SERB Research Scientist Scheme

What is the SERB Research Scientist Scheme?

The SERB Research Scientist Scheme is a fellowship administered by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), which has absorbed the erstwhile Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) under the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology. According to the ANRF awards and fellowships listing, the scheme provides a bridging fellowship to accomplished young researchers who are finishing a national fellowship tenure and moving towards a regular academic or research position.

The scheme is deliberately narrow. It is not a general postdoctoral fellowship open to any doctorate holder. Instead, the SERB Research Scientist Scheme is targeted at INSPIRE Faculty and Ramanujan Fellows who have completed, or are near the end of, their five-year fellowship tenure and need continued support to consolidate their research programme before securing a permanent role.

According to the ANRF portal, the fellow receives a consolidated amount of Rs 1,20,000 per month, a research grant of Rs 7,00,000 per annum, and overheads of Rs 1,00,000 per annum paid to the host institution. The consolidated fellowship is a fixed amount and is not treated as a regular salary with allowances.

Key features

• A bridging fellowship, not an entry-level postdoctoral grant.
• Restricted to serving or recently completed INSPIRE Faculty and Ramanujan Fellows.
• Consolidated monthly fellowship of Rs 1,20,000, with a substantial research grant attached.
• Two-year tenure, extendable to a third year on the strength of a performance review.

Who is eligible for the SERB Research Scientist Scheme?

You can apply if:

• You are a serving INSPIRE Faculty member or a Ramanujan Fellow.
• You have completed, or are close to completing, your five-year fellowship tenure.
• You submit the application within six months before or after the regular tenure ends.
• You are no more than 40 years old at the time of submission.
• You have a host institution in India willing to support the research.

You cannot apply if:

• You are a postdoctoral researcher, PhD scholar or faculty member who has not held an INSPIRE Faculty or Ramanujan Fellowship. Such candidates are not eligible and should instead look at the National Post-Doctoral Fellowship (N-PDF) or Ramanujan Fellowship directly.
• You are older than the 40-year ceiling at the time of application.
• You are outside the six-month application window around your tenure completion.

Because the scheme sits at the junction between a national fellowship and a permanent position, it exists to prevent a research programme from stalling in the gap. It is not a route for someone entering research for the first time.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the SERB Research Scientist Scheme

1. Register or log in on the SERB/ANRF online portal linked from serb.gov.in.
2. Open the Research Scientist Scheme application form under the awards and fellowships section.
3. Fill in your personal details, INSPIRE Faculty or Ramanujan Fellowship record, and the tenure completion date.
4. Upload the research proposal, host-institution consent letter, degree certificate and CV.
5. Submit the application within six months before or after your regular fellowship tenure ends, and note the reference number.

After submission, the proposal is evaluated by ANRF. If sanctioned, the fellowship and research grant are released to the fellow and the host institution.

How much does the scheme provide?

According to the ANRF fellowship listing, a research scientist receives:

• Fellowship: a consolidated Rs 1,20,000 per month.
• Research grant: Rs 7,00,000 per annum, for consumables, contingency, travel and other project costs.
• Overheads: Rs 1,00,000 per annum paid to the host institution.

The two-year tenure can be extended by a further year, to a maximum of three years, only after a performance evaluation of the research done in the first two years.

How this scheme fits into the wider ANRF fellowship system

The SERB Research Scientist Scheme is one of several fellowships now managed by ANRF, alongside the J C Bose National Fellowship, the Ramanujan Fellowship, the National Post-Doctoral Fellowship (N-PDF), the SERB POWER Fellowship and the Teachers Associateship for Research Excellence (TARE). Each targets a different career stage. The Research Scientist Scheme is unusual in that it is defined not by discipline but by the applicant's prior fellowship status, making it a transition support rather than a standalone research grant.

Because it is a niche, low-volume scheme with tightly drawn eligibility, most science researchers will not qualify. Anyone who is not an INSPIRE Faculty member or Ramanujan Fellow should confirm which ANRF fellowship matches their stage before applying.

Help and where to verify

• Verify current terms and application windows on the ANRF awards and fellowships page at serb.gov.in/page/english/awards_fellowship.
• Applications and status tracking are handled through the SERB/ANRF online portal.

Amounts and eligibility above reflect the ANRF fellowship listing as fact-checked on 1 August 2026. ANRF periodically revises fellowship terms, so confirm the figures on the official portal before applying.