ICSSR Post-Doctoral Fellowship

What is the ICSSR Post-Doctoral Fellowship?

The ICSSR Post-Doctoral Fellowship is a research fellowship awarded 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 supports scholars who have already completed a Ph.D. and wish to pursue full-time, independent research in the social sciences before moving into a regular academic career.

The ICSSR Post-Doctoral Fellowship pays Rs 31,000 per month for a fixed period of two years, together with a contingency grant of Rs 25,000 per annum to meet the cost of books, field work, data collection and academic travel. The fellowship is a full-time engagement, and the guidelines state clearly that no extension beyond two years will be considered.

ICSSR funds research across the recognised social science disciplines, economics, sociology, political science, psychology, public administration, social anthropology, education, commerce, management, law, geography, history and allied areas. The fellowship is meant to help early-career scholars convert doctoral work into publications, build an independent research profile, and contribute to policy and academic debate.

Key features

• Monthly fellowship of Rs 31,000 for two years, non-extendable.
• Annual contingency grant of Rs 25,000.
• Full-time research; no simultaneous job or second fellowship allowed.
• Awarded once in a lifetime per scholar.
• Administered through a public-funded affiliating institution.

Who is eligible for the ICSSR Post-Doctoral Fellowship?

You can apply if:

• You are an Indian citizen.
• You are not more than 45 years old on the last date of application. This ceiling is relaxed by five years, to 50 years, for SC, ST and Persons with Benchmark Disability candidates.
• You hold a Ph.D. in a social science discipline at the time of application. The degree must be awarded, not merely submitted or under evaluation.
• Your research competence is demonstrated through publications in the field.
• You can affiliate yourself to a public-funded institution. An Indian university, deemed-to-be-university or college with an approved Ph.D. programme, an ICSSR Research Institute, or a recognised government research institute, that agrees to host you for the fellowship.

You cannot apply if:

• You are over the age limit (45, or 50 for reserved categories).
• Your Ph.D. is still under evaluation and has not been awarded.
• You are a defaulter of any previous ICSSR fellowship, project or grant.
• You have already held this same fellowship — it is a one-time award.
• You are unable to commit to it full-time, because you hold a salaried job or another fellowship you are unwilling to relinquish.

The fellowship also requires guidance from a senior social scientist; at least of Associate Professor level, at the affiliating institution, so a scholar who cannot arrange such mentorship and institutional consent will not be able to complete the application.

What documents are required for the ICSSR Post-Doctoral Fellowship?

How to apply for the ICSSR Post-Doctoral Fellowship

1. Watch for the annual advertisement on the ICSSR website (icssr.org) and its official social media channels. Applications open only during the notified window, not throughout the year.
2. Go to the ICSSR application portal at app.icssr.org and register as a new user with your email and mobile number.
3. Fill in your personal, academic and publication details and upload your Ph.D. certificate, age proof and, if applicable, your category certificate.
4. Upload your research proposal in the prescribed format, along with the affiliation/consent letter from your host institution.
5. Review the completed application and submit it before the deadline. Save the acknowledgement or application number for future reference.

After submission, applications go through a multi-phase evaluation by subject expert panels. Selected candidates are informed through the portal and email, and must join the affiliating institution to begin the fellowship.

How much benefit does the ICSSR Post-Doctoral Fellowship provide?

The fellowship provides Rs 31,000 per month for 24 months, which works out to Rs 3.72 lakh a year in stipend, plus a contingency grant of Rs 25,000 per year for research expenses. The fellowship is usually sanctioned for one year at a time and renewed for the second year on satisfactory progress.

The amount is disbursed through the affiliating institution. In return, the fellow must submit six-monthly and annual progress reports, produce at least two peer-reviewed publications during the tenure, and acknowledge ICSSR support in all outputs. The copyright of the final research report vests with ICSSR.

Help and where to check details

Because the fellowship runs on an annual cycle, the exact deadline, number of fellowships and any revised amounts are published fresh each year in the ICSSR advertisement and guidelines. Always confirm the current figures on icssr.org before applying, and use the official portal app.icssr.org; ICSSR does not charge any fee for applying, and no agent can secure a fellowship on your behalf.