Women Scientist Scheme-B (WOS-B)

What is Women Scientist Scheme-B (WOS-B)?

Women Scientist Scheme-B (WOS-B) is one of three components of the Women Scientists Scheme (WOS) run by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under the Ministry of Science and Technology. WOS-B specifically supports women scientists who want to return to research after a break in their careers and who choose to work on science and technology solutions for societal problems at the grassroots level. The two sister components are WOS-A (basic and applied research) and WOS-C (internship in intellectual property rights).

According to the scheme details on the National Government portals, a selected woman scientist receives a monthly fellowship of Rs 31,000 to Rs 55,000 and a separate project budget, for a period of up to three years. The core idea is to help talented women who left science; often for family reasons — to come back and apply their skills to real problems in areas like health, agriculture, water, sanitation, waste management and rural livelihoods.

Fellowship and project budget by qualification

• Ph.D. or equivalent: Rs 55,000 per month; project cap up to Rs 30 lakh
• M.Phil./M.Tech. or equivalent: Rs 40,000 per month; project cap up to Rs 25 lakh
• M.Sc. or equivalent: Rs 31,000 per month; project cap up to Rs 20 lakh

The project caps are exclusive of House Rent Allowance and institutional overhead charges. The budget covers items such as consumables, minor equipment, travel and contingency needed to carry out the proposed work.

Who is eligible for Women Scientist Scheme-B?

You can apply if:

• You are a woman scientist.
• You are between 27 and 57 years of age (relaxation for SC/ST/OBC and Persons with Disabilities).
• You hold a postgraduate degree (M.Sc., M.Tech., M.Phil. or Ph.D.) in a science or technology discipline.
• You have had a career break of at least two years after your highest qualification.
• You are currently unemployed or in a non-permanent position.
• You have arranged a mentor in a regular position and a host institution willing to support the project.

You cannot apply if:

• You are in a permanent or regular job, the scheme is only for women returning to research.
• You are outside the 27 to 57 age band (subject to permitted relaxations).
• You do not have a science/technology postgraduate degree.
• You cannot secure a mentor and host institution for the proposed work.

WOS-B is competitive. A proposal is judged on the quality and social relevance of the research idea, the applicant's background and the credibility of the host institution and mentor. Meeting the eligibility conditions makes you a valid applicant; it does not guarantee an award.

What documents are required for WOS-B?

How to apply for Women Scientist Scheme-B

1. Identify a project idea with clear societal impact, then find a mentor in a regular position and a host institution ready to support the work.
2. Register on the WOS online portal at online-wosa.gov.in and choose the WOS-B component.
3. Prepare and fill the online proposal, including objectives, methodology, timeline, budget and the endorsements of your mentor and host institution.
4. Submit the application online before the notified deadline.
5. Send the signed hard copy of the submitted application so it reaches the department within twenty days of the online submission deadline.

Proposals then go through expert review and a screening process. Applicants should track the DST website and the WOS portal for the current call, formats and deadlines, as these change with each cycle.

How is WOS-B different from a permanent research job?

WOS-B is a time-bound fellowship, not permanent employment. It runs for up to three years and does not create any right to a regular post in the host institution or in DST. The scheme's purpose is to rebuild a woman scientist's research profile during the funded period so she can move on to a fellowship, faculty position or further grant afterwards. Individuals looking for a standing salaried job should not treat WOS-B as one.

Help and contact

• Programme email: wosb-dst[at]gov[dot]in
• WOS portal: online-wosa.gov.in for registration and application status
• Department of Science and Technology, Technology Bhavan, New Delhi, for scheme queries

A dedicated public helpline number for WOS-B is not published. Applicants should use the programme email and the portal's support channels, and refer to the official call document for each cycle for the exact contact of the handling scientist.

How to check your application status

WOS-B does not have a separate tracking number system with SMS updates the way some welfare schemes do. Status checking runs through the same WOS portal used for submission and through direct contact with the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

1. Log in to the WOS portal at online-wosa.gov.in with the credentials created at the time of registration. The applicant dashboard shows the current stage of a submitted proposal, such as received, under screening, sent for expert review, or a decision recorded against it.
2. Check that your hard copy reached DST. Since WOS-B requires a signed physical copy of the online application to reach the department within twenty days of the submission deadline, an applicant should first confirm through the courier or postal tracking that this copy was delivered. A proposal is not treated as complete until both the online submission and the hard copy are on record.
3. Watch for a proposal or acknowledgement number. If DST's screening process generates a reference number after the hard copy is received, save it. This number, when available, should be quoted in every follow-up email so the department can match it to the correct file.
4. Write to the programme email for a status update at wosb-dst[at]gov[dot]in if the portal dashboard does not update for an extended period after a call closes. Include your name, the project title, the mentor's name, the host institution and the date of online submission in the email so the query can be matched without delay.
5. Expect a multi-stage timeline. WOS-B proposals typically go through an internal screening step followed by an expert committee or Task Force review. There is no fixed public turnaround time for this process, so a gap of several months between submission and a decision is normal and not by itself a sign that the application was lost or rejected.
6. Track final selection through the official announcement. Selected candidates are usually informed directly by DST, and results or shortlists for a given call may also be put up on the DST website. An applicant who does not hear back within a reasonable period after other candidates from the same call have been informed should follow up by email rather than assume rejection.
7. After selection, track fellowship disbursal through the host institution. Once a project is sanctioned, releases of the fellowship and project grant are usually routed through the host institution's finance or project office rather than paid directly by DST to the individual, so questions about a specific instalment are best raised there first, and escalated to DST only if the institution cannot resolve them.

Since WOS-B does not publish a dedicated helpline number, email remains the primary channel for status queries, and applicants should keep a copy of the submitted proposal, the acknowledgement of online submission and proof of dispatch of the hard copy, so these can be shared quickly if DST asks for them.

Common reasons for rejection

WOS-B is a competitive research fellowship, not a form-filling exercise, so most rejections trace back to weaknesses in the proposal or the applicant's fit with the scheme's specific purpose, rather than to paperwork errors alone.

• The applicant does not have a genuine career break. WOS-B exists to bring women back into research after a break of at least two years. Applicants who are already continuously employed, even in a temporary or contractual research role without a real gap, are commonly turned down because they do not match the scheme's core eligibility purpose. The fix is to apply to a scheme suited to a currently employed researcher instead of WOS-B, or to wait until a genuine two-year break condition is met.
• No mentor in a regular position, or a mentor who is not adequately engaged. A proposal without a mentor holding a regular position at the host institution, or with a mentor letter that reads as a formality rather than a real commitment to guide the work, is a frequent weak point. Before applying, the applicant should have detailed discussions with the mentor about the research plan so the mentor's endorsement reflects real involvement, not just a signature.
• Host institution endorsement is missing, vague or from an ineligible institution. DST expects the proposal to be anchored at a recognised institution willing to provide space, facilities and administrative support for the project. A generic no-objection letter, or endorsement from an institution not equipped to host the proposed work, weakens the application. Applicants should secure a specific, detailed letter from the host institution confirming it will provide the facilities the project needs.
• The project does not clearly address a societal problem. WOS-B is specifically for science and technology work aimed at grassroots or societal problems, unlike WOS-A, which funds basic and applied research more broadly. A proposal that reads like a basic research project without a clear societal application is often screened out at the first stage for being a mismatch with WOS-B's mandate; such proposals may be better suited to WOS-A instead.
• Weak or unrealistic budget and timeline. A proposal whose budget exceeds the qualification-linked cap, or that does not justify the requested consumables, equipment and travel costs against the stated objectives, invites rejection or a demand for revision. Applicants should build the budget item by item against the actual activities planned, and keep it within the Rs 20 lakh to Rs 30 lakh cap depending on qualification.
• Incomplete or inconsistent documentation. Missing career-break proof, a qualification certificate that does not match the discipline claimed, or age proof that does not support the claimed relaxation category, can all cause a proposal to be rejected on eligibility grounds before it is even sent for expert review. Applicants should cross-check every document against the eligibility conditions before submission.
• Hard copy not sent, or sent late. Since the signed physical copy must reach DST within twenty days of the online submission deadline, a hard copy that is delayed, lost in transit, or never sent effectively voids an otherwise complete online submission. Applicants should send the hard copy well before the twenty-day limit by a trackable courier or registered post and retain the proof of dispatch.
• Low priority or funding ranking in a competitive cycle. Even a complete, eligible proposal can be turned down simply because DST receives far more strong proposals than it can fund in a given cycle. This is not a documentation failure, and the practical response is to strengthen the proposal's societal relevance and technical rigour and reapply in a future call rather than assume something was procedurally wrong.