SERB National Post-Doctoral Fellowship awarded to 301 young researchers

New Delhi: Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has announced the names of 301 young researchers selected for support under SERB-National Post-Doctoral Fellowship (N-PDF).

The fellowship is awarded to work for two years in frontier areas of science and engineering. The selected fellows will work under a mentor who holds a regular academic/research position in a recognized institution in India.

This year, 3,833 applications were received and considered by the designated expert committees. After several rounds of rigorous screening and vetting, 301 researchers were selected for the coveted fellowship.

The fellowship amount is Rs. 55,000 per month (consolidated) and Rs. 35,000 per month for candidates who have submitted the thesis but the degree has not been awarded. The fellows will receive a research grant of Rs. 2,00,000 and overheads of Rs. 1,00,000 per annum. The fellowships are broadly given in five thematic areas: Chemical Sciences, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Life Sciences, and Physical & Mathematical Sciences. Candidates within the age limit of 35 years, with PhD/MD/MS degree from a recognized University, and those who have submitted their PhD/MD/MS thesis and are awaiting award of the degree are eligible to apply for it.

The fellowship, initiated in 2015, supports young budding researchers to establish themselves as independent scientists. Till date, around 23000 applications have been received in the last eight years, out of which about 3500 fellows have benefitted. N-PDF 2022 fellows will bring this number to 3800.

SERB has a vision to position science and technology as the fulcrum for social and economic change by supporting relevant, competitive, and quality scientific research and development. The mandate of SERB includes promoting basic research in Science and Engineering and providing financial assistance to persons engaged in such research, academic institutions, research and development laboratories, industrial concerns, and other agencies for such research.

In addition to the N-PDF, SERB also offers several other awards and fellowships, including J C Bose National fellowship; Abdul Kalam TIN fellowship; Ramanujan fellowship; SERB Research Scientists Scheme; SERB Power fellowship; SERB Women Excellence Award; Teachers Associateship for Research Excellence (TARE); SERB Science and Technology Award for Research (SERB-STAR); SERB Technology Translation Award (SERB-TETRA); and National Science Chair. Besides offering twelve research grants, it also runs two national and three international research networking programmes. The Board aims to enable quicker decisions on research issues, significantly improving the responsiveness to the genuine needs of the research scientists and the S&T system of India.