Visiting Advanced Joint Research (VAJRA) Faculty Scheme

What is the VAJRA Faculty Scheme?

The Visiting Advanced Joint Research (VAJRA) Faculty Scheme is a programme of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, implemented through the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB). VAJRA was announced by the Prime Minister at the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bangalore in January 2017 to draw overseas scientific talent into Indian research.

VAJRA enables overseas scientists, faculty and R&D professionals, with emphasis on Non-Resident Indians (NRI), Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) — to work as adjunct or visiting faculty for a short, defined period each year in Indian public-funded academic and research institutions. The goal is collaborative, joint research that strengthens India's domestic science base and builds lasting international linkages.

According to the DST, VAJRA is distinct from a scholarship or a student programme. It is a mobility and collaboration scheme aimed at established researchers, so the direct beneficiary is the overseas faculty member and the Indian host institution, not an individual Indian student applicant.

Who is eligible for the VAJRA Faculty Scheme?

You can apply if you are:

• An overseas scientist, faculty member or R&D professional, including an NRI, PIO or OCI.
• An active researcher currently working at an overseas academic, research or industrial organisation.
• Able to show a proven track record of research and development.
• Able to secure an Indian public-funded academic or research institution as your host, which co-signs the application.

You cannot apply if:

• You are a resident Indian faculty member or scientist based in India, VAJRA is exclusively for overseas-based researchers.
• You are a student. VAJRA is not a fellowship for undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral study, and students are not eligible to apply.
• You do not have an active research position abroad or a confirmed Indian host.

Indian students and India-based early-career researchers benefit indirectly: they gain access to the visiting faculty's expertise, joint publications and mentoring, but they do not receive a personal cash benefit under VAJRA.

What does the VAJRA Faculty Scheme provide?

According to the DST and SERB, a selected VAJRA Faculty receives:

• US $15,000 as a lump sum in the first month of engagement in a year.
• US $10,000 per month for each of the other two months of engagement.
• Payments are disbursed in Indian rupees and are meant to cover travel and honorarium.

A full three-month engagement therefore provides up to US $35,000 for the year. The host institution may additionally support accommodation and insurance.

The Indian host institution is supported too. The DST provides a research contingency grant of Rs 5 lakh per year per VAJRA Faculty to meet research expenses, and Rs 1 lakh per year for the VAJRA Faculty to deliver lectures and seminars in their area of expertise at the host.

How long is the VAJRA engagement?

A VAJRA Faculty works for a minimum of one month and a maximum of three months in a year at the Indian host institution. The adjunct position is offered initially for a period of one year and can be renewed every year, subject to satisfactory progress on the joint research.

What documents are required for VAJRA?

How to apply for the VAJRA Faculty Scheme

1. Identify an Indian public-funded academic or research institution willing to host you, and agree a joint research theme with a faculty member there.
2. Register and log in on the SERB online portal (serbonline.in) and open the VAJRA application form.
3. Complete the application with your academic profile, overseas position details and the joint research proposal prepared with your host.
4. Have the Indian host institution co-sign / endorse the application through its login on the portal.
5. Submit the application online and track its status through the portal. SERB evaluates proposals and communicates the outcome to both the applicant and the host institution.

Because VAJRA is a joint scheme, both the overseas applicant and the Indian host must complete their respective parts online. Prospective applicants should check the DST VAJRA page and the SERB portal for the current call window, as VAJRA operates through periodic invitations rather than a permanently open form.

Help and where to verify

VAJRA does not publish a dedicated public helpline number. The authoritative sources are the DST VAJRA page (dst.gov.in/vajra) and the SERB VAJRA portal (prism.serbonline.in/RS-VAJRA), which carry the current guidelines, funding terms and application call. Indian missions abroad also circulate VAJRA brochures for prospective overseas applicants. Applicants should confirm the latest funding figures and eligibility on these official pages before applying, as the scheme's terms are reviewed periodically by the DST.

How to check your application status

VAJRA does not have a separate public tracking number or SMS system, since both the overseas applicant and the Indian host institution complete the process through the same SERB portal.

1. Log in to the SERB portal (serbonline.in / prism.serbonline.in) using the credentials created at the time of application. The applicant dashboard shows the current stage of the proposal, such as submitted, under review, sent for expert evaluation or a final decision.
2. Ask the Indian host institution to check its own login. Because the host co-signs the application, its portal account usually receives status updates and reviewer queries at the same time as, or sometimes before, the overseas applicant. Coordinating with the host is often the fastest way to know where a proposal stands.
3. Watch for email correspondence from SERB or DST. Decisions, requests for clarification and outcome letters are typically sent to the registered email addresses of both the applicant and the host institution rather than through a portal notification alone, so check the inbox linked to the SERB account, including spam or promotions folders.
4. Contact SERB directly if the portal status has not moved for an extended period. Since VAJRA has no dedicated helpline, applicants and host institutions should write to SERB through the contact channel listed on serbonline.in, quoting the application or proposal reference number generated at submission.
5. Check the DST VAJRA page (dst.gov.in/vajra) for the current call cycle. Because VAJRA runs through periodic invitation windows rather than a continuously open form, an application submitted outside an active call may simply sit unprocessed until the next cycle opens, which can look like a stalled status but is actually a timing issue.

Common reasons for rejection

• No confirmed Indian host institution at the time of application. VAJRA is a joint scheme; a proposal submitted without a public-funded Indian institution already agreeing to host and co-sign it is incomplete by design. Fix: secure a specific host department and faculty contact, and agree the joint research theme before starting the online form.
• Applicant does not meet the overseas researcher requirement. Resident Indian faculty, India-based scientists and students of any level are outside the scope of VAJRA, however strong their research record. Fix: confirm the applicant currently holds an active position at an overseas academic, research or industrial organisation, and is applying as an NRI, PIO, OCI or other overseas-based researcher, not as an India-based candidate.
• Weak or generic joint research proposal. A proposal that does not clearly define a specific, collaborative research theme between the overseas applicant and the named host faculty is difficult for SERB's expert evaluators to assess favourably. Fix: draft the proposal jointly with the host institution, with defined objectives, a realistic one-to-three-month work plan and a clear fit with the host department's ongoing research.
• Missing or unclear proof of overseas standing. Applications without adequate documentation of the applicant's current overseas position, or of NRI/PIO/OCI status where claimed, can be held up or rejected at scrutiny. Fix: attach a current employment letter or institutional affiliation proof alongside passport or OCI/PIO documentation.
• Host institution consent not completed on the portal. Because both parties must act on serbonline.in, a proposal where the Indian host has not logged in to endorse or co-sign the application remains stuck and can be treated as incomplete. Fix: confirm with the host institution's coordinating faculty that they have completed their portion of the online form before the call window closes.
• Application submitted outside an active call window. VAJRA does not accept proposals on a rolling basis; submissions made when no call is open, or after a call has closed, are not considered in that cycle. Fix: check the DST VAJRA page for the current call dates before beginning the application, and plan the joint proposal well ahead of the deadline.