WISE-SCOPE Fellowship (Women in Science and Engineering – Societal Challenges with Opportunities)

What is the WISE-SCOPE Fellowship?

WISE-SCOPE: Women in Science and Engineering – Societal Challenges with Opportunities: is a fellowship run by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology. It is one component of the DST WISE-KIRAN programme (the DISHA programme for women in science, which succeeded the earlier Women Scientists Scheme / KIRAN initiatives).

The distinguishing idea of WISE-SCOPE is direction rather than discipline. Where some fellowships fund pure laboratory research, WISE-SCOPE supports women who want to apply a science, engineering or technology background to societal challenges: problems in areas such as health, sanitation, environment, livelihoods and community development. It is aimed particularly at women scientists who are seeking to re-enter research or professional work, often after a break in their careers, a long-standing objective of DST's women-in-science programmes.

According to the DST e-PMS portal, WISE-SCOPE proposals are invited through a call for proposals; the 2024-25 call for WISE-SCOPE (alongside the WIDUSHI programme) closed on 28 February 2025. Applications are submitted online.

Key facts that are on the official portal

• Run by DST under the WISE-KIRAN umbrella for women in science.
• A women-only fellowship.
• Focused on societal-challenge projects, not only academic research.
• Applications through the DST e-PMS portal at onlinedst.gov.in.

Who is eligible for the WISE-SCOPE Fellowship?

You can apply if:

• You are a woman with a qualification in science, engineering or technology.
• You wish to work on a societal-challenge project with a clear application of your S&T background.
• You have (typically) had a break in your career and want to return to research or professional work — this is the group WISE-KIRAN fellowships are designed to serve.
• You have a host institution willing to support the project.

You cannot apply if:

• You are a man; WISE-SCOPE is a women-only fellowship and men are not eligible.
• You do not hold a science, engineering or technology qualification.
• You are seeking a general grant unrelated to a societal-challenge project.

Because the precise age band, qualification levels and fellowship rates are set out in each year's call document and are revised periodically, confirm those specifics in the current WISE-SCOPE call on onlinedst.gov.in before applying.

What does the fellowship provide?

WISE-SCOPE provides a monthly fellowship to the selected woman scientist, along with support to carry out the approved project, as per DST fellowship norms. The exact monthly rate depends on qualification and is set in the call document. This guide deliberately does not state a rupee figure, because DST revises these rates from time to time and the authoritative amount is the one published in the live call; always verify it there.

How to apply for the WISE-SCOPE Fellowship

1. Open the DST e-PMS portal at onlinedst.gov.in and check for an open WISE-SCOPE call for proposals.
2. Register on the portal and complete your profile.
3. Prepare your project proposal on a societal-challenge theme using the DST WISE-SCOPE proposal format.
4. Attach your qualification proofs, host-institution consent and identity documents.
5. Submit online before the deadline (the 2024-25 call closed on 28 February 2025). Await evaluation by DST's expert committee.

How WISE-SCOPE fits into WISE-KIRAN

WISE-KIRAN is DST's umbrella for women in science, and it has more than one fellowship track. WISE-PDF is a post-doctoral fellowship for women who hold a PhD; WISE-SCOPE supports women applying their S&T background to societal problems; and related calls such as WIDUSHI target senior women scientists. Choosing the right track matters: a PhD holder pursuing academic research fits WISE-PDF, while a woman scientist wanting to solve a community problem fits WISE-SCOPE.

What to prepare before the call opens

WISE-SCOPE calls open for a limited window, so it helps to be ready in advance. Registration on the DST e-PMS portal is a one-time process, and the same account can be used across DST calls, so create it early rather than during the closing rush. Line up a host institution willing to endorse and host your project, since DST fellowships of this kind require institutional support rather than a purely individual application. Draft your societal-challenge proposal so that the problem, your science or technology approach, and the expected outcome are each stated plainly; societal-impact proposals are judged on how clearly the S&T method connects to a real community need. Keep your qualification certificates and identity documents scanned and ready to upload.

Help and where to verify

• The authoritative source for eligibility, fellowship amounts and open calls is the DST e-PMS portal at onlinedst.gov.in.
• DST e-PMS support email: pmso.dst@nic.in.

Because DST-hosted scheme pages were not fully reachable at the time of writing, this guide records only facts confirmed on the DST e-PMS portal and deliberately omits any fellowship rupee amount that could not be verified there. Confirm all figures and the current call status on onlinedst.gov.in before applying. Last fact-checked 1 August 2026.

How to check your application status

WISE-SCOPE does not run on a fixed annual calendar like a subsidy scheme, so status checking looks a little different from most government programmes. Because DST evaluates proposals through its e-PMS (Electronic Proposal Management System) rather than a public tracking dashboard, here is how to follow up at each stage.

