40 candidates from India’s neighboring countries to be awarded India Science and Research Fellowship (ISRF) 2021

As a part of India’s initiatives to engage with our neighbouring countries to develop S&T partnerships, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India has launched India Science and Research Fellowship (ISRF) Programme for the Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand researchers to work in Indian Universities and Research Institutions. It has been implemented since 2015 and has been progressing on successfully.

ISRF programme has provided opportunity to the young researchers from neighbouring countries to get access to the state of art facilities available in the Indian institutes/universities. As India is keen to enter into partnerships with its neighboring countries to foster closer scientific and technological collaboration through human capacity building in advanced areas of research and development, this fellowship remains as a platform to establish research cooperation with neighboring countries of India which is one of the mandates of DST’s International Science and Technology Cooperation.

As of now 5 Calls has been announced in this programme with participation of young researchers from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. About 128 fellows from these countries has been awarded fellowship under this programme. A number of quality research papers have been published by awardees during the ISRF calls from 2015-2019 and fellows also participated in various conferences/symposiums of their relevant fields. Because of the pandemic, no award was made last year.

This year, a total of 66 applications were considered from researchers of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka, which were reviewed by a Panel of Experts. Based on research proposal, experience, academic merit and publication record, 40 candidates were recommended for the award of India Science and Research Fellowship (ISRF) 2021. The awardees are being informed separately to complete administrative formalities to avail this award. Applications are received in various areas such as Life Sciences, Veterinary Science, Fisheries, Medicine, Dental Medicine periodontology, Agriculture, Geology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, and Engineering etc.

Realizing that we are still going through the pandemic, awardees are being encouraged to have virtual interaction with their host institutes and host scientists. They could visit Indian institutes once travel restrictions are eased and overall environment is conducive to doing regular laboratory research.