Ramanujan Fellowship

What is the Ramanujan Fellowship?

Ramanujan Fellowship is a scheme run by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), which has subsumed the erstwhile Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB): under the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology. The fellowship is designed to attract brilliant Indian and Indian-origin scientists and engineers working abroad to return and take up research positions in Indian institutions.

According to the ANRF/SERB awards and fellowships page, the Ramanujan Fellowship offers a consolidated fellowship of Rs 1,35,000 per month (inclusive of the House Rent Allowance component), a research grant of Rs 7 lakh per year, and Rs 60,000 per year as overhead paid to the host institution. The fellowship is tenable for five years and is non-extendable. It is named after the mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan and sits alongside other ANRF fellowships such as the J.C. Bose and SERB Distinguished fellowships.

The purpose is reverse brain-drain: the scheme gives an established researcher based overseas a competitive salary, an independent research grant and an institutional home so that they can build a research group in India. The fellow can work in any of the scientific institutions, universities or national laboratories in India that agree to host them.

Who is eligible for the Ramanujan Fellowship?

You can be nominated if:

• You are a brilliant Indian or Indian-origin scientist or engineer working abroad at the time of nomination.
• You are below 40 years of age at the time of nomination.
• You hold a doctoral degree, Ph.D. in Science or Engineering, or a Master's in Engineering/Technology (M.E./M.Tech), or an M.D. in Medicine.
• You have a proven, outstanding research track record, as evident from your research publications.
• You have identified an Indian host institution willing to host you.

You cannot apply / are not eligible if:

• You already hold a permanent, tenure-track or regular contractual position in an Indian academic institution or laboratory at the time of nomination.
• You are not working abroad at the time of nomination.
• You are 40 years or older at the time of nomination.
• You are an individual seeking to apply directly — the fellowship is filed only through a host institution, not by the candidate alone.

A crucial condition follows selection: if a Ramanujan Fellow subsequently obtains any employment position in India, they become ineligible to continue drawing the fellowship and research grant and must relinquish the award. The fellowship is meant to support scientists during the transition back to India, not to supplement a regular Indian salary.

What documents are required for the Ramanujan Fellowship?

How to apply for the Ramanujan Fellowship

The Ramanujan Fellowship is not a self-application scheme. The route runs through a host institution, which acts as the nominator.

1. Identify and approach a host institution of your choice in India, a university, IISER/IIT, national laboratory or recognised research institute, and obtain its agreement to host you.
2. Register on the ANRF online portal at anrfonline.in (linked from serb.gov.in), where the host institution's head or authorised academic officer creates the nomination.
3. Complete the nomination form with the candidate's personal details, academic qualifications, current position abroad, research proposal and full publication record.
4. Upload the supporting documents: degree certificates, CV, proof of Indian/Indian-origin status, proof of the position abroad and the institutional hosting letter.
5. Submit the nomination online through the host institution's login before the cycle deadline. As per the portal, nominations for 2026 are received up to 31 December 2026, 5:00 pm.
6. Track the status on the portal; shortlisted candidates are assessed by ANRF's expert committee before the award is issued.

How much does the Ramanujan Fellowship provide?

The financial package, according to the ANRF/SERB portal, is:

• Fellowship: Rs 1,35,000 consolidated per month (including HRA).
• Research grant: Rs 7 lakh per year, to meet the direct costs of research.
• Overhead: Rs 60,000 per year to the host institution.
• Tenure: Five years, non-extendable.

The research grant is meant for consumables, contingencies, minor equipment, travel and other direct research expenses, subject to ANRF's grant norms. The overhead compensates the institution for the space and facilities it provides.

Help and where to get details

• ANRF/SERB portal: serb.gov.in and the online nomination portal anrfonline.in
• Portal technical support: support@anrfonline.in
• Phone: 011-26552179 / 011-26552197

Because the Ramanujan Fellowship is a competitive research fellowship rather than an entitlement, being nominated does not guarantee an award. Selection is based on the strength of the candidate's research record and proposal as judged by ANRF's committees. Candidates should confirm the current cycle's exact deadline and any revised financial terms on the official portal before applying, as ANRF periodically updates its fellowship norms.