ICSSR Doctoral Fellowship

What is the ICSSR Doctoral Fellowship?

The ICSSR Doctoral Fellowship is a research support scheme run by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education. According to the ICSSR fellowship guidelines, the scheme helps meritorious full-time PhD scholars in the social sciences complete their doctoral research by providing a monthly stipend and a contingency grant.

The ICSSR Doctoral Fellowship pays a stipend of Rs 20,000 per month together with a contingency grant of Rs 20,000 per year. The full-term fellowship is awarded for up to two years, initially for one year and renewed for a second year on satisfactory progress. Alongside the full-term fellowship, ICSSR also offers a short-term doctoral fellowship of six months (or until thesis submission), which carries a consolidated grant valued around Rs 62,500 for scholars close to completing their thesis.

The scheme is aimed strictly at social science disciplines — economics, sociology, political science, history, psychology, geography, public administration, commerce and allied fields. It is not open to the natural sciences, engineering or the humanities outside the social science ambit.

Who is eligible for the ICSSR Doctoral Fellowship?

You can apply if:

• You are an Indian citizen.
• You are under 40 years of age (relaxed by five years for SC/ST/OBC-NCL and PwD candidates).
• You are a full-time PhD scholar registered in a social science discipline at a UGC-recognised university or an institute of national importance.
• You scored at least 55% marks at post-graduation (relaxed by 5% for SC/ST/OBC-NCL and PwD candidates).

You cannot apply if:

• You are over the age limit for your category.
• You are enrolled part-time or as an external/distance PhD candidate rather than full-time.
• Your PhD is in a discipline outside the social sciences.
• You already hold another fellowship or a paid appointment. A fellow is not allowed to draw a second fellowship or hold a paid job while receiving the ICSSR grant, apart from limited teaching of up to six hours a week.

ICSSR guidelines generally give preference to UGC-NET qualified candidates and allow a limited number of fellowships to go to strong non-NET candidates based on the merit of the research proposal. Because these details are revised each cycle, applicants should read the specific guidelines for the year they apply.

What documents are required for the ICSSR Doctoral Fellowship?

How to apply for the ICSSR Doctoral Fellowship

1. Watch for the annual call. ICSSR announces the doctoral fellowship call on its website each year with detailed guidelines and a closing date.
2. Read the year's guidelines. Confirm eligibility, the number of fellowships, NET preferences and the list of annexures for the current cycle.
3. Register and fill the online form. Complete the application in the prescribed format on the ICSSR portal, entering your personal, academic and research details.
4. Upload the annexures. Attach scanned copies of your mark sheets, PhD registration proof, research proposal, endorsements and category certificate (if applicable).
5. Route through your institution. Ensure your supervisor and the head of your department/institution forward and endorse the application as required.
6. Submit before the deadline and keep the acknowledgement for tracking.

How much does the ICSSR Doctoral Fellowship provide?

The full-term fellowship provides Rs 20,000 per month as stipend and Rs 20,000 per year as a contingency grant to cover research-related expenses such as books, field work and data. The fellowship runs for up to two years. The short-term fellowship, for scholars near submission, is valued at a consolidated amount of around Rs 62,500 for a six-month period.

Conditions attached to the fellowship

• The fellow must pursue the PhD full-time and cannot hold any other paid appointment or a second fellowship during the tenure.
• Teaching of up to six hours a week is permitted with institutional permission and does not count as a paid appointment.
• Renewal of the second year depends on satisfactory progress certified by the supervisor and institution.

Help and where to verify

ICSSR publishes the doctoral fellowship guidelines, the online application link and contact details for its Research Fellowship Division on icssr.org. Because the stipend amount, age limit, NET preference and number of fellowships are set afresh in each year's guidelines, always confirm the figures in the current-year notification before applying rather than relying on an earlier cycle.