1. Log in to the DST e-PMS portal. Go to onlinedst.gov.in and sign in with the same credentials you used to register and submit your WISE-SCOPE proposal. Your dashboard shows every proposal you have submitted against that login, along with whatever stage marker e-PMS has recorded for it (such as submitted, under review, or a decision recorded).

2. Check for an acknowledgement first. After you submit online, e-PMS normally generates a proposal or application reference number. Keep this number safely, since it is the identifier you will need in any follow-up correspondence with DST. If you submitted a proposal but never received an acknowledgement or reference number, that is itself a signal to check in with DST rather than assume the submission went through.

3. Expect a multi-stage review, not an instant answer. Fellowship proposals of this kind go through screening and evaluation by a DST expert committee, which is a longer process than a benefit-transfer scheme with automated approval. There is no published fixed turnaround time on the portal, so a status of "under review" for an extended period after a call closes is normal rather than a sign of a problem.

4. Follow up by email if the portal shows no movement. If your e-PMS dashboard has not updated for a long stretch after the call closed, or if you need clarification on a specific proposal, write to the DST e-PMS support desk at pmso.dst@nic.in. Quote your proposal or application reference number, the name of the call (WISE-SCOPE), and the date you submitted, so the support team can locate your file without back-and-forth.

5. Do not rely on informal channels for status updates. Because WISE-SCOPE decisions are communicated through the official e-PMS system and DST correspondence, treat any status information that reaches you outside these two channels (for example, through an intermediary claiming to expedite your application) with caution.

6. If selected, watch for a formal award or sanction communication. Selection under WISE-SCOPE is typically confirmed through a formal communication from DST to the applicant and the host institution, not merely a portal status flip, since the fellowship also requires the host institution to accept the terms before it starts.

Common reasons for rejection

Because WISE-SCOPE is a competitive, project-based fellowship rather than an entitlement, proposals are turned down for reasons that are different in character from a subsidy application being rejected for a missing document. The reasons below reflect how this type of DST societal-challenge fellowship is actually evaluated.

• The proposal reads as pure academic research, not a societal-challenge project. WISE-SCOPE specifically funds work that applies a science or technology background to a real-world community problem such as health, sanitation, livelihoods or environment. A proposal that is essentially a lab research plan with no clear community application is a poor fit for this particular call, even if it is scientifically sound. Fix: reframe the proposal around a concrete societal problem, and state explicitly which community or population benefits and how.

• The link between the applicant's S&T background and the proposed project is weak. Reviewers look for a clear line from the applicant's qualification and prior experience to the technical approach in the proposal. A mismatch, for instance, a background in one discipline with a proposal that depends heavily on an unrelated technical skill set, raises doubts about whether the applicant can execute the project. Fix: use the proposal narrative to explicitly connect your qualification and any prior work experience to the specific methods the project needs.

• No confirmed host institution, or unclear institutional support. WISE-SCOPE fellowships are hosted, meaning an institution has to be willing to host the fellow and the project. A proposal submitted without firm, documented consent from a host institution is incomplete in a way that a committee cannot approve around. Fix: secure written consent from the host institution before submission, not a verbal or in-principle understanding, and attach it as required.

• Missing or unclear qualification and identity documentation. Since eligibility depends on holding a genuine science, engineering or technology qualification, incomplete or inconsistent degree certificates (for example, a name mismatch between the certificate and the identity proof) can stall or sink an otherwise strong proposal. Fix: check that the name, qualification title and institution on your certificates match your identity documents exactly, and clarify any discrepancy in a covering note before submission.

• The proposal is submitted after the call closes. DST runs WISE-SCOPE through periodic calls for proposals with a firm closing date, such as the 2024-25 call that closed on 28 February 2025, and e-PMS does not generally accept submissions once a call window shuts. Fix: register on e-PMS well before a call opens so you are not doing first-time account setup under deadline pressure, and submit with margin before the closing date rather than on the last day.

• The project scope is too large or too vague to evaluate. A proposal that tries to address an entire sector rather than a defined, achievable project, or one that does not spell out expected outcomes, is difficult for an expert committee to assess and fund with confidence. Fix: narrow the proposal to a specific, deliverable-bound project with a clear outcome, rather than a broad statement of intent.

• Applying to the wrong WISE-KIRAN track. Because WISE-KIRAN covers more than one fellowship (WISE-PDF for post-doctoral academic research, WISE-SCOPE for societal-challenge application, and calls such as WIDUSHI for senior scientists), a proposal pitched for the wrong track is likely to be screened out early regardless of its merit. Fix: confirm against the current call document that your career stage and project type match WISE-SCOPE specifically before you invest time preparing the proposal.

If a proposal is not selected, DST's societal-challenge calls are typically repeated in later cycles, so the practical remedy in most of these cases is to address the specific gap and reapply when the next WISE-SCOPE call opens on onlinedst.gov.in, rather than treating a single rejection as final.