INSPIRE (Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research)

What is the INSPIRE scheme?

INSPIRE (Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research) is a flagship programme of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology. According to DST, the programme aims to "attract young talent to opt research as a career", and it does so with a ladder of awards that starts in middle school and ends with an independent research position.

INSPIRE is best understood as an umbrella, not a single scheme. A Class 8 student, a B.Sc. first-year student, a PhD scholar and a postdoctoral researcher apply to entirely different components, with different eligibility, different amounts and different application windows.

DST groups the programme under three components:

• SEATS; Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent, which includes the INSPIRE Internship science camps.
• SHE: Scholarship for Higher Education, for undergraduate and integrated master's students in basic sciences.
• AORC, Assured Opportunity for Research Careers, which contains the INSPIRE Fellowship (PhD) and the INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship (postdoctoral).

INSPIRE-MANAK, the school-level innovation award, runs alongside these.

Key objectives

• Attract talented students to basic and natural sciences at the point where they choose a degree.
• Guarantee a funded route from undergraduate study through a PhD to an independent research position.
• Build a national pool of researchers without relying on a single competitive examination.
• Foster a culture of innovation in schools through INSPIRE-MANAK.

What are the INSPIRE components and how much do they pay?

INSPIRE Internship (under SEATS)

INSPIRE Internship targets the top 1% of Class X board students, in the 16-17 age group, and reaches about 50,000 students a year. Selected students attend five-day science camps with lectures by practising scientists and hands-on experiments. There is no cash scholarship attached.

Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE)

SHE is the best-known component. DST awards 12,000 scholarships a year to students in the 17-22 age group, each worth Rs 80,000 per year, made up of Rs 60,000 as scholarship and Rs 20,000 as a mentorship grant that funds a summer research attachment with a working scientist.

The scholarship is tenable for study in natural and basic sciences at B.Sc., B.S., Int. M.Sc. or M.S. level. Eligible subjects include Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, Statistics, Geology, Astrophysics, Astronomy, Electronics, Botany, Zoology, Biochemistry, Anthropology, Microbiology, Geophysics, Geochemistry, Atmospheric Sciences and Oceanic Sciences.

INSPIRE Fellowship (under AORC)

INSPIRE Fellowship supports 1,000 PhD scholars a year in the 22-27 age group, across basic and applied sciences including engineering, medicine, agriculture and veterinary sciences. The fellowship is tenable for a maximum of five years or until the PhD is completed, whichever is earlier:

• Years 1-2 (JRF): Rs 37,000 per month + HRA + Rs 20,000 a year contingency.
• Years 3-5 (SRF): Rs 42,000 per month + HRA + Rs 20,000 a year contingency.

HRA is payable as per Government of India norms depending on the location of the host institution.

INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship (under AORC)

INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship offers 100 positions a year to PhD holders in the 27-32 age group, for five years of independent research. Each fellow receives Rs 1,25,000 per month with an annual increment of Rs 2,000, plus a research grant of Rs 35 lakh over five years at Rs 7 lakh a year.

The research grant may be used flexibly across budget heads, with travel and contingencies limited to 10% each and overheads to 5%.

INSPIRE-MANAK

INSPIRE-MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) targets school children aged 10-15 in Classes 6 to 10. All middle and high schools in the country may nominate five students online each financial year. One lakh selected ideas receive an INSPIRE Award of Rs 10,000 each.

Who is eligible for INSPIRE?

You can apply if:

• SHE: You are in the top 1% of your Class XII board examination of any State or Central board in India, or hold a rank within the top 10,000 in JEE or AIPMT, and are enrolled in B.Sc., B.S., Int. M.Sc. or M.S. in a natural or basic science subject, aged 17-22.
• INSPIRE Fellowship: You are a SHE scholar, or a first-rank M.Sc. holder with the required minimum aggregate, registered for a PhD, aged 22-27.
• INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship: You hold a PhD, are aged 27-32, and have a research proposal and a willing host institution in India.
• INSPIRE-MANAK: You are a student in Classes 6 to 10, aged 10-15, nominated by your school.

You cannot apply if:

• You are pursuing a professional degree such as B.Tech, MBBS, B.Pharm, BDS or an agriculture degree and are applying for SHE — the scholarship is restricted to natural and basic science degrees, regardless of your JEE or AIPMT rank.
• You are outside the age band for the component. The age limits are firm: 17-22 for SHE, 22-27 for the Fellowship, 27-32 for the Faculty Fellowship.
• You already hold another government scholarship or fellowship for the same course. INSPIRE awards cannot be held concurrently with another central or state fellowship for the same period of study.
• You are studying abroad. INSPIRE supports study and research at institutions in India.
• You are applying to INSPIRE-MANAK directly as a student. Nominations must come from the school.

What documents are required for INSPIRE?

How to apply for INSPIRE online

1. Identify the correct component for your stage; SHE for undergraduate basic science, Fellowship for a PhD, Faculty Fellowship for postdoctoral research, MANAK through your school.
2. Check the advertisement for that component on online-inspire.gov.in. Each component has its own window; there is no single annual INSPIRE deadline.
3. Register on the portal with a valid email address and mobile number, and create your applicant profile.
4. Fill the online application form for your component, entering academic details, subject of study and institution.
5. Upload the supporting documents; marksheets, rank card or eligibility certificate, admission proof and the signed endorsement form.
6. Get the Head of Institution endorsement submitted on the prescribed proforma. An application without institutional endorsement is not processed.
7. Submit before the closing date and save the application number for tracking.

There is no offline route and no application fee for any INSPIRE component.

How to check your INSPIRE application status

1. Log in to online-inspire.gov.in with your registered credentials.
2. Open the application dashboard for the component you applied under.
3. Check whether the status shows submitted, under scrutiny, recommended or sanctioned.
4. Write to the INSPIRE Programme Division at inspire.prog-dst@nic.in, prefixing the subject line with the component name, INTERNSHIP, SHE, FELLOWSHIP, FACULTY or GENERAL.

Common reasons INSPIRE applications are rejected

• Ineligible course, the single most common SHE rejection, where a student with a qualifying rank is enrolled in engineering or medicine rather than a basic science degree.
• Top 1% cut-off not met for the board route, or rank outside the top 10,000 for the entrance exam route.
• Missing institutional endorsement on the prescribed proforma.
• Age outside the component band on the reference date.
• Concurrent scholarship already held for the same course.

Help and contact

• INSPIRE helpline: 0124-6690020 and 0124-6690021, 09:00 to 17:30, Monday to Friday, excluding gazetted holidays.
• Email: inspire.prog-dst@nic.in, with the component name as the subject prefix.
• Postal address: INSPIRE Programme Division, Department of Science and Technology, Technology Bhavan, New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi 110016.

INSPIRE applications are free. DST does not appoint agents or consultants, and no payment is required to be considered for any component.