KSCSTE Emeritus Scientist Scheme

What is the KSCSTE Emeritus Scientist Scheme?

Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) runs the Emeritus Scientist Scheme, abbreviated KSCSTE-ESS, to keep accomplished researchers in active science after they retire from formal service. KSCSTE is the apex science and technology body of the Government of Kerala, based at Sasthra Bhavan, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram.

The problem the scheme addresses is straightforward. A scientist retires at 60 or 62 with three decades of laboratory experience, a research group, running collaborations and often a half-finished line of enquiry. Retirement removes the salary, the laboratory access and the ability to hire a student, and the work stops, not because it has run its course but because the institutional scaffolding disappears overnight. KSCSTE-ESS rebuilds enough of that scaffolding for the researcher to continue.

According to the KSCSTE Emeritus Scientist Scheme page, the award carries a monthly fellowship of Rs 31,000 and an annual contingent grant of Rs 1,00,000, for a maximum period of 3 years. The awardee also has the option to appoint one Project Fellow to assist with the research, which matters a great deal in laboratory disciplines where a single pair of hands cannot run an experimental programme.

Key features

• Rs 31,000 per month fellowship for up to 3 years.
• Rs 1,00,000 per year contingent grant for consumables, travel and contingency.
• One Project Fellow may be appointed to assist the research.
• Research must be carried out at a KSCSTE R&D centre.
• One-time award; a previous Emeritus Scientist fellowship disqualifies.

Who is eligible for the Emeritus Scientist Scheme?

You can be considered if:

• You are a retired scientist or academician who is of Kerala origin, by birth or by domicile.
• You worked in reputed institutions and have a record of commendable scientific achievement.
• You are applying within 5 years of retirement. This is a hard window.
• You have at least 3 peer-reviewed papers in SCI-indexed journals with impact factor above 2.0, or at least one patent filed, in the last 3 years.
• You have secured agreement from a KSCSTE R&D centre to host the work, and the head of that institution will endorse the application.

You are not eligible if:

• You have already availed an Emeritus Scientist Fellowship from KSCSTE.
• More than 5 years have passed since your retirement.
• You have no Kerala origin or domicile.
• Your recent publication record does not meet the three-paper or one-patent test for the last 3 years. A strong career record from earlier decades does not substitute.
• You propose to carry out the research outside a KSCSTE R&D centre.
• You are still in regular service and have not yet retired.

The recency requirement is the criterion that most often surprises applicants. Scientists who wound down publishing in their final years of service, which is common for those who moved into administration, frequently find themselves outside the window even though their overall record is excellent.

What does the award provide?

Over the full three years, the fellowship component alone comes to Rs 11.16 lakh, with a further Rs 3 lakh in contingency, making the total value of a complete award roughly Rs 14 lakh excluding the Project Fellow's cost.

How to apply for the KSCSTE Emeritus Scientist Scheme

1. Identify and approach a KSCSTE R&D centre willing to host your research, and agree the scope of the work with the institution's head. Do this first, without institutional endorsement the application cannot be completed.
2. Prepare the technical proposal with clear objectives, methodology, a year-by-year work plan, expected outputs and a budget mapped to the Rs 1,00,000 annual contingency.
3. Compile the publication record, listing the SCI-indexed papers from the last 3 years with impact factors, or the patent filing particulars.
4. Register on the KSCSTE proposal portal at submit.kscste.kerala.gov.in and create your applicant account.
5. Complete the Emeritus Scientist Scheme application form online, entering personal, academic and service details including your retirement date.
6. Upload the supporting documents — the applicant declaration, the head of institution endorsement, the technical proposal and the publication details.
7. Submit before the notified last date and save the acknowledgement and proposal number generated by the portal.

What happens after you apply

KSCSTE evaluates Emeritus Scientist proposals through expert scrutiny of the scientific merit of the proposal, the applicant's track record and the suitability of the host R&D centre. Shortlisted proposals are placed before the Council's evaluation committee. Successful applicants receive a sanction order setting out the fellowship period, the release schedule and the reporting obligations.

Continuation into the second and third year depends on an annual progress report and satisfactory assessment. Emeritus Scientists are expected to publish from the supported work and to acknowledge KSCSTE support in resulting papers. Utilisation certificates for the contingent grant must be furnished through the host institution.

How to check the status of your application

1. Log in to submit.kscste.kerala.gov.in with the credentials used at application and open the proposal record.
2. Note the proposal reference number shown on the acknowledgement.
3. For queries not answered by the portal, contact the Scientist-in-charge (KSCSTE-ESS) at Sasthra Bhavan, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram 695004, on +91 471 2548218.
4. Watch the Emeritus Scientist Scheme page on kscste.kerala.gov.in for cycle announcements and result notifications.

Why applications are rejected

• Applied beyond the 5-year post-retirement window. Not curable.
• Recent publication record falls short of 3 SCI papers with impact factor above 2.0, or one patent, in the last 3 years.
• No host institution endorsement, or a host that is not a KSCSTE R&D centre.
• Previously availed the fellowship.
• Weak or generic proposal that reads as a continuation of past work without a defined three-year plan and measurable outputs.
• Incomplete upload, a missing declaration or endorsement is treated as an incomplete application.

The strongest applications tie a specific, tractable research question to the facilities of a named KSCSTE centre and show why the applicant in particular is the person to answer it.

Key dates

For the most recent notified cycle, applications opened on 22 September 2025 and closed on 8 July 2026. KSCSTE announces each cycle separately on the Emeritus Scientist Scheme page, and the window has historically run for several months. Retiring scientists approaching the five-year limit should watch the page closely rather than wait for a general advertisement.

Help and contact

• Scientist-in-charge (KSCSTE-ESS): +91 471 2548218
• Address: Sasthra Bhavan, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram 695004
• Scheme page: kscste.kerala.gov.in/emeritus-scientist-scheme/
• Proposal portal: submit.kscste.kerala.gov.in

There is no application fee for the KSCSTE Emeritus Scientist Scheme, and no agent or consultant can influence its expert evaluation.