ANRF National Post Doctoral Fellowship (N-PDF) 2025
- Omran Aburayya
- Jun 3
- 3 min read
The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) National Post Doctoral Fellowship (N-PDF) is a prestigious initiative designed to support and nurture young researchers in India. This fellowship aims to provide a platform for postdoctoral scholars to conduct advanced research in frontier areas of science and engineering, fostering their development into independent researchers.
🎯ANRF-NPDF Fellowship Objective
The primary goal of the ANRF-NPDF is to identify motivated young researchers and provide them with the necessary support to pursue research in cutting-edge areas of science and engineering. By working under the mentorship of established scientists, fellows are expected to gain the experience and skills required to become independent researchers.
✅ Eligibility Criteria
Citizenship: Applicants must be Indian citizens.
Educational Qualifications: Candidates should have obtained a Ph.D., M.D., or M.S. degree from a recognized university. Those who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting the award of the degree are also eligible to apply. However, such candidates will receive a lower fellowship amount until they are awarded the eligible degree.
Age Limit: The upper age limit for the fellowship is 35 years at the time of application submission. Age relaxation of 5 years is provided for candidates belonging to SC/ST/OBC/Physically Challenged and Women candidates.
Mentorship: Applicants must identify a suitable mentor holding a regular academic/research position in a recognized institution in India. The mentor should possess a Ph.D. degree in Science or Engineering.
Institutional Affiliation: The fellowship is generally not availed at the same institution where the candidate has obtained their Ph.D./M.S./M.D. degree or with the doctoral thesis supervisor or co-supervisor as a mentor.
Exclusive Fellowship: Candidates can avail of the NPDF only once in their career and should not be receiving any other fellowship from government or non-government sources during the tenure of the NPDF.
💰 Fellowship Benefits
Fellowship Amount:
₹55,000 per month plus applicable House Rent Allowance (HRA) for candidates who have been awarded the Ph.D./M.D./M.S. degree.
₹35,000 per month plus applicable HRA for candidates who have submitted the thesis but are yet to be awarded the degree.
Research Grant: ₹2,00,000 per annum to cover expenses related to minor equipment, consumables, contingencies, and domestic travel.
Overheads: ₹1,00,000 per annum provided to the host institution for administrative expenses.
⏳ Duration and Conditions
Tenure: The fellowship is a temporary assignment and is tenable for a period of 2 years.
Location: The fellowship is tenable only in India and can be implemented in recognized academic institutions, national laboratories, and other recognized R&D institutions.
Research Independence: Fellows are expected to undertake the research objectives independently without the provision of additional research personnel support under this scheme.
Leave Policy: Fellows are entitled to leave as per the rules of the host institution. Participation in scientific workshops held in India or abroad is treated as on duty. Maternity leave, as per the Government of India instructions, is available to female candidates in all categories.
📝 Application Process
Announcement: Calls for applications are notified through the official websites www.anrfonline.in and www.anrf.gov.in.
Submission: Applications, along with a detailed research proposal highlighting the objectives of the proposed work, must be submitted online through the online application portal after registering an account.
Documentation: Applicants need to provide several documents, including bio-data, age proof, qualification certