New Delhi: The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences, along with the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine, has launched a programme to promote robust clinical studies in priority areas of Ayurveda, through mutual collaboration with Ayurveda academic institutions and hospitals. Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences Director General Prof Rabinarayan Acharya said SMART 2.0 (Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda Research among Teaching Professionals) aims at safety, tolerability and adherence to Ayurveda formulations in the priority research areas of malnutrition, insufficient lactation, abnormal uterine bleeding, osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and Diabetes Mellitus II.The council is an apex organisation for the formulation, co-ordination, development and promotion of research on scientific lines in Ayurveda, functioning under the Union Ministry of Ayush.The objective of SMART 2.0 is to generate tangible evidence to demonstrate efficacy and safety of Ayurveda interventions, using interdisciplinary research methods and translating it into public health care, Acharya said.Around 10 diseases were covered under SMART 1.0, with the active participation of teaching professionals from 38 colleges.Ayurveda academic institutions interested in taking up collaborative research activities have been asked to submit expressions of interest in the prescribed format available on the council's website.