SERB National Post Doctoral Fellowship (N-PDF) 2023

SERB National Post Doctoral Fellowship (N-PDF) 2023 is an opportunity offered by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) [a statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India] to young researchers. The fellowship aims to provide them with support for doing research in frontier areas of Science and Engineering. The selected fellows will receive a monthly fellowship of INR 55,000 and other benefits. 

The scholarship is being offered by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body set up through the Science and Engineering Research Board Act 2008 of the Parliament, Government of India.

To be eligible, an applicant must - 

• be an Indian citizen
• be a maximum of 35 years of age at the time of application
• hold a Ph.D./M.D./M.S. degree from a recognized university

The selected fellows will receive the following benefits - 

• A monthly consolidated stipend of INR 55,000 and INR 35,000 for candidates who have submitted the thesis but a degree not awarded
• A research grant of INR 2,00,000 per annum
• Overheads of INR 1,00,000 per annum

Note:

• A research grant can be used for minor equipment, consumables, contingencies and domestic travel.
• The fellows are expected to undertake the research objectives by themselves during the entire duration of the fellowship.
• The fellows are not eligible to receive any other fellowship from any Government or Non-Governmental source during the tenure of the fellowship.
• The fellows must seek the consent of SERB if they intend to be away from the implementing institute (except for field work related to the project) continuously for a period of more than 8 weeks.
• There is no provision of providing research personnel support under this scheme.

Follow the below steps to apply for the grant - 

Step 1: Click on the 'Apply Now' button.
Step 2: Click the 'Register' button and fill in the required registration details. (Note - If already registered, log in using Gmail/Mobile number/Email ID)
Step 3: Navigate to the 'How to Apply Online' section, click on the given link and fill in the required details to 'Register'. (Note - If the applicant is already registered, kindly login using valid credentials)
Step 3: After successful registration, fill in the required details in the mandatory fields in Profile Detail under User Profile, upload the necessary documents and submit the online application.

Note - The proposal has to be uploaded in a single PDF file not more than 10 MB as other technical documents (OTD).

• Biodata 
• Age proof certificate
• Qualification certificate
• Category certificate (in case of age relaxation)
• Undertaking certificate by the applicant 
• Endorsement certificate from the mentor & host institute
• Short Curriculum Vitae (CV) of the mentor
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) of the mentor
• Plagiarism undertaking

Note - The above-mentioned documents must be submitted in the specified format.

The selection of the applicants will be based on the recommendations made by an expert committee that will be constituted by the board.

Application Start Date - 3rd July 2023
Application Last Date - 10th August 2023 (5:00 PM)

• Age relaxation of 5 years will be given to candidates belonging to SC/ST/OBC/physically challenged & women candidates.
• The fellows will not be allowed to work with the Ph.D. guide/co-guide. It is also normally not availed at the same department/institution where the candidates have earned their Ph.D./M.S./M.D degree.
• The fellowship is purely a temporary assignment tenable for a period of 2 years.
• The application form of the candidates along with their research proposal should be submitted on the official fellowship page.
• The applicants must identify a suitable mentor under whom the proposed research would be carried out.
• N-PDF can be availed only once by a candidate in his/her career.
• The mentors must hold a regular academic/research position in a recognized institution in India. They should hold a Ph.D. degree in Science or Engineering.
• Applicants who have submitted their Ph.D./M.D./M.S. thesis and are awaiting the award of the degree are also eligible to apply. However, such candidates, if selected, will be offered a lower fellowship amount till they qualify for the eligible degree.