SERB Science and Technology Award for Research (SERB-STAR)

What is SERB-STAR?

The SERB Science and Technology Award for Research (SERB-STAR) is a recognition award instituted by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB): now part of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) under the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology. Unlike a normal research grant that you win with a promising proposal, SERB-STAR is earned by track record: it rewards Principal Investigators who have already delivered an outstanding SERB-funded project.

According to the SERB-STAR page on serb.gov.in, the award "recognise[s] and reward[s] outstanding performance of Principal Investigators (PIs) of SERB Projects." It gives the awardee both personal recognition and fresh resources to keep their research going.

What SERB-STAR provides

• A fellowship of Rs 15,000 per month, in addition to the awardee's regular salary.
• A research grant of Rs 10 lakh per annum.
• Overhead charges of Rs 1 lakh per annum.
• Support for a period of three years.

Up to 30 awards are made each year, and no more than 90 awards are active at any one time across the overlapping three-year cycles.

Who is eligible for SERB-STAR?

You can be considered if:

• You are the Principal Investigator of an individual-centric SERB/ANRF project completed in the previous three financial years and graded "Excellent". The grade must attach to your role as PI, not Co-PI.
• You hold a regular academic or research position in a recognised institution, university or national laboratory.
• You are between 40 and 50 years of age as on 31 December of the application year.

You cannot apply if:

• You are outside the 40 to 50 age band.
• You were only a Co-Principal Investigator on the completed project and are relying on that role.
• You already hold a prestigious fellowship — such as the J. C. Bose National Fellowship, the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize honorarium, or the Swarnajayanti Fellowship, because these cannot be drawn together with SERB-STAR.
• You are a member of the public seeking a personal cash benefit; SERB-STAR is an academic recognition award tied to a completed research project.

What documents are required for SERB-STAR?

How to apply for SERB-STAR

1. Log in to the ANRF/SERB portal at serbonline.in (nominations are moving to anrfonline.in) and complete your researcher profile.
2. Open the SERB-STAR nomination form under the awards section.
3. Enter the details of your completed SERB/ANRF project, including its "Excellent" grade, along with your publications, patents and other research achievements.
4. Attach the project completion report, grading certificate, proof of regular position and date-of-birth proof.
5. Submit the nomination before the annual call deadline shown on the portal.

Applications pass through a preliminary eligibility check followed by selection by an expert committee, which assesses the performance of the completed project and the applicant's wider research work.

How long does the award last?

The SERB-STAR award runs for three years. The monthly fellowship, the annual research grant of Rs 10 lakh and the Rs 1 lakh annual overhead are released across that period against satisfactory progress. It is a fixed-term recognition award, not a permanent chair.

Where to confirm the current details

SERB-STAR parameters, the exact age cut-off date and the live nomination window are published on serb.gov.in (SERB-STAR page) and on the ANRF portal. Because the schemes are moving from SERB to ANRF, confirm the current portal and call before you nominate. There is no dedicated toll-free helpline for the award; queries are handled through the ANRF/SERB online helpdesk and your institution's research and development office.

Because SERB-STAR is a narrow, high-eligibility award with limited published material, it may serve readers best as a section within a broader guide to ANRF/SERB awards and fellowships rather than as a large standalone page.