D. D. Kosambi Research Fellowship Scheme

What is the D. D. Kosambi Research Fellowship Scheme?

The D. D. Kosambi Research Fellowship Scheme is a research fellowship of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Goa. The scheme funds Goan scholars to undertake sustained research on the society, economy, polity, history, art and culture of Goa.

The fellowship carries the name of Damodar Dharmananda Kosambi (1907–1966), the mathematician, Sanskritist and historian born in Goa whose work on ancient Indian history reshaped how the subject is studied. Naming the scheme after him sets its temper: the Directorate is looking for research that is rigorous and interdisciplinary, not local antiquarianism.

Three fellowships are awarded each year: up to one at junior level, up to one at senior level and up to one at post-doctoral level.

How much does the Kosambi Fellowship pay?

Each award is made on a case-to-case basis, and the amount of the fellowship is assessed on the recommendation of the selection committee after the scholar submits the project. The published figures are therefore ceilings.

The enhanced rate of up to Rs 30,000 a month is available to an applicant who undertakes to complete the research work on a full-time basis. In such cases the research period is fixed by the selection committee rather than capped at two years.

Who is eligible for the Kosambi Fellowship?

You can apply if:

• You have completed post-graduation and are up to 35 years of age, this is the junior category.
• You have completed post-graduation and are above 35 years of age. This is the senior category.
• You have completed a PhD. This is the post-doctoral category, and there is no age bar in it.
• Your research topic is closely connected to Goa, and you can show residence in Goa.

You cannot apply if:

• You have not completed post-graduation. A bachelor's degree does not qualify for any category.
• You have already held a Kosambi Fellowship in the same category. The fellowship is awarded to a scholar only once in a lifetime under each category.
• Fewer than 10 years have passed since you submitted a project under another fellowship of the Directorate. A fellow is not eligible for any other fellowship offered by the Directorate in any other category for 10 years from the date of submission of the project.
• Your research topic has no close connection to Goa. Only topics closely connected to Goa are accepted, though authentic topics pertaining to Goa may be considered at the selection committee's discretion.

Note the exclusion carefully: it is not a bar on applying again in a different Kosambi category, but a 10-year cooling-off against other Directorate fellowships. Read it against your own record before you file.

What are the objectives of the scheme?

The Directorate of Art and Culture states three objectives:

• To encourage Goan scholars to undertake research in the areas of society, economy, polity, history, art and culture of Goa.
• To create, promote and develop research activities in the State of Goa.
• To promote interdisciplinary research programmes in colleges and universities.

The third objective matters when framing a proposal. A project that crosses disciplines: history with archaeology, sociology with economics, art history with material culture — reads directly onto a stated aim of the scheme.

What documents are required?

1. One passport-sized photograph.
2. Birth certificate, photocopy attested by a Gazetted Officer.
3. Caste certificate.
4. Fifteen years certificate of residence in Goa, or proof of residence in Goa such as a school leaving certificate.
5. Certificate of passing of maximum qualification, the post-graduate degree, or the PhD for the post-doctoral category.
6. Detailed expenditure. The research budget.
7. Work details, the project itself.
8. Aadhaar card copy.

The detailed expenditure statement deserves care. Since the fellowship amount is assessed by the selection committee after the project is submitted, a budget that is specific about archival access, field travel, transcription and publication costs supports a stronger recommendation than a bare monthly figure.

How to apply for the D. D. Kosambi Research Fellowship

1. Visit the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Goa, 5th floor, Shram Shakti Bhavan, Patto, Panaji, Goa 403001.
2. Take a print of the proforma of the application form for the scheme, or request a hard copy from the concerned authority.
3. Fill in all mandatory fields, paste a passport-sized photograph signed across the corner, and self-attest the document copies where required.
4. Attach the work details and the detailed expenditure statement, along with the qualification, residence, birth and caste certificates and the Aadhaar copy.
5. Submit the duly filled and signed application form along with the documents to the ACO-II, Directorate of Art and Culture, telephone 0832-2404623, email aco3-dac.goa@nic.in.

How are fellows selected?

