principles of immunological techniques
  • Immunodiagnostics
  • Immunotherapy and Vaccines
  • Immunoengineering and Biotechnology
  • Ethical and Societal Implications
Human Biology:
  • Cancer genetics
  • Human disease biology
  • Human clinical genetics
  • Regenerative Medicine
  • Personalised medicine
  • Molecular basis of genetic testing
  • Management of genetic disorders
  • Techniques in human genetics
  • Aging
Botany:
  • Photosynthesis & Respiration
  • Plant hormones
  • Secondary metabolites
  • Principles and methods of taxonomy
  • Economic Botany & Ethnobotany
  • Stress physiology
  • Ecosystem
  • Economic Botany
  • Genetics
  • Plant molecular biology
  • Plant Physiology and Development
  • Ecology and Environmental Sciences

3. Biostatistics:

  • Basic biostatistics: Types of data, measurement, descriptive statistics
  • Probability concepts
  • Probability distributions: Binomial, Poisson, Normal, Chisquare, t, F
  • Sampling distributions
  • Estimation and hypothesis testing
  • Analysis of variance
  • Simple linear regression and correlation
  • Multiple regression and correlation
  • Multivariable regression techniques
  • Categorical data analysis
  • Non parametric distribution
  • Survival analysis methods
  • Vital statistics
  • Study designs
  • Quantifying the extent of disease in different study designs
  • Sample size and power

4. Biotechnology:

  • Proteins
  • Protein folding
  • Bioinformatics
  • Structural Bioinformatics, Molecular Modeling & Simulations
  • Drug discovery & CADD
  • Enzyme Kinetics
  • Elementary spectroscopy: Principles and applications
  • Basic and Applied Molecular biology
  • Cell biology
  • Membrane Biophysics
  • Analytical techniques and separation methods
  • Principle of chromatography

5. Microbiology (Bacteriology, Virology, Parasitology):

Bacteriology:

  • Bacterial cell structure and appendages
  • Bacterial cell wall and cell membrane
  • Bacterial cell division and reproduction
  • Bacterial genome
  • Bacterial secretion system

Virology:

  • Introduction to Virology
  • Virus Structure and Assembly
  • RNA directed RNA synthesis, Reverse Transcription and Integration, Translation and genome replication of DNA viruses
  • Virus Infections basics, interaction with host, acute and persistent infections
  • Vaccines and anti-Viral drugs, virus evolution and emerging viruses
  • Unusual Infectious Agents, viral cancer, transformation and oncogenesis
  • Virus Evasion strategies and investigation of virus outbreak

Parasitology:

  • General Parasitology
  • Molecular Parasitology

6. Nursing:

  • Nursing management
  • Nursing education
  • Nursing research
  • Research Methodology and Statistics
  • Clinical specialty (all five core specialties: medical surgical, pediatric Nursing, mental health nursing, OBG and community Health Nursing) including advanced nsg.

7. Nutrition:

  • Food Science & Analysis
  • Food Microbiology & Food Safety
  • Nutritional Biochemistry, Nutrient Requirements & Dietary Guidelines
  • Clinical Therapeutic Nutrition & Food Service Management
  • Community Nutrition

8. Pharmacology:

  • Pharmaceutics
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmaceutical chemistry
  • Pharmacognosy & phytochemistry

9. Public Health:

  • Epidemiology
  • Biostatistics
  • Research methods in public health
  • Disease epidemiology
  • Social and behavioural sciences in public health
  • Health policy and management
  • Public health programs
  • Environmental and occupational health
  • Public health nutrition
  • Ethics and laws in public health
  • Consumer behaviour, Demand and supply of healthcare and elasticities, Grossman model and health disparities
  • Features of health care markets – imperfections – Government interventions
  • Efficiency and equity in health care
  • Building blocks of health system, health care financing and insurance
  • Economic evaluation methods (cost minimisation, cost-effectiveness, and cost-benefit analysis)
  • Indian Health system- Reforms and challenges

10. Social Behavioral Sciences:

  • Introduction
  • Brain and Mind in Human Communication and Behaviour
  • Development of Cognitive Competence
  • Social, Emotional, and Linguistic Cognition
  • Theoretical Perspectives: Behaviourism vs Cognitivism
  • Research Methodology for Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • Ethical Issues in Social, Behavioral, and Cognitive Research

11. Veterinary Science/Medicine:

  • Fundamentals of Veterinary Sciences
  • Principles of livestock management
  • General pathology
  • Principles of pharmacology
  • Identification and classification of animal parasites
  • Principles of veterinary epidemiology
  • Veterinary Medicine
  • Principles of veterinary surgery

You can download the information bulletin from official website wherein Biomedical Research Eligibility Test Syllabus is given as well.

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