ICSSR Grant-in-Aid for Professional Associations to Publish Research Journals

What is the ICSSR Grant-in-Aid scheme for research journals?

The Scheme of Grant-in-Aid for Professional Associations/Organisations of Social Scientists is run by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education, through its Research Survey and Publication division. According to the ICSSR, the scheme provides grants-in-aid to professional associations and organisations of social scientists: including universities, colleges and research institutes, for the publication or running of their research journal(s).

Academic journals in the social sciences are often published by scholarly associations or university departments that cannot cover printing, editorial and peer-review costs from subscriptions alone. This ICSSR scheme helps such institutions keep credible, peer-reviewed social science journals in print.

The most important thing to understand is that this is an institutional scheme. The applicant is the organisation that runs the journal, a registered association, university, college or research institute: not an individual author, editor or reader.

Who is eligible for the ICSSR journal grant?

An organisation can apply if it:

• Is a registered professional association or organisation of social scientists, or a university, college or research institute.
• Publishes or runs a research journal in the social sciences.
• Runs a peer-reviewed, academically credible journal (with an editorial board, review process and, typically, an ISSN).

Who cannot apply:

• Individual scholars cannot apply for a personal payment under this scheme. If you are an individual who wants help to publish your own thesis or research as a book, use the separate ICSSR Publication Grant/Subsidy scheme instead.
• Unregistered bodies or those with no genuine, peer-reviewed social science journal are not eligible.
• Non-social-science journals fall outside the scheme.

This is the single point readers most often get wrong: the scheme supports a journal run by an institution, and it is the institution that applies. There is no citizen application for a personal cash benefit here.

What does the scheme provide?

The benefit is a grant-in-aid toward the cost of publishing or running the research journal — for example editorial, printing and production costs, within the conditions ICSSR sets. According to the ICSSR, the support is provided to the association or institution, which remains responsible for the journal's academic standards and for accounting for the grant.

The exact ceiling and admissible costs are laid down by ICSSR in the scheme guidelines and are revised over time; they are not published as one flat figure. This guide therefore does not quote a single rupee amount, the applicant institution should check the current guideline in the Research Survey and Publication section of icssr.org.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the ICSSR journal grant

1. Read the scheme guideline in the Research Survey and Publication section of icssr.org to confirm eligibility, admissible costs, the ceiling and the documents required.
2. Register the institution and log in to the ICSSR applicant portal at app.icssr.org.
3. Open the Grant-in-Aid (research journal) application and enter the journal's details: title, ISSN, frequency and editorial board.
4. Upload the required documents: registration proof, peer-review policy, audited accounts/budget and journal issues.
5. Submit the application on behalf of the organisation. ICSSR assesses the journal's academic standing and the budget before sanctioning support.
6. Report and account for the grant as required, since continued support depends on the journal meeting ICSSR's conditions.

All communication and grant-in-aid bills are addressed to the concerned divisional head at ICSSR, as the Council advises on its website.

Help and contact

• ICSSR (headquarters): JNU Institutional Area, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi - 110067; phone +91-11-26741849 / 50 / 51.
• Applicant portal: app.icssr.org
• Scheme page: icssr.org/research-survey-publication

A note on scope

This is a narrow institutional grant, not a public benefit, and its programme-level detail is limited by design. The operative ceiling and conditions live in the current scheme guideline. Because it serves a small number of scholarly journals, it may read better as a section within a broader guide to ICSSR research and publication support than as a standalone page. Institutions should verify the current terms on icssr.org, and individuals should note plainly that they cannot apply for a personal benefit here.