VAIBHAV Fellowship: Application and Selection Process for NRI Researchers

The VAIBHAV Fellowship is a program that is designed to enhance the research environment in India’s higher educational and scientific institutions by promoting academic and research collaborations between Indian institutions and top-rated institutions around the world. The program facilitates the mobility of faculty and researchers from overseas institutions to India, encouraging the exchange of knowledge, skills, and expertise between researchers from different parts of the world. By bringing in experts from top institutions worldwide, the program seeks to create a culture of research excellence in India and improve the research output of Indian institutions. This is achieved by providing Indian researchers with the opportunity to learn new techniques and methodologies, gain exposure to cutting-edge research, and build networks with experts from around the world.

Importance Of VAIBHAV Fellowship

The VAIBHAV Fellowship program plays a crucial role in enhancing the research ecosystem of India’s higher educational and scientific institutions in several ways:

• Facilitating Academic and Research Collaborations: The program promotes collaborations between Indian institutions and top-rated institutions worldwide, encouraging the exchange of knowledge, skills, and expertise between researchers from different parts of the world. This facilitates the transfer of new and innovative research methods, technologies, and ideas, which can help advance the research ecosystem in India.
• Encouraging Mobility of Faculty and Researchers: By bringing in experts from top institutions worldwide, the program encourages the mobility of faculty and researchers from overseas institutions to India. This provides Indian researchers with the opportunity to learn new techniques and methodologies, gain exposure to cutting-edge research, and build networks with experts from around the world.
• Boosting Research Output: The program aims to create a culture of research excellence in India by providing researchers with access to the latest research tools and facilities. This can help improve the quality and quantity of research output in Indian institutions, leading to better research outcomes and a more vibrant research ecosystem.
• Fostering Innovation and Solving Challenges: By providing researchers with the opportunity to work on cutting-edge research projects, the program aims to foster innovation and creativity in Indian institutions. This can help address some of the most pressing challenges facing the country and the world, such as climate change, health, and sustainable development.

Also Check: IITTNiF CHANAKYA Post Doctoral Fellowship

Objective Of VAIBHAV Fellowship

The main objective of the VAIBHAV Fellowship is to improve the research ecosystem of India’s Higher Educational and Scientific Institutions by promoting academic and research collaborations between Indian institutions and the best institutions in the world. Specifically, the program aims to achieve the following objectives:

• Facilitate collaborations between Indian institutions and top-rated institutions worldwide to encourage the exchange of knowledge, skills, and expertise between researchers from different parts of the world.
• Encourage the mobility of faculty and researchers from overseas institutions to India, providing Indian researchers with the opportunity to learn new techniques and methodologies, gain exposure to cutting-edge research, and build networks with experts from around the world.
• Improve the quality and quantity of research output in Indian institutions by providing researchers with access to the latest research tools and facilities and creating a culture of research excellence in India.
• Foster innovation and creativity in Indian institutions to address some of the most pressing challenges facing the country and the world, such as climate change, health, and sustainable development.

Eligibility Criteria 

• Scientist eligibility criteria:
  • The applicant must currently reside abroad and be a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), Person of Indian Origin (PIO), or Overseas Citizen of India (OCI).
  • The applicant must hold a Ph.D/M.D/M.S degree from a recognized university.
  • The applicant should be a researcher working in an overseas academic/research/industrial organization that is listed among the top 500 QS World University Ranking and should have a proven track record of research and development.
  • The applicant should plan to undertake research work for a period of one to two months per year, for a total of three years, in an academic/research institution in India.
  • Each applicant can only submit a proposal once per calendar year.
• Institution eligibility criteria:
  • Higher educational institutions/universities that are ranked among the top 200 in the NIRF overall rankings and have NAAC ‘A’ grades (3.0 and above) are eligible to participate in the program, as well as scientific institutes.