A selection committee constituted for the purpose by the Directorate assesses the applications. The committee decides which topics qualify as closely connected to Goa, recommends the fellowship amount for each selected scholar, and, in the case of a full-time researcher on the enhanced rate, fixes the research period.

Because only one fellowship is available in each category each year, the competition is between applications within a category rather than across the whole field. A 34-year-old post-graduate competes in the junior category; the same person a year later competes in the senior category against a very different group.

When can I apply?

The Directorate has not published a standing annual deadline for this scheme. Applications are invited through the Directorate's notices, and the Directorate's portal at artandculture.goa.gov.in carries the current scheme documents.

Check the portal and the office directly before preparing a file, since the Directorate runs several art and culture schemes with separate windows.

Why applications are unsuccessful

• Topic not closely connected to Goa, which is the first filter the committee applies.
• Qualification certificate missing, so the category cannot be fixed.
• Age documentation weak, the birth certificate must be attested by a Gazetted Officer, and the junior and senior categories turn on the age of 35.
• Residence in Goa not established, where neither a fifteen-year residence certificate nor a school leaving certificate is produced.
• Repeat award in the same category, which the lifetime rule bars.
• Within the 10-year exclusion period following an earlier Directorate fellowship.
• Expenditure statement absent or unrealistic, leaving the committee no basis to recommend an amount.

Where do I get help?

The Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Goa, 5th floor, Shram Shakti Bhavan, Patto, Panaji, Goa 403001, administers the scheme. The ACO-II handling this fellowship can be reached on 0832-2404623 or at aco3-dac.goa@nic.in. The Directorate's portal at artandculture.goa.gov.in publishes its scheme list and citizen charter.

The Government of Goa's public grievance route at goaonline.gov.in is available where a departmental reply does not settle a complaint.

Practical advice for applicants

• Pick your category deliberately. The lifetime rule means each category can be used once, so a scholar at 34 might reasonably ask whether to apply now in junior or wait and apply in senior.
• Write the proposal for a mixed committee, not for specialists in your own discipline. The scheme's own objectives favour interdisciplinary work.
• Be honest about full-time commitment. The Rs 30,000 rate is tied to undertaking the work full-time, and the committee sets the research period accordingly.
• Keep every receipt against the detailed expenditure you submitted. The Directorate assesses the fellowship against the project, and a clean expenditure record protects the final instalments.

How to check your application status

The Kosambi Fellowship is a paper-based scheme: there is no online portal where you log in to track a file number, so status checking runs through the Directorate office that received your application.

1. Note your submission details before you leave the office. When you hand in the form at the ACO-II counter, ask for an acknowledgement or a diary/inward number for your application. This is the reference you will quote in every follow-up.
2. Call the ACO-II desk directly. The concerned section can be reached on 0832-2404623. Quote your name, the category you applied under (junior, senior or post-doctoral) and, if you have it, the inward number.
3. Write to the Directorate by email at aco3-dac.goa@nic.in if you would rather have a written trail. Include the same details, and ask specifically whether your file has reached the selection committee or is still under document scrutiny.
4. Visit in person at the Directorate of Art and Culture, 5th floor, Shram Shakti Bhavan, Patto, Panaji, Goa 403001, if you are Goa-based and a call or email does not get a clear answer. Carry a copy of your submitted form and acknowledgement.
5. Check the Directorate's portal, artandculture.goa.gov.in, for any general notice about the current selection cycle or announcement of results, since award decisions and the constitution of the selection committee are sometimes notified there rather than communicated individually to every applicant.
6. Expect the update to come in stages rather than a single status label. Because the fellowship amount itself is fixed only after the selection committee reviews your project and budget, an applicant may first hear that the topic has been accepted as "closely connected to Goa," and only later learn the recommended fellowship amount and category outcome. A follow-up call that asks "has the committee met on my category yet" usually gets a more useful answer than a general "what is my status" query.

There is no SMS or app-based tracking for this scheme, so keep your acknowledgement number and follow up by phone or email at reasonable intervals rather than waiting for the Directorate to proactively update you.