Application Deadline: 31 July 2021
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of India and TWAS have established a number of fellowships for foreign scholars from developing countries who wish to pursue research toward a PhD in emerging areas of science and technology for which facilities are available in the laboratories and institutes of the CSIR.
CSIR and TWAS will keep about 20% of 2021 awards for COVID-19 related research topics. These could be in the area of :I. Digital and Molecular Surveillance;II. Rapid and Economical Diagnostics;III. Repurposing of Drugs, Vaccine and Convalescent Plasma Therapy;IV. Hospital Assistive Devices and PPEs.
Applicants are encouraged to apply for the preliminary acceptance letter as early as possible, even before the opening date of the call. Keeping in mind that only Acceptance letters dated the same year as the year of application are eligible.
Programme Details
- TWAS-CSIR Postgraduate Fellowships are tenable in CSIR research laboratories and institutes in India for a maximum period of four years.
- Applicants may be registered for a PhD degree in their home country, or may enrol in a PhD course at any University in India.
- Eligible CSIR institutions: Information on CSIR laboratories and institutes can be obtained by following the links from the CSIR homepage (www.csir.res.in). Alternatively, a list of eligible institutes is available here.
- SANDWICH Fellowships (for those registered for a PhD in their home country): The Fellowship may be granted for a minimum period of 6 months and a maximum period to be decided by the host institute, but no greater than 3 years.
- FULL-TIME Fellowships (for those not registered for a PhD): The Fellowship may be granted for up to a maximum duration of 4 years.
- CSIR will provide a monthly stipend to cover for living costs, food and health insurance. The monthly stipend will not be convertible into foreign currency. In addition, Fellowship awardees are entitled to subsidized accommodation.
- The language of instruction for foreign scholars in CSIR laboratories/institutes is English.
Eligibility
Applicants for these fellowships must meet the following criteria:
- Be a maximum age of 35 years on 31 December of the application year.
- Be nationals of a developing country (other than India).
- Must not hold any visa for temporary or permanent residency in India or any developed country.
- Hold a Master’s degree in science and technology.
- Be regularly employed in their home country and hold a research assignment there.
- SANDWICH Fellowships: Be registered PhD students in their home country and provide the “Registration and No Objection Certificate” from the HOME university.
- FULL-TIME Fellowships: Be willing to register at a university in India within the first year, if agreed to by CSIR.
- Be accepted at a CSIR laboratory/institution and provide an official acceptance letter from the host institution (see sample Acceptance Letter that can be downloaded below or included in the Application Form). NB: Requests for acceptance must be directed to the chosen CSIR host institution(s), with copy to the CSIR contact person. This will allow CSIR to monitor requests and offer support or assistance in finding suitable host institution(s), if necessary;
- provide evidence of proficiency in English, if medium of education was not English;
- provide evidence that s/he will return to her/his home country on completion of the fellowship;
- not take up other assignments during the period of her/his fellowship;
- be financially responsible for any accompanying family members.
Submitting your application
- If already registered for a PhD in their home country, applicants should ensure that the Vice-Chancellor or Registrar of the HOME university signs a copy of the “Registration and No Objection Certificate” (see sample included in the Application Form), a copy of which should be sent to both CSIR and TWAS.
- Applicants should submit the acceptance letter from a CSIR institution to CSIR and TWAS when applying or by the deadline at the latest. Without preliminary acceptance, the application will not be considered for selection.
- Applications for the TWAS-CSIR Postgraduate Fellowship Programme can ONLY be submitted to TWAS via the online portal and copy of the submitted application must be sent to CSIR by email. A tutorial on how to use the online application form is available below for download.
- Please be advised that applicants may apply for only one programme per calendar year in the TWAS and OWSD portfolio. Applicants will not be eligible to visit another institution in that year under the TWAS Visiting Professor programmes. One exception: The head of an institution who invites an external scholar to share his/her expertise under the TWAS Visiting Professor programmes may still apply for another programme.
Results of the fellowship selection should be available toward the end of 2020 or early 2021, and selected candidates will be able to start their fellowship NO earlier than beginning of 2021.
Contact Details
• TWAS Fellowships Office
ICTP Campus, Strada Costiera 11
34151 Trieste, Italy
Phone: +39 040 2240-314
Fax: +39 040 2240-689
E-mail: fellowships@twas.org
• Dr (Mrs) ANURADHA MADHUKAR
Sr. Principal Scientist
International S&T Affairs Directorate (ISTAD)
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
Anusandhan Bhavan, 2, Rafi Marg, New Delhi 110 001
Tel: +91-11-23316751; Fax: +91-11-23739041
E-mail: anuradha@csir.res.in
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the TWAS-CSIR Postgraduate Fellowship Programme 2021
