ICSSR Fellowship 2026: Applications open for postdoctoral and senior fellowships; ₹31,000 monthly stipend, know eligibility and selection process

An excellent opportunity has emerged for social science researchers making a career in the field of higher education and research. Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) has officially started the online application process for its prestigious Postdoctoral Fellowship and Senior Fellowship scheme for the financial year 2026-2027.

Candidates interested and eligible to be a part of this fellowship program can complete their online registration by 21 July 2026 by visiting the official website of ICSSR. The Council has clarified that the entire application process will be digital and there is no need for the candidates to send any separate research proposal or hard copy of the document through post.

1. ICSSR Postdoctoral Fellowship 2026: Who Can Apply? (Eligibility Criteria)

Researchers applying for this fellowship must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Nationality and Age Limit: The applicant must be an Indian citizen. Maximum age of general category candidates as on last date of application (21 July 2026) 45 years Should not exceed. Applicants belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Divyang (Benchmark Disability) category will be given special relaxation of 5 years in the age limit as per government rules.

• Educational qualification: The candidate must have a PhD degree from a recognized university. Additionally, their research skills and abilities should be demonstrated by their previously published research work or books.

• Affiliation with the Institute: The applicant must be affiliated to a recognized publicly funded Indian University, Deemed University, college with an approved PhD programme, ICSSR’s own Research Institute, or an Institution of National Importance recognized by the Ministry of Education.

• Supervision: This fellowship will be managed through the affiliating institution under the supervision of a serving senior social scientist not less than the rank of Associate Professor.

2. ‘Senior Fellowship’ Scheme for experienced scholars

For researchers who are very senior in the field of research and have long experience in social sciences, the option of Senior Fellowship is given:

• Age Limit: this fellowship 45 to 70 years Is reserved for experienced Indian researchers between.

• Objective: Its main objective is to provide a platform to senior experts to conduct full-time independent research on identified themes, so that they can contribute to understanding the social and policy challenges of the country in an evidence-based manner.

Duration of Fellowship and Financial Assistance (Stipend & Grants)

As per ICSSR rules, both these fellowships two years (2 years) These are purely full-time research assignments for a period of Rs. Keep in mind that after the end of this period, there is no provision for extension under any circumstances.

Selection process: Strict evaluation will be done in several stages

A scholar can submit only one application under the Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme (although they can fill separate forms for other schemes of ICSSR).

1. Investigation by Expert Panel: All applications received will undergo thorough scrutiny and their research proposals will be evaluated by a panel of subject experts in several stages.

2. Final Recommendation: After the green signal from the panel, the final suggestions will be placed before the main committees of ICSSR for approval.

3. Award Letter: Provisional award letters (temporary allotment letters) will be issued by the Council to the finally selected scholars and their respective institutions.

These 3 conditions have to be fulfilled during and at the end of research

Every researcher receiving fellowship amount must follow some strict rules to maintain academic quality:

• Paper Publication: During the tenure of two years, the researcher will have to publish at least two research papers related to his research topic in reputed peer-reviewed journals and will have to express gratitude for the financial support of ICSSR.

• Final Report: Upon completion of the fellowship, the scholar will be required to submit a detailed book-sized final project report along with a concise summary of 3,000 to 4,000 words.

• Prohibition of Plagiarism: An authorized plagiarism check report will have to be submitted along with the report, which will contain the Similarity Index. not more than 10% Should be. If duplication is found to be more than 10 percent, the fellowship may be cancelled.