J.C. Bose Fellowship

What is the J.C. Bose Fellowship?

The J.C. Bose Fellowship is a national recognition for practising scientists with an exceptional research record. It is administered by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), which now houses the schemes formerly run by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) under the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology. The fellowship is named after the physicist and plant scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose.

According to the ANRF portal, the J.C. Bose Fellowship provides a personal stipend of Rs 25,000 per month over and above the fellow's regular income, a research grant of Rs 15 lakh per year, and Rs 1 lakh per year as overhead paid to the host institution. The award is meant to recognise and reward active scientists for their performance, and to give them the freedom and resources to pursue ambitious research.

The J.C. Bose Fellowship is not a scholarship for students and not an individual welfare benefit. It is a prestige award decided by nomination and peer assessment, and the money is tied to continued research output.

Key features

• Personal stipend of Rs 25,000 per month, in addition to the fellow's salary.
• Research grant of Rs 15 lakh per year to support the fellow's work.
• Rs 1 lakh per year as institutional overhead.
• Initial tenure of five years, extendable by another five years on review.
• Awarded by nomination only, with no direct application route.

Who is eligible for the J.C. Bose Fellowship?

A scientist can be nominated if:

• They are an Indian national working in an institution in India.
• They are an active scientist in service at the time of nomination.
• They have a record of outstanding performance, typically demonstrated by the award of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize and/or fellowship of a national science academy (covering science, engineering, agriculture and medicine).
• They are not availing any other fellowship, including a personal fellowship stipend and research grant, from any other Government source.

You cannot apply if:

• You are an individual seeking to apply on your own behalf. The fellowship is nomination-only and there is no self-application form.
• You are not currently employed at an Indian institution as an active scientist.
• You do not hold the level of recognition the fellowship requires; the award targets the top tier of the research community, so most researchers are not eligible even though the scheme is national in scope.

Students, research scholars and early-career researchers looking for stipends or scholarships should look instead at fellowships such as the Junior Research Fellowship, the Prime Minister's Research Fellowship or ANRF's other early-career grants, not the J.C. Bose Fellowship.

What documents are required for the J.C. Bose Fellowship?

How to apply for the J.C. Bose Fellowship

The J.C. Bose Fellowship has no direct application. It is awarded through a nomination and selection process. The steps below describe the real institutional route.

1. Secure a nomination. Nominations can be made by the head of an institution, a sitting J.C. Bose Fellow, or the president of a national science academy. A scientist cannot nominate themselves.
2. The nominator submits the proposal through the ANRF/SERB online system, attaching the nominee's CV, publication record and evidence of recognition.
3. Assessment by the Search-cum-Selection Committee, which reviews nominations periodically — typically twice a year, and recommends awardees.
4. Award and disbursement. Selected fellows receive the monthly stipend, research grant and institutional overhead for the five-year term, with funds routed through the host institution.

Because nominations are accepted throughout the year, there is no single deadline; a strong nomination can be submitted at any time.

How much does the J.C. Bose Fellowship provide?

The J.C. Bose Fellowship provides three components. The personal stipend is Rs 25,000 per month, paid in addition to the fellow's regular salary. The research grant is Rs 15 lakh per year, meant to be spent on the fellow's research programme. The host institution receives Rs 1 lakh per year as overhead. The initial term is five years, and an extension of five more years is possible only after a rigorous review; a minimum of one in four applicants seeking an extension is not granted one.

How the selection works

A Search-cum-Selection Committee constituted by ANRF evaluates each nomination on the strength of the nominee's research output, standing in the field and potential for future work. The committee typically meets around twice a year. Because the pool is limited to scientists who already hold top national recognition, the fellowship functions as a career-capping honour rather than a broadly accessible grant.

Help and where to check details

• Official page: the J.C. Bose Fellowship section on the ANRF portal at anrfonline.in and the awards and fellowships page at serb.gov.in.
• Scheme guidelines and the nomination system are hosted on the SERB PRISM portal (prism.serbonline.in).

A specific toll-free helpline for the J.C. Bose Fellowship is not published on the official portal; queries should be routed through the ANRF/SERB contact channels on serb.gov.in. Amounts and terms above are as listed on the ANRF portal at the time of fact-checking and can be revised by ANRF; verify the current figures on the official page before relying on them.