The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of the Ministry of Science and Technology, India, and TWAS have established a fellowship programme for foreign scholars from developing countries who wish to pursue postdoctoral research in biotechnology.
Programme Details
- TWAS-DBT Postdoctoral Fellowships are tenable at key biotechnology research institutions in India for a minimum period of 12 months to a maximum period of 18 months.
- 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 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.
- The language of instruction is English.
Eligibility
Applicants for these fellowships must meet the following criteria:
- Be a maximum age of 45 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 PhD degree in bioscience or biotechnology.
- Be regularly employed in a developing country and hold a research assignment there.
- 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.
- 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
- The deadline for receipt of applications is 31 August of each year.
- Applicants should submit the Acceptance Letter from an Indian biotechnology institution to TWAS when applying or by the deadline at the latest. Applicants will have until the deadline to submit the Acceptance Letter to TWAS. Without preliminary acceptance, the application will not be considered for selection.
- Reference letters: Referees must send signed letters as attachments via e-mail directly to TWAS. The subject line must contain: DBT/PDoc/ candidate's surname.
- 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.
- Applications for the TWAS-DBT Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme should be sent to TWAS and CICS (by email).
- Applicants should be aware that they can apply for only one fellowship per year. With the exception of the Visiting Scientists programme, all other fellowship programmes offered by TWAS and OWSD are mutually exclusive.
For further details and application please visit the TWAS-DBT Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme page.
