SERB International Research Experience (SIRE)

What is SERB International Research Experience (SIRE)?

SERB International Research Experience (SIRE) is a research-mobility scheme of the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology. It was launched by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), which has since been subsumed into the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). According to the SERB/ANRF portal, SIRE gives Indian researchers the opportunity to visit leading institutions and universities across the globe for a period of 2 to 6 months to gain high-end research training in frontier areas of science and technology.

The idea is to let established Indian faculty and scientists spend a focused stint in a top overseas laboratory, build collaborations, learn advanced techniques and bring that experience back to their home institution: without leaving their permanent Indian position.

Key facts

• Duration: up to 6 months at a host institution abroad.
• Monthly fellowship of about US $3,000.
• Shortest-route economy class airfare both ways.
• One-time contingency/preparatory allowance of Rs 75,000 and overseas medical insurance of Rs 20,000.

Who is eligible for SIRE?

SIRE is meant for researchers who are already embedded in the Indian research system, not for students or job-seekers.

You can apply if:

• You are an Indian national.
• You hold a PhD in Science or Engineering (or an MBBS/MD or veterinary degree) from a recognised Indian institution.
• You hold a permanent position at an Indian research or academic institution.
• You are within the age limit of 40 years as on the date of application. A relaxation of 5 years applies to SC, ST, OBC, physically challenged and women applicants.
• You have secured a letter of support from the proposed overseas host institution.

TARE (Teachers Associateship for Research Excellence) award holders are also eligible to apply.

You cannot apply if:

• You do not hold a permanent institutional position: research scholars, project staff and postdoctoral fellows without a regular post are not eligible under SIRE.
• You are over the age limit (after any applicable relaxation).
• You are not an Indian national.
• You do not have a confirmed overseas host willing to approve your research plan.

This is a benefit for individual researchers, but only through their institution, there is no route for a member of the public with no research position to obtain a personal grant under SIRE.

What does SIRE provide?

According to the SERB/ANRF portal, a selected SIRE fellow receives:

• A monthly fellowship of US $3,000 for the duration of the visit.
• Economy class air fare by the shortest route, from the place of work in India to the host institute and back.
• A one-time contingency/preparatory allowance of Rs 75,000 to cover visa fees, airport transfer, insurance and similar costs.
• Overseas medical insurance of Rs 20,000 covering the fellow in India and abroad.

The fellowship supports the researcher's stay and work at the host lab; it is not a salary top-up over and above the Indian position, which continues in parallel.

What documents are required?

How to apply for SIRE

SIRE is applied for entirely online through the SERB/ANRF portal. There is no paper or walk-in route. The steps are:

1. Correspond with a proposed overseas host in advance and obtain a letter of approval of your research plan — this consent letter is mandatory.
2. Register and log in at serbonline.in (the SERB/ANRF online portal).
3. Complete your profile and bio-data; photograph, qualifications and research experience: as these sections are mandatory.
4. Upload the research plan (PDF, up to 10 MB) along with the host consent letter, host scientist bio-data, plagiarism undertaking and institutional endorsement.
5. Attach age proof and, if applicable, a category certificate to claim age relaxation.
6. Submit the application through your institution for evaluation by SERB/ANRF.

Applications are assessed by expert committees, and selection depends on the merit of the proposal, the standing of the host lab and the fit with SIRE's aim of building high-end research capacity.

Help and where to check

• Scheme page: serb.gov.in/page/sire
• Application portal: serbonline.in
• The Program Coordinator/Program Officer listed on the SIRE page for scheme-specific queries
• Your institution's research or sponsored-projects office for endorsement

Because SIRE is a competitive research fellowship, applicants should apply during the announced call window and ensure their host consent and institutional endorsement are ready before submitting.

How to check your application status

SIRE applications move through your institution and an expert committee, not through a simple public tracker, so status checking is mostly about knowing which stage you are at.

1. Log in at serbonline.in with your applicant credentials. The dashboard shows the current stage of your application: submitted, forwarded by institution, under committee review, or decision communicated.
2. Check your institutional endorsement first. Many delays happen before SERB/ANRF even sees the file, because the application sits with the research or sponsored-projects office waiting for the head of institution's signature. If your portal status has not moved from "submitted," ask your institution's office whether they have forwarded it.
3. Watch for email and portal notifications. SERB/ANRF communicates decisions, requests for clarification, and committee outcomes through the registered email ID and the portal's notification panel, not by phone.
4. Use the Program Coordinator/Program Officer contact listed on the SIRE page (serb.gov.in/page/sire) for queries on a specific application that has not shown movement for an extended period. Quote your application/reference number when writing in.
5. Do not expect a fixed processing timeline. Because selection depends on committee review cycles rather than a rolling first-come approval, applications submitted near a call deadline can take longer to reach a decision than ones submitted earlier in the cycle.
6. If selected, further correspondence covers visa formalities, fellowship disbursal details and travel booking; these follow-up steps are also tracked through the same portal login and your institution's office, not a separate system.

Common reasons for rejection

• No permanent institutional position. This is the single most common disqualifier: research scholars, project staff, postdoctoral fellows and anyone on a contractual or temporary appointment are not eligible, however strong the research plan. Fix: apply only once you hold a permanent post, or look at SERB/ANRF's other overseas fellowships meant for early-career researchers instead of SIRE.
• Missing or weak host consent letter. An application without a clear letter of approval from the overseas host, or one that only expresses vague interest rather than approving a specific research plan, is treated as incomplete. Fix: correspond with the host well in advance and obtain a dated letter that names the research plan and the proposed duration before you start the online form.
• Research plan not aligned with the host's expertise. Committees check whether the proposed work genuinely matches the host lab's specialisation. A generic or mismatched plan reads as poorly prepared. Fix: tailor the research plan specifically to techniques or facilities unique to the chosen host institution, and have the host scientist's bio-data reinforce that fit.
• Age limit exceeded without claiming relaxation. Applicants over 40 who do not document eligibility for the 5-year relaxation (SC/ST/OBC/PwD/women) are rejected on the age criterion alone. Fix: attach the category certificate at the time of application if relaxation applies; it cannot be added credibly after submission.
• Institutional endorsement not obtained in time. Since the application must be forwarded by the parent institution, a file stuck at the institution's end before the call deadline is effectively a missed application even if the applicant's own portal entry was ready early. Fix: start the internal endorsement process as soon as you begin drafting the application, not after the online form is complete.
• Incomplete or oversized research plan document. A research plan that omits objectives, methodology or expected outcomes, or that is submitted as the wrong file type, is returned as incomplete rather than evaluated. Fix: follow the portal's document checklist exactly and proofread the plan for the sections a committee will look for: background, objectives, methodology and expected research outcome.
• Duration or scope outside SIRE's intent. Proposals framed as a long-term relocation, a degree programme, or non-research training abroad do not fit SIRE, which is meant for a focused 2 to 6 month research stint. Fix: frame the proposal clearly as a short, specific research visit tied to a defined outcome at the host lab.