Fulbright Nehru PhD Fellowships for Indian Scholars in USA, 2019-2020


The Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships are designed for Indian scholars who are registered for a Ph.D. at an Indian institution. These fellowships are for six to nine months.

Applications are invited in the following fields only: 

Agricultural Sciences; Anthropology; Bioengineering; Computer Science (including, but not limited to, cyber security, digital economy, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data analytics); Economics; Education Policy and Planning; Energy Studies; History; International Law; International Security and Strategic Studies; Materials Science (with emphasis on environmental applications); Mathematical Sciences; Neurosciences; Performing Arts; Physical Sciences; Public Health; Public Policy; Sociology; Urban and Regional Planning (with emphasis on smart cities and waste management); Visual Arts; and Women’s and Gender Studies.


Affiliation
The applicant will be affiliated to one U.S. host institution for his/her grant. USIEF strongly recommends all applicants to identify institutions with which they wish to be affiliated and to correspond, in advance, with potential host institutions. If applicant has secured a letter of invitation from a U.S. institution, please include it as a part of his/her online application.

Grant Benefits
The fellowships provide J-1 visa support, a monthly stipend, Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges per U.S. Government guidelines, round-trip economy class air travel, applicable allowances and modest affiliation fees, if any. Selected scholars will have opportunities to audit non-degree courses, conduct research and gain practical work experience in suitable settings in the U.S. No allowances are provided for dependents. The grant is not sufficient to support family members.

Eligibility Requirements

In addition to the General Prerequisites:


  • applicant should have done adequate research in the relevant field, especially in the identification of resources in India and the U.S. Applicant must be registered for his/her Ph.D. at an Indian institution by September 1, 2018. On the online application form, one of the recommendation letters must be from the Ph.D. supervisor that comments on the applicants’ research work and the usefulness of the fellowship, and must indicate the Ph.D. registration date and topic;
  • This grant is intended for Ph.D. students to conduct research essential to their dissertations/thesis. Therefore, the expected Ph.D. thesis submission date should not be earlier than three months after Fulbright-Nehru grant end date. For example, if May 2021 is the grant end date, applicant cannot submit his/her thesis before August 2021. Please indicate the Ph.D. registration date and the expected Ph.D. thesis submission date in the Applicant Annexure.
  • If the applicant is employed, s/he must follow the instructions carefully regarding employer’s endorsement. If applicable, please obtain the endorsement from the appropriate administrative authority on the FNDR Employer’s Endorsement Form. The employer must indicate that leave will be granted for the fellowship period; and
  • the applicant must upload a 'writing sample' such as a copy of an article or paper published/presented or extracts from the Master’s/M.Phil. thesis in the online application form.
Note: These fellowships are for pre-doctoral level research. Applicants with Ph.D. degrees or those at the final stage of Ph.D. thesis submission will not be considered.

How to Apply
  1. Applications must be submitted online at: https://apply.iie.org/ffsp2020
  2. Please carefully review the FNDR Applicant Instructions before starting your online application.
  3. Please refer to FNDR Applicant Checklist before submitting the application.
  4. In addition, you must complete and upload the following documents on your online application:

Application Deadline: May 15, 2019, 23:59:59 hrs (IST)


Timeline and Placement Process
May 15, 2019Application due date for 2020-2021 awards
Mid-June 2019Field-specific experts review applications to short-list candidates
Late August 2019National interviews of short-listed candidates in Delhi
Early September 2019USIEF notifies principal and alternate nominees that they are recommended. Nominees take TOEFL.
October 2019USIEF forwards applications of recommended candidates to the U.S. for J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) approval and placement
March-April 2020USIEF notifies finalists
July-August 2020Pre-academic training in the U.S. (if required)
August-September 2020Program begins

IMPORTANT:
You can apply for only ONE Fulbright-Nehru fellowship category during a competition cycle.


Plagiarism in the application will lead to disqualification.


Unless otherwise specified, Fulbright-Nehru applications are to be submitted online.



Applications received after the deadline will NOT be considered.



Extensions and transfer of visa sponsorship will not be permitted.

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