DBT – TWAS PG & Postdoc Biotechnology Fellowships Programme
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of the Ministry of Science and Technology in India, and TWAS have established a fellowship programme for foreign scholars from developing countries who wish to pursue research towards a PhD in biotechnology. Intrested and eligible candidates may check out all the details on the same below:
Partner organization: Department of Biotechnology (DBT), India
Host Country: India
Eligible Nationalities: Developing countries in the South
Level: PhD
Minimum degree held: M.Sc.,
Duration: Up to 5 years
Focus Area:
1. Agriculture Sciences,
2. Structural and Molecular Biology,
3. Biological Systems and Organisms,
4. Medical and Health Sciences including neurosciences;
5. Chemical Sciences, etc.
Age Limit: 35 Years
Sandwich Option: Yes. For a duration of 12 to 24 months.
Please Note:
From 2017 applications can only be submitted via the online portal once the call is open. Please use the “Apply Now” button at the bottom of this page to start your application once the call is open. Applicants are encouraged to apply for the preliminary acceptance letter as early as possible, even before the opening date of the call. Keep in mind that only Acceptance letters dated the same year as the year of application are eligible.
Programme Details
- DBT-TWAS Postgraduate Fellowships are tenable at key biotechnology research institutions in India for a period of up to five years.
- Applicants may be registered for a PhD degree in their home country or may enroll in a PhD course at a host laboratory/institute in India.
- SANDWICH Fellowships (for those registered for a Ph.D. in their home country): The Fellowship may be granted for a minimum period of 12 months and a maximum period of 2 years.
- FULL-TIME Fellowships (for those not registered for a Ph.D.): The Fellowship is granted for an initial period of up to 3 years. Such Fellowships may then be extended for a further 2 years, subject to the student’s performance. DBT will confirm any such extensions to both TWAS and the candidate. Candidates will register for their Ph.D. at a university in India.
- To help candidates in their choice of a suitable host institution a list of biotechnology institutes in India is available here: List_Biotechn_India.pdf. However, candidates are free to choose an Indian biotechnology institution that does not appear on the list.
- DBT will provide a monthly stipend of Rs. 31,000/- + HRA for the first two years and Rs. 35,000 + HRA from 3rd year onwards and health insurance of Rs. 600/- per month. The fellowship holder will receive a contingency amount of Rs. 50,000/- per annum and shall be eligible to receive House Rent Allowance as per Government of India HRA rules. The fellowship will not be convertible into foreign currency.
- The language of instruction/ communication is English only.
Eligibility
Applicants for these fellowships must meet the following criteria:
1. Age: Applicant must be a maximum of 35 years of age on 31st December of the application year.
2. Nationality: Applicant must be national of a developing country (other than India) and must not hold any
visa for temporary or permanent residency in India or any developed country.
3. Qualifications:
- Applicant must hold a Master’s or equivalent degree in science or engineering.
- For SANDWICH Fellowships, an applicant must be a registered PhD student in their home country and provide the “Registration and No Objection Certificate” from the HOME university (sample is included in the application form); OR
- For FULL-TIME Fellowships; an applicant must be willing to register for Ph.D. at a university in India.
4. Other requirements:
a. Applicant must be accepted at a biotechnology institution in India (see sample Acceptance Letter that can be downloaded below or included in the application form). N.B. Requests for acceptance must be directed to the chosen host institution(s), and NOT to DBT.
b. Applicant should provide evidence of proficiency in English if medium of education was not English;
c. Evidence that s/he will return to her/his home country on completion of the fellowship must be submitted by the applicant;
d. Applicant shall not take up other assignments during the period of her/his fellowship;
e. Applicant will be financially responsible for any accompanying family member(s).
How To Apply for DBT – TWAS PG:
Applications can only be submitted via TWAS online portal, once the call is open. No applications will be accepted after the deadline. Applications submitted by any other mode shall not be accepted. It is recommended to submit your electronic application as early as possible.
- Applications for the DBT-TWAS Postgraduate Fellowship Programme can ONLY be submitted to TWAS via the online portal. A tutorial on how to use the online application form is available below for download.
- For SANDWICH Fellowships (only if already registered for a PhD in the HOME country) applicants should ensure that the Vice-Chancellor or Registrar of the university sends a signed copy of the “Registration and No Objection Certificate” on institutional headed paper to TWAS (see sample form).
- Applicants should submit the Acceptance Letter from an Indian biotechnology institution to TWAS when applying online. Without preliminary acceptance, the application will not be considered for selection.
- Reference letters must be on letter-headed paper and SIGNED by the referee. The subject line must contain the name DBT/PG/ and the candidate’s surname. N.B. Only signed reference letters can be accepted.
- Should you have applied to or availed any Indian fellowships in the current or previous year this must be clearly specified in the application form.
Results
Results of the fellowship selection should be available toward the end of 2022 or early 2023, and selected candidates will be able to start their fellowship NO earlier than the beginning of 2023.
Important Date: Opening date of this call is 15th June 2022.
The closing date of this call is 15th September 2022.
DBT – TWAS PG
