Call for applications for the ICSSR’s Doctoral Fellowships for the Financial Year 2025-26. Boost Your Research Career: Apply Now for ICSSR’s Doctoral Fellowships 2025-26 and Unlock Funding for Your Ph.D. Dreams!
ICSSR Doctoral Fellowships 2025-26: Call for applications
The ICSSR Doctoral Fellowships for the financial year 2025-26 are prestigious awards offered by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) to enhance and support doctoral research in the social sciences. Here is a comprehensive overview of the fellowship schemes, eligibility, application process, important dates, and other necessary details for prospective applicants.
Overview and Objectives
The ICSSR Doctoral Fellowships aim to encourage innovative, high-impact research that addresses emerging social challenges and fosters India’s knowledge ecosystem. The fellowships are intended for Indian scholars pursuing a Ph.D. in social and human sciences from UGC-recognized institutions, Institutes of National Importance, or ICSSR Research Institutes.
Types of Doctoral Fellowships
The fellowships for 2025-26 include:
- Full-Term Doctoral Fellowship (Centrally Administered and Institutional)
- Short-Term Doctoral Fellowship
- Contingency Grant Scheme.
Fellowship Domains and Priority Areas
Research proposals are welcome in major social science disciplines, such as:
- Economics (including topics like sustainable development, fintech, rural development)
- Management (including financial management, organizational behavior, sustainability)
- Political Science/Public Administration
- International Studies
- Sociology/Social Anthropology
- Law, Education, Commerce, and other allied fields.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicant must be an Indian national registered as a full-time Ph.D. student at a recognized university/college/research institute.
- Maximum age is 40 years, with a relaxation of 5 years for SC/ST/OBC-(NCL) and PwD candidates.
- Must have at least 55% marks in post-graduation (5% relaxation for eligible categories).
- Applicants can only apply for one fellowship scheme in a financial year.
- Additional eligibility specifications apply to each fellowship category.
Duration and Funding
The ICSSR Doctoral Fellowship provides funding for research work. The fellowship has several types, each with its own duration and grant amount.
- The Full-Term Doctoral Fellowship is for two years. The fellow receives ₹20,000 each month and ₹20,000 per year as a contingency grant.
- The Institutional Full-Term Doctoral Fellowship also lasts two years. The amount given is the same as the Full-Term Fellowship.
- The Short-Term Doctoral Fellowship is for six months or until the scholar submits their Ph.D. thesis, whichever comes first. The amount is equal to six months of the Full-Term Fellowship with a contingency grant for six months.
- The Contingency Grant is a one-time payment of ₹62,500 for certain research-related expenses.
Application Process
- Applications open: 22 September 2025
- Last date to apply: 21 October 2025
- Apply online at the ICSSR portal: https://app.icssr.org/
- Applications can be submitted in English or Hindi. For Hindi, use Arial/Mangal Unicode font (Devanagari script).
- The application must include scanned documents as per the guidelines, including a forwarding letter from the Ph.D. supervisor and affiliating institution.
- Only complete applications forwarded through the proper channel will be considered. Incomplete or unauthorized applications are automatically rejected.
Selection and Grant Disbursement
- The selection is based on merit, taking into account the research proposal, academic record, and institutional recommendation.
- For the Full-Term/In-house Institutional fellowships, grants are disbursed yearly, contingent on progress and proper documentation.
- Short-Term Doctoral Fellowship and Contingency Grant are released in prescribed instalments upon submission of required documents and satisfactory progress.
Important Points to Note
- Applicants must meet all eligibility criteria and submit verifiable original documents.
- The detailed guidelines for application and proposal formats are available on the official ICSSR website.
- It is advised to apply well before the deadline to avoid technical issues or last-minute rush.
- Candidates awarded fellowships in reserved categories are eligible for specific relaxations as per Government of India norms.
The ICSSR Doctoral Fellowship offers significant financial and academic support aimed at advancing doctoral-level social science research in India.
Its robust, transparent selection process, structured funding, and focus on research quality and societal impact make it a highly sought-after program for budding scholars.
