Sat Sep 20 16:02:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the article, followed by a rewritten version as a news article:

**Summary:**

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is proposing a new system called the Impact of Research and Innovation Scale (IRIS) to measure the impact of biomedical and health research projects it funds. IRIS uses “publication-equivalents” (PEs) to quantify impact, assigning values based on different outcomes like publications, policy citations, patents, and commercialization. While this aims to standardize impact assessment and incentivize diverse research, concerns are raised. Critiques include the lack of a theoretical basis for PEs, the potential for skewing value away from basic science and towards commercialization, and the risk of exacerbating existing issues with research ethics. The author emphasizes the need for transparency, rigorous development, and validation of the IRIS system to ensure it serves the public good.

**News Article:**

**India’s ICMR Introduces Novel System to Measure Research Impact, Sparks Debate**

**New Delhi, September 20, 2025** – The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is set to overhaul how it assesses the impact of its funded research projects with the introduction of the Impact of Research and Innovation Scale (IRIS). This new system, detailed in a recent announcement, utilizes “publication-equivalents” (PEs) to quantify the impact of research, assigning values to outcomes like publications, policy citations, patents, and commercially available devices.

Under IRIS, a research paper in a peer-reviewed journal receives 1 PE, while citation in policies or guidelines gets a significant boost to 10 PEs. Patents are valued at 5 PEs, and successful commercial devices in use are assigned the highest value of 20 PEs. ICMR hopes this standardized approach will allow for a more comprehensive evaluation of research across disciplines and incentivize researchers to pursue projects with tangible real-world applications.

“IRIS aims to provide a uniform framework for assessing diverse research efforts, moving beyond simple citation counts,” stated an ICMR spokesperson. “We believe this will encourage researchers to engage in impactful work that directly benefits public health.”

However, the proposed system has already ignited debate within the scientific community. Critics raise concerns about the theoretical justification for the specific PE values and the potential for unintended consequences. Specifically, the weighting could devalue fundamental research and prioritize commercialization over public good.

“While incentivizing practical applications is important, we must ensure that basic scientific inquiry is not overlooked,” warns Siddhesh Zadey, co-founder of the Association for Socially Applicable Research (ASAR). “The current weighting system could discourage researchers from pursuing critical, but less immediately marketable, avenues of investigation.”

Further concerns focus on the potential for IRIS to be manipulated or to exacerbate existing ethical challenges within Indian research. Transparency in the development and validation of IRIS, including independent analysis of the data, are crucial to ensuring its integrity and effectiveness.

The ICMR is currently piloting IRIS across its institutions, citing positive initial feedback. The final implementation of IRIS could significantly reshape the landscape of biomedical and health research funding in India. Scientists and researchers are urging the ICMR to proceed with caution, ensuring that the system promotes both innovation and ethical scientific practice.

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