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The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of India and UNESCO-TWAS have established a number of fellowships for foreign scholars from developing countries, who wish to pursue research toward a PhD in emerging areas of science and technology, for which facilities are available in CSIR laboratories and institutes.     Deadline 06 May 2026 Partner Organizations Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India Eligible nationalities Developing countries in the South Host countries India Level PhD Minimum degree held MSc Duration Up to 4 years Field 01-Agricultural Sciences 02-Structural, Cell and Molecular Biology 03-Biological Systems and Organisms 04-Medical and Health Sciences incl. Neurosciences 05-Chemical Sciences 06-Engineering Sciences 07-Astronomy, Space and Earth Sciences 08-Mathematical Sciences 09-Physics Age limit 35 Sandwich option YES Applications can only be submitted via 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. Opening date of this fellowship: 6 March 2026 Closing date of this fellowship: 6 May 2026 Applicants are encouraged to apply for the preliminary acceptance letter as early as possible, even before the opening date of the call. Keeping in mind that only Acceptance letters dated the same year as the year of application are eligible.   Programme Details TWAS-CSIR Postgraduate Fellowships are tenable in CSIR research laboratories and institutes in India for a maximum period of four years. Applicants may be registered for a PhD degree in their home country, or may enrol in a PhD course at any University in India. Eligible CSIR institutions: Information on CSIR laboratories and institutes can be obtained by following the links here: https://www.csir.res.in/about-us/csir-network-map. Alternatively, a list of eligible institutes is available at the bottom of this page as a Word document. SANDWICH Fellowships (for those registered for a PhD in their home country): The Fellowship may be granted for a minimum period of 6 months and a maximum period to be decided by the host institute, but no greater than 3 years. FULL-TIME Fellowships (for those not registered for a PhD): The Fellowship may be granted for up to a maximum duration of 4 years. CSIR 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, Fellowship awardees are entitled to subsidized accommodation. The language of instruction for foreign scholars in CSIR laboratories/institutes is English.   Eligibility Applicants for these fellowships must meet the following criteria: Be a maximum age of 35 years on 31 December of the application year. Be nationals of a developing country (other than India). Must not hold any visa for temporary or permanent residency in India or any developed country. Hold a Master's degree in science and technology. Be regularly employed in their home country and hold a research assignment there. SANDWICH Fellowships: Be registered PhD students in their home country and provide the "Registration and No Objection Certificate" from the HOME university. FULL-TIME Fellowships: Be willing to register at a university in India within the first year, if agreed to by CSIR. Be accepted at a CSIR laboratory/institution and provide an official acceptance letter from the host institution (see sample Acceptance Letter that can be downloaded below or included in the Application Form). NB: Requests for acceptance must be directed to the chosen CSIR host institution(s); provide evidence of proficiency in English, if medium of education was not English; provide evidence that s/he will return to her/his home country on completion of the fellowship; not take up other assignments during the period of her/his fellowship; be financially responsible for any accompanying family members.   Submitting your application If already registered for a PhD in their home country, applicants should ensure that the Vice-Chancellor or Registrar of the HOME university signs a copy of the "Registration and No Objection Certificate" (see sample included in the Application Form), a copy of which should be sent to both CSIR and TWAS. Applicants should submit the acceptance letter from a CSIR institution when applying or by the deadline at the latest. Without preliminary acceptance, the application will not be considered for selection. Applications for the TWAS-CSIR 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. Please be advised that applicants may apply for only one programme per calendar year in the TWAS and OWSD portfolio. Applicants will not be eligible to visit another institution in that year under the TWAS Visiting Professor programmes. One exception: The head of an institution who invites an external scholar to share his/her expertise under the TWAS Visiting Professor programmes may still apply for another programme. Results of the fellowship selection should be available in at the end of 2026 or early 2027 and selected candidates will be able to start their fellowship NO earlier than 2027.  Contact Details • TWAS Fellowships OfficeICTP Campus, Strada Costiera 1134151 Trieste, ItalyPhone: +39 040 2240-3314Fax: +39 040 2240-689E-mail: fellowships@twas.org • Dr (Mrs) Mamta SharmaPrincipal ScientistInternational S&T Affairs Directorate (ISTAD)Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)Anusandhan Bhavan, 2, Rafi Marg, New Delhi 110 001Tel:  +91-11-23470218  or 8987482814E-mail: mamtasharma@csir.res.inWeb: www.csir.res.in   Contact email: fellowships@twas.org Application doc(s): online_forms_applicants_tutorial.pdf1.34 MB sample_preliminary_acceptance_letter.pdf62.54 KB updated-list-of-csir-eligible-centres_2023.docx27.66 KB APPLY NOW