National Post Doctoral Fellowship

National Post Doctoral Fellowship (N-PDF) identifies young researchers and supports them in conducting research projects in science and engineering. The fellows can work under a mentor and develop as independent researchers. Any recognised academic institutions, National labs and R&D institutions can implement the National post-doctoral fellowship. It is tenable only in India, and the implementation institution should offer administrative and infrastructural support. The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) offers post-doctoral students the National Post Doctoral Fellowship (N-PDF). The selected fellows will receive INR 55,000 per month and other rewards. The last date to apply for the National Post Doctoral Fellowship (N-PDF) is August 10, 2023.

Table of Contents

• National Post Doctoral Fellowship Eligibility Criteria
• National Post Doctoral Fellowship Rewards
• How to Apply for National Post Doctoral Fellowship
• National Post Doctoral Fellowship Essential Documents
• National Post Doctoral Fellowship Selection Process
• National Post Doctoral Fellowship Important Dates
• National Post Doctoral Fellowship Terms and Conditions
• National Post Doctoral Fellowship Contact Details

National Post Doctoral Fellowship Eligibility Criteria

The candidates should meet all the requirements before applying for the National post doctoral fellowship 2023 programme. They should ensure the mentors register for the National post doctoral fellowship programme. Given below are the eligibility criteria of candidates and mentors.

For Applicants of National Post Doctoral Fellowship 

The applicants should meet the following criteria:

• The candidates should be Indian citizens.
• They should have obtained a PhD, MD, MS degree from a recognised Indian university.
• The candidates should not be over 35 years of age. However, the SERB offers age relaxation of five years for students belonging to the SC, ST, OBC, differently-abled and female candidates.
• The candidates who have submitted their thesis (MD, MS, PhD) are also eligible to apply for the National post doctoral fellowship. However, if selected, the candidates will receive a lesser cash amount until they obtain the degree.
• The candidates can apply for the National post doctoral fellowship programme only once in their career.
• The National post doctoral fellowship applicants, SRG and EMR, should submit their proposal once a year.
• The candidates should not receive benefits from any other government or non-government fellowships during the programme's tenure.
• The candidates should obtain consent from the SERB if they intend to stay away from the implementing institute for more than eight weeks, other than fieldwork relating to the project.

For Mentors of National Post Doctoral Fellowship 

The eligibility criteria for the mentors are as follows:

• The mentor should hold an academic or research position in a recognised Indian institution. 
• They should have a PhD degree in science or engineering.
• The mentors should not work with more than two fellows at a time.

National Post Doctoral Fellowship Rewards

The National post doctoral fellowship 2023 is a temporary programme conducted for two years. The candidates can use the National post doctoral fellowship cash awards for minor equipment, consumables, domestic travel and contingencies. However, the SERB will not provide the workforce to support the candidate's research project. The details of the National post doctoral fellowship benefits are as follows:

• The candidates will receive INR 55,000 as a consolidated monthly stipend.
• The candidates who have their submitted thesis but awaiting a degree will receive INR 35,000 monthly as a stipend.
• The National post doctoral fellowship will offer INR 2,00,000 per annum as a research grant.
• The fellowship also provides INR 1,00,000 per annum for overheads.

How to Apply for National Post Doctoral Fellowship?

The candidates should fulfil all the requirements before applying for the National post doctoral fellowship. Interested candidates should submit the application form online. They will receive an update regarding the National post doctoral fellowship's application through the official SERB website. The stepwise procedure to apply for the National post doctoral fellowship 2023 is as follows:

Step 1 - The candidates should register themselves for the National post doctoral fellowship by clicking here.

Step 2 - They should fill in the details and enter the captcha code.

Step 3 - The candidates should read and agree to the terms and conditions of the National post doctoral fellowship 2023 before clicking on 'submit'.

Step 4 - After registering, the candidates should log in to the official website to start applying for the National post doctoral fellowship.

Step 5 - They should upload the required documents and submit them to complete the National post doctoral application procedure.  

National Post Doctoral Fellowship Mentor Registration

The candidates should ensure their proposed mentors register for the National post doctoral fellowship. The mentors can register for the fellowship programme by following these steps:

Step 1 - They should register themselves by clicking on the National post doctoral fellowship registration webpage.

Step 2 - After registering, they should log in and fill all the fields in the profile detail section under the user profile, including bio-data, photo, institute's address, etc.

Step 3 - The mentors should upload the necessary documents and submit the form.

National Post Doctoral Fellowship Essential Documents

The candidates should submit essential documents in the prescribed format to complete the SERB National post doctoral fellowship applications. The records should contain complete and accurate information. The vital documents are as follows: 

For National post doctoral fellowship candidates

• Bio-data
• Date of birth certificate
• Proof of academic qualifications
• Category certificate, if applicable.
• Undertaking certificate
• Plagiarism undertaking certificate
• Project title (containing up to 500 characters)
• Project summary (containing up to 3,000 characters)
• Up to six keywords
• Project's objective (containing up to 1,500 characters)
• A report on the expected output of the project proposal containing up to 1,500 characters
• A report on the work methodology and research plan containing up to three pages. It should be in a PDF format with less than 10 MB file size.
• Endorsement certificate from the mentor and the host institute

For National post doctoral fellowship mentors

The mentors should submit the following documents:

• Endorsement certificate for the fellows
• Short CV not more than five pages containing their academic and research achievements
• The number of PhD and post doctoral fellows working presently under them.
• List of papers published in the last five years. It should only be in the SCI-indexed journals.

National Post Doctoral Fellowship Selection Process

The organisers select the candidates for the SERB National post doctoral fellowship after a rigorous assessment process. The selection procedure includes the following steps:

Step 1 - The candidates should find a suitable mentor who will help them complete their research project.

Step 2 - The SERB will select the candidates based on the recommendations received from an expert committee (constituted by the SERB).

Step 3 - If deemed necessary, the candidates should attend a personal interview. 

National Post Doctoral Fellowship Important Dates

The important dates of the SERB National post doctoral fellowship 2023 are as follows.

National Post Doctoral Fellowship Terms and Conditions

Some of the essential terms and conditions of the National post doctoral fellowship are as follows:

• The candidates can use the National post doctoral fellowship grant amount for minor equipment, consumables, contingencies and domestic travel.
• The SERB National post doctoral fellowship will not provide the workforce to support the candidate's research project.
• The selected fellows should work on the research project by themselves throughout the SERB National post doctoral fellowship programme.
• The candidates cannot work with: 
• a PhD guide or co-guide
• same department or in an institution where the candidates obtained their MS, MD or PhD degree.
• The candidates, through their mentor, should immediately inform the host institute if they want to terminate the fellowship.
• The host institute should not have incurred any expenses from the date of registration. The institute should submit documents regarding the same.
• The organisers reserve the rights to terminate a fellow at any stage if he/she is not making appropriate progress or if there's a misuse of the SERB National post doctoral fellowship cash rewards.
• The fellows are entitled to leaves as per the rules of the implementing institute. 
• The host institute should consider the candidates as 'on duty' when they attend the scientific workshops in India or overseas.
• The female candidates are eligible for maternity leaves as per the guidelines of the Indian government. 

National Post Doctoral Fellowship Contact Details

The contact details of the National post doctoral fellowship are as follows:

For more details, visit our Scholarships 2023 Directory.