Document Required 

The following documents are required in order to successfully fill out the application form for this fellowship program: 

• Bio-data of Applicant
• Age Proof Certificate
• Qualification Certificate
• Undertaking Certificate by the applicant and NOC from their parent institute
• Endorsement Certificate from Host Institute
• Plagiarism undertaking 

Features and Benefits

The fellowship is applicable only to recognized academic institutions, national laboratories, and other R&D institutions in India. The host institution must provide adequate administrative and infrastructural support to the fellow. The fellowship is for a duration of 1-2 months per year, for a period of three years. The fellows are eligible to receive the following grants:

• A fellowship amount of USD 5000 (in equivalent Indian currency).
• Business-class international travel from their institute to the place of work in India.
• Accommodation in a 3 or 4-star hotel.
• A contingency amount of Rs 1,00,000 per year.
• Domestic travel for academic purposes, up to two stations per year.
• The host institute will receive Rs 10 lakh per year for providing office/lab accommodation and facilitating various infrastructure support for the scientist.

Selection Criteria

The selection procedure for the VAIBHAV Fellowship program is as follows:

• Applications are invited twice a year, with deadlines on July 31st and January 31st.
• The applicant must identify an Indian institution or university where they intend to conduct their research.
• The selection process is based on the recommendations of an Expert Committee, which is constituted by the DST.
• The Expert Committee will assess the applications and select the candidates based on their research proposals, academic achievements, and the quality of the proposed research work.
• The selected candidates will be notified via email or through the DST website.
• The fellowship is tenable only in India and can be implemented in any recognized academic institution, national laboratories, and other recognized R&D institutions.
• The host institution should provide the necessary administrative and infrastructural support to the fellow.
• The fellowship is for a duration of 1-2 months per year, for a period of three years.
• Fellows are entitled to receive various grants such as fellowship amount, international and domestic travel, accommodation, and contingency funds, and the host institution will receive Rs 10 lakh per year for hosting the scientist and providing office/lab accommodation and facilitation for various infrastructure support.

Also Read: Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship

Application Process Under Fellowship 2023

The application procedure for the VAIBHAV Fellowship is as follows:

• You will first have to visit the official website of the fellowship by clicking on the link given here

• The home page will open on your screen
• You have to click on the option called Vaibhav Fellowship

• A new page will open on your screen where you can download the official notification of the fellowship program and apply for the fellowship accordingly.

• Applications invite twice a year and end on 31st July and 31st January.
• The applicant must submit the application form online, along with a research proposal highlighting the objectives of the research work to undertake.
• The applicant must identify an Indian Institution/University/Research Laboratory for carrying out their research.
• The selection will be on the recommendations of an Expert Committee that will constitute by the DST.

Termination of the Fellowship

The scholarship will terminate by the authorities on the basis of the following termination conditions presented in the official notification:

• In case a fellow wants to terminate the fellowship, they must inform the DST.
• The implementing institute should not spend any money from the date of project termination or PI resignation. The institute should also arrange for the submission of necessary documents.
• DST has the right to terminate the fellowship at any stage if it believes that the fellow has not made appropriate progress or has not used the grant appropriately.

In conclusion, the VAIBHAV Fellowship is a unique opportunity for NRI, PIO, and OCI researchers to collaborate with Indian institutions and improve the research ecosystem of the country. The fellowship program provides financial support, international and domestic travel, and other facilities to the fellows. 

Contact Details 

• Shri S K Varshney
  • Advisor and Head
  • International Cooperation
  • Division
  • Technology Bhawan
  • Department of Science and
  • Technology
  • New Delhi-110016
  • Email: skvdst@nic.in
• Shri Sujit Banerjee
  • Scientist-F
  • International Cooperation
  • Division
  • Technology Bhawan
  • Department of Science and
  • Technology
  • New Delhi-110016
  • Email: sujit@nic.in 
• Dr Charu Agarwal
  • Scientist-C
  • International
  • Cooperation Division
  • Technology Bhawan
  • Department of Science and
  • Technology
  • New Delhi-110016
  • Email: c.agarwal@gov.in 

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