WISE Fellowship for Ph.D. (WISE-PhD)

What is the WISE Fellowship for Ph.D.?

The WISE Fellowship for Ph.D. (WISE-PhD) is a scheme of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology, run under the department's WISE-KIRAN (Women in Science and Engineering–KIRAN) division. WISE stands for Women in Science and Engineering. According to DST, the fellowship is designed to give women a chance to pursue research careers, and in particular to help those who took a break in their careers return to science through a doctorate.

The fellowship targets unemployed women who hold a science or engineering postgraduate qualification and want to pursue a PhD but lack independent financial support. By funding the scholar directly, WISE-PhD lets a woman register for and complete a doctorate at a recognised institution without needing a separate salaried position.

Key features

• A monthly fellowship of Rs 37,000, plus HRA as per norms.
• An annual research grant of Rs 1,00,000 to meet research costs.
• An institutional overhead paid to the host institution.
• A tenure of up to 5 years, or until the PhD thesis is submitted, whichever is earlier.
• Support across five broad disciplines: Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Life Sciences, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and Engineering and Technology.

What are the WISE-PhD benefit amounts?

According to the DST WISE-PhD page, a selected fellow receives:

• Rs 37,000 per month as fellowship.
• House Rent Allowance (HRA) as per Government of India norms where accommodation is not provided.
• A research grant of Rs 1,00,000 per year for consumables, travel and contingency.
• An institutional overhead (reported at around Rs 50,000 per year) paid to the host institution.

The fellowship is valid for a maximum of 5 years or until the thesis is submitted, whichever comes first.

Who is eligible for the WISE Fellowship for Ph.D.?

You can apply if:

• You are an Indian woman aged between 27 and 45 years on the date of application.
• You hold a postgraduate degree in basic or applied sciences, or an equivalent such as M.Phil, M.Tech, M.Pharm or B.Tech.
• You are unemployed and want to pursue a PhD.
• You have not completed two years of PhD study as on the application date, and you are not drawing a fellowship from any other source.

SC, ST and Persons with Disability (PwD) candidates get a 3-year relaxation in the upper age limit.

You cannot apply / are not eligible if:

• You are below 27 years of age: DST states women under 27 are not eligible.
• You are currently employed, the fellowship is only for unemployed women.
• You are male, or the programme is not designed for you as an individual.
• You have already completed two years in a PhD as on the date of application.
• You are already availing another fellowship or financial assistance for the same research.

What documents are required for WISE-PhD?

How to apply for the WISE Fellowship for Ph.D.

1. Wait for DST to announce an open call for WISE-PhD on dst.gov.in/wise-fellowship-phd-wise-phd. Calls open periodically rather than year-round.
2. Prepare your research proposal and secure the consent of a host institution and a research supervisor.
3. Register and log in on the DST online proposal portal (onlinedst.gov.in).
4. Complete the online application form, attach your qualification proof, age proof, proposal, host consent and status declaration.
5. Submit before the deadline stated in the call, and keep the acknowledgement. Shortlisted candidates are evaluated by an expert committee before the award is sanctioned.

Duration and continuation

The fellowship supports a fellow for up to 5 years or until she submits her PhD thesis, whichever is earlier. Continuation each year depends on satisfactory progress reports reviewed by DST and the host institution. Because WISE-PhD runs through periodic calls, applicants should track the DST page for the next opening — a call may be closed at any given time and reopened later.

Help and where to get it

Queries about WISE-PhD are handled by the WISE-KIRAN Division of DST. The division's listed contact is 011-26567373. Applicants can also use the help information published alongside each call on the DST website and the online proposal portal.

WISE-PhD is a genuine but competitive scheme with narrow eligibility. If you are under 27, currently employed, or well past two years into a PhD, this specific fellowship will not apply to you, but DST runs sibling schemes (such as WISE-SCOPE for post-doctoral women) under the same WISE-KIRAN umbrella.