Applications are invited for Up to 50 ASEAN-India Research Training Fellowships (AI-RTF) per year to young scientists and researchers from ASEAN-Member Countries to get affiliated with Indian academic and R&D institutions. Students form ASEAN Member States are eligible to apply for this fellowship.

The AIRTF scheme is a fellowship scheme with the following objectives: To promote mobility of scientists and researchers from the ASEAN-Member Countries to India and provide them opportunity to work at Indian R&D/ academic institutions to upgrade their research skills and expertise. To facilitate exchange of information and contacts between the scientists and researchers of India and ASEAN Countries and create a network for building research collaborations.

ASEAN-India Science & Technology Collaboration formally started in 1996 with establishment of ASEAN India S&T working group (AIWGST). Initially, the collaborative S&T projects and activities between India and ASEAN were supported through ASEAN India Fund (AIF) but in 2008, a dedicated ASEAN India S&T Development Fund (AISTDF) with an equivalent amount of 1 million US $ was established jointly by MEA and DST to support R&D projects and associated project development activities. The AISTDF was enhanced to an equivalent amount of 5 Million US$ through an announcement by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on sidelines of ASEAN-India Summit in Malaysia in November 2015. The ASEAN-India Innovation Platform is the major element of enhanced AISTDF.

Scholarship Description

Applications Deadline: The applications can be submitted at any time during the year. There is no specific deadline for submitting the applications. The application will be processed in two cycles ending 30th June and 31st December of each year.

Course Level: Fellowships are available to pursue Research.

Study Subject: The area/ topic of research for availing AIRTF must be ASEAN centric and must be aligned with the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation (APASTI)-2016-2025. A copy of the APASTI is placed at Appendix-I. Fellowship will be offered for working in research topics under any of the following broad disciplines:

1. Agricultural Sciences

2. Biological and Medical Sciences

3. Chemical Sciences & Engineering

4. Computer Science & Engineering

5. Physical Sciences and Mathematics

6. Ocean, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences

7. Engineering Sciences

8. Materials, Minerals and Metallurgy

9. Science Policy / IPR Management / Technology Transfer & Commercialisation

10. Other multi-disciplinary areas of Science, Technology and Innovation in alignment with APASTI.

Scholarship Award: Full financial assistance will be provided to the selected Fellows which will include the following:-

All international travel related expenses i.e. round trip international airfare by excursion/ economy class by shortest route from the international airport in the home country of the applicant to the international airport nearest to the host institution in India; visa fees, overseas medical insurance etc.

A consolidated Fellowship amount of Indian Rupees (INR) 50,000 per month (non-taxable) for accommodation, meals and other miscellaneous.

One-time grant of INR 40,000/- for 6 months period for research contingency expenses, airport transfers, domestic travel (by road) for attending scientific /events and field-trips within India, and Institutional overhead charges @ Rs. 2,500/- per month.

The allowance as in (a), (b) and (c) will be released to the host institution in India for disbursement to the Fellow. The host Institution will arrange appropriate accommodation for the Fellow on payment basis.

Nationality: Students from ASEAN Member States are eligible to apply for this fellowship.

Number of Scholarships: Initially to start with 50 (fifty) Fellowships per year shall be awarded to young scientists and researchers from ASEAN-Member Countries to get affiliated with Indian academic and R&D institutions. These Fellowships shall be equally distributed among ASEAN Member Country. Initially, 5 Fellowship shall be allocated for each ASEAN country. However, this number could be re-adjusted in accordance with the number of applicants from respective each ASEAN MS.

Scholarship can be taken at any of the Indian research/ academic Institution

Eligibility for the Scholarship

Eligible Countries: Students form ASEAN Member States: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam are eligible to apply for this fellowship.

Entrance Requirements: Applicants must meet the following criteria:

Eligibility and requirements:

1. Applicant must be holding nationality of any of the ASEAN Member State.
2. Possess at-least a Masters Degree in any Natural Sciences or an equivalent degree in Technology / Engineering / Medicine / allied disciplines.
3. Applicant should be working / studying and / or affiliated to any national R&D or academic institution in his/ her home ASEAN Member country. The application should be endorsed by the Head of his/ her institution confirming that if selected, he/ she will be sanctioned leave for the Fellowship period and will join his/ her duties back in the institution on completion of the Fellowship in India.
4. The upper age limit for the applicant is 45 years as on date of submission of application.
5. Fluency in English language
6. Indian nationals are not eligible for the Fellowship.

English Language Requirements: Applicants must have Fluency in English language.

Application Procedure

How to Apply: Only online applications will be accepted. Hard copies of the application by post/ courier/ FAX are neither required nor will be considered.

The Applicant should submit the application online along with the following enclosures:

• Copy of Relevant Pages of Passport
• Copy of an endorsement from present employer, duly filled in and signed, along with Signature of the applicant. Take a print out of the format of Endorsement of Present Employer appended at the end of the Application format and attach a scanned copy of the appropriately filled up document along with the application form).
• A copy of the letter / email from any Indian scientist/ institution with consent to accept you to work with them, if you get selected.

Online Application: https://aistic.gov.in/ASEAN/HomePage

Scholarship Link: https://aistic.gov.in/ASEAN/aistdfFellowship