TWAS-DBT Postgraduate Research Fellowship 2019/2020 for Developing Countries � India

Published: 02 Jul 2019

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of the Ministry of Science and Technology in India, and TWAS are inviting students to partake in the TWAS-DBT Postgraduate Research Fellowship for students from developing countries.

DBT and TWAS have established the fellowship programme for foreign scholars from developing countries who wish to pursue research towards a PhD in biotechnology in India.

The students should be at least 35 years by the 31st December of the application year and be nationals of a developing country (other than India).

TWAS-DBT PhD Scholarship

Application Deadline	July 15, 2019
Country to study	India
School to study	key biotechnology research institutions
Type	Ph.D
Course to study	View courses
Sponsor	TWAS-DBT Postgraduate Research Fellowship
Gender	Men and Women

Benefits of TWAS-DBT PhD Scholarship

1. DBT will provide a monthly stipend to cover for living costs, food and health insurance. The monthly stipend will not be convertible into foreign currency. In addition, the fellowship holder will receive a house rent allowance.
2. The language of instruction is English

TWAS-DBT PhD Scholarship Courses

• Agricultural Sciences
• Biological Systems and Organisms
• Chemical Sciences
• Medical and Health Sciences incl. Neurosciences
• Structural, Cell and Molecular Biology

Requirements for TWAS-DBT PhD Scholarship

1. Be a maximum age of 35 years on 31 December of the application year.
2. Be nationals of a developing country (other than India).
3. Must not hold any visa for temporary or permanent residency in India or any developed country.
4. Hold a Master's or equivalent degree in science or engineering.
5. For SANDWICH Fellowships, be registered PhD students in their home country and provide the "Registration and No Objection Certificate" from the HOME university (sample is included in the application form); OR
6. For FULL-TIME Fellowships; be willing to register at a university in India.
7. Be accepted at a biotechnology institution in India (see sample Acceptance Letter included in the application form). N.B. Requests for acceptance must be directed to the chosen host institution(s), and NOT to DBT.
8. Provide evidence of proficiency in English, if medium of education was not English;
9. Provide evidence that s/he will return to her/his home country on completion of the fellowship;
10. Not take up other assignments during the period of her/his fellowship;
11. Be financially responsible for any accompanying family members.

Selection Process

1. The deadline for receipt of applications is 15 July 2019.
2. No applications will be accepted after the deadline. Therefore, it is recommended to submit your electronic application as early as possible.
3. Applications for the TWAS-DBT 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.
4. 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).
5. 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.
6. 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.  
7. Should you have applied to or availed any Indian fellowships (especially INSA JRD TATA and JNCASR-CICS)in the current or previous year this must be clearly specified in the application form.

Results of the fellowship selection should be available toward the end of 2019 or early 2020, and selected candidates will be able to start their fellowship NO earlier than beginning of 2020.

Application Deadline

July 15, 2019

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to TWAS-DBT Postgraduate Research Fellowship on onlineforms.twas.org to apply