TWAS-DBT Postgraduate Fellowship Program 2021/2022

Deadline: 20 September 2021
Open to: nationals of a developing country (other than India)
Benefits: monthly stipend to cover living costs, food, and health insurance

Description

Applications for the TWAS-DBT Postgraduate Fellowship Program 2021/2022 are now open. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of the Ministry of Science and Technology in India, and TWAS have established a fellowship program for foreign scholars from developing countries who wish to pursue research towards a PhD. in biotechnology.

The TWAS-DBT Postgraduate Fellowships are tenable at key biotechnology research institutions in India for a period of up to five years. Applicants may be registered for a Ph.D. degree in their home country or may enroll in a Ph.D. course at a host laboratory/institute in India.

Details

Sandwich Fellowships (for those registered for a PhD. in their home country): The Fellowship may be granted for a minimum period of 12 months and a maximum period of 2 years.
Full-time Fellowships (for those not registered for a PhD.): The Fellowship is granted for an initial period of up to 3 years. Such Fellowships may then be extended for a further 2 years, subject to the student’s performance. Candidates will register for their Ph.D. at a university in India. DBT will confirm any such extensions to both TWAS and the candidate.

Eligibility

Be a maximum age of 35 years on December 31 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 or equivalent degree in science or engineering.
For SANDWICH Fellowships, be registered PhD. students in their home country and provide the “Registration and No Objection Certificate” from the HOME university (sample is included in the application form); OR
For FULL-TIME Fellowships; be willing to register at a university in India.
Be accepted at a biotechnology institution in India. Requests for acceptance must be directed to the chosen host institution(s), and NOT to DBT.
Provide evidence of proficiency in English, if the 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.

Benefits

DBT will provide a monthly stipend to cover living costs, food, and health insurance. The monthly stipend will not be convertible into foreign currency.
In addition, the fellowship holder will receive a house rent allowance.

How to apply

No applications will be accepted after the deadline. Therefore, it is recommended to submit your electronic application as early as possible.
Applications for the TWAS-DBT Postgraduate Fellowship Program can ONLY be submitted to TWAS via the online portal.
For SANDWICH Fellowships (only if already registered for a Ph.D. in the HOME country) applicants should ensure that the Vice-Chancellor or Registrar of the university sends a signed copy of the “Registration and No Objection Certificate” on institutional headed paper to TWAS.
Applicants should submit the Acceptance Letter from an Indian biotechnology institution to TWAS when applying online. Without preliminary acceptance, the application will not be considered for selection.
Reference letters must be on letter-headed paper and SIGNED by the referee. The subject line must contain the name DBT/PG/ and the candidate’s surname. N.B. Only signed reference letters can be accepted.
Should you have applied to or availed of any Indian fellowships (especially INSA JRD TATA and JNCASR-CICS) in the current or previous year this must be clearly specified in the application form.

Click here to apply

For more information, please visit the official webpage.