ICSSR Publication Grant Statistics: Grants Awarded Year by Year
· 1 min read · 7 official sources
The ICSSR had awarded 1,908 publication grants in all as on 31 March 2026, according to the key figures on its website. Its annual reports show 8 grants for research reports and doctoral theses in 2024-25, up from 4 in 2022-23 but below the 15 a year of 2020-21 and 2021-22. Year-wise figures are below.
ICSSR Scheme of Publication Grant/Subsidy for Doctoral Thesis, Research Reports and Papers: key numbers
Infographic
ICSSR publication grants for research reports and doctoral theses, by year
Number of beneficiaries of Publication Grants for Research Reports and Doctoral Theses in each financial year, from the summary table in each ICSSR annual report from 2020-21 to 2024-25 (all listed under sources).
| Financial year | Publication grants |
|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 15 |
| 2021-22 | 15 |
| 2022-23 | 4 |
| 2023-24 | 5 |
| 2024-25 | 8 |
Source: icssr.org, as on 31 March 2025
How a scholar gets an ICSSR publication grant
What the numbers show
The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) helps social science scholars pay to publish their doctoral theses, research reports and papers as books. Its website lists 1,908 publication grants in all, with data as on 31 March 2026. This is a small, selective scheme: in recent years the ICSSR has funded only a handful of books a year.
The trend over the years
The summary table in each ICSSR annual report gives the number of beneficiaries under Publication Grants for Research Reports and Doctoral Theses. There were 15 in 2020-21 and 15 again in 2021-22. The number dropped to 4 in 2022-23, then rose to 5 in 2023-24 and 8 in 2024-25. The Annual Report 2024-25 names all eight books, from a study of China's use of soft power to a book on knowledge management in academic libraries, along with the publishers that brought them out.
What the figures do not tell you
The annual reports count grants, not money. They do not give the amount spent on publication grants each year in the same table, so the size of each subsidy cannot be read from these figures. A grant is counted in the year it is sanctioned, and some books take longer to reach print; the 2024-25 report also lists titles still under publication. The cumulative figure of 1,908 on the website covers the ICSSR's whole history, so it cannot be compared directly with the yearly counts.
Where to check the numbers
The ICSSR home page at icssr.org shows its key figures, including publication grants, and states the date they refer to. The annual reports on the ICSSR annual report page give year-wise counts and list each funded title.
Frequently asked questions
How many publication grants has the ICSSR given?
The ICSSR website lists 1,908 publication grants in its key figures, with data as on 31 March 2026.
How many publication grants were given in 2024-25?
The ICSSR Annual Report 2024-25 lists 8 beneficiaries of Publication Grants for Research Reports and Doctoral Theses for the year from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
Has the number of grants gone down?
Yes, compared with earlier years. The annual reports show 15 grants in both 2020-21 and 2021-22, then 4 in 2022-23, 5 in 2023-24 and 8 in 2024-25.
Which books were funded in 2024-25?
The Annual Report 2024-25 lists eight titles in its publication grants appendix, including works on foreign policy, renewable energy, cultural heritage and library management.
Is the journal grant part of this scheme?
No. ICSSR gives a separate grant to associations and institutions to run research journals. The figures on this page cover only grants for publishing research reports and doctoral theses.
Eligibility, documents and how to apply: ICSSR Scheme of Publication Grant/Subsidy for Doctoral Thesis, Research Reports and Papers full guide
Charts, data files and the infographic are free to download, share and embed with a link back to this page.
Sources
This guide was checked against these official pages:
- icssr.org (icssr.org/)
- icssr.org (icssr.org/sites/default/files/Annual-Report-2025-English.pdf)
- icssr.org (icssr.org/sites/default/files/2025-03/Annual_Report_2024_English_Final_Web.pdf)
- icssr.org (icssr.org/sites/default/files/2024-05/Annual%20Report%202022-23%20%28English%29.)
- icssr.org (icssr.org/sites/default/files/2024-05/2021-22-English.pdf)
- icssr.org (icssr.org/sites/default/files/2024-05/2020-21_Eng.pdf)
- icssr.org (icssr.org/research-survey-publication)