TWAS-CSIR Postgraduate Fellowship Programme

Who can apply

Maximum age 35 on 31 December of the application year
Holds a Master's degree in science and technology, and is regularly employed with a research assignment in their home country
Must not hold a temporary or permanent residency visa for India or for any developed country
Requires a preliminary acceptance letter from a specific CSIR laboratory or institute before applying; without one the application will not be considered, and only acceptance letters dated the same year as the application are valid
Sandwich applicants, already registered for a PhD at home, need a Registration and No Objection Certificate signed by their home university's Vice-Chancellor or Registrar
Financially responsible for any accompanying family members, and must not take up other assignments during the fellowship
May apply to only one programme per calendar year across the whole TWAS and OWSD portfolio
Must provide evidence of English proficiency if the applicant's own medium of education was not English, and evidence of intent to return to their home country on completing the fellowship
Full-time applicants (not yet registered for a PhD) must be willing to register at a university in India within the first year, if CSIR agrees

What this actually funds, precisely

Be precise about what this actually funds: a living stipend, food, and health insurance, plus subsidised accommodation, but nothing on the page about tuition or international travel. It is also not convertible into foreign currency, so plan around spending it inside India.

The preliminary acceptance letter is the step that costs people their applications

The step that costs people their applications is the preliminary acceptance letter. You need one from a specific CSIR laboratory or institute before TWAS will consider your application at all, requested directly from the host institution rather than from TWAS, and only a letter dated the same year as your application counts. If you’re already registered for a PhD at home and applying for the shorter sandwich route, you also need a Registration and No Objection Certificate signed by your home university’s Vice-Chancellor or Registrar, copied to both CSIR and TWAS. Full-time applicants, those not yet registered for a PhD anywhere, carry a different commitment instead: willingness to register at an Indian university within the first year, if CSIR agrees to it.

Eligibility is tighter than most listings here

Eligibility is tighter than most listings here: 35 or under, a Master’s in science and technology, currently employed with a research assignment at home, and no residency visa for India or any developed country. TWAS also asks for evidence of English proficiency if your own education wasn’t conducted in English, and evidence that you intend to return to your home country once the fellowship ends. One rule applies across the whole TWAS system, not just this programme: you can apply to only one TWAS or OWSD programme per calendar year, which matters if you’re also considering the ANSO-CAS-TWAS/UNESCO PhD Scholarship, a separate TWAS-affiliated route hosted in China rather than India.

The call is closed; results land by early 2027 at the earliest

As of this check the call is closed, with the most recent round having run from March to an extended June 2026 close, after being pushed back twice from its original May dates. No 2027 round has been announced, and TWAS says results from the closed round should land by the end of 2026 or early 2027, with successful candidates starting no earlier than 2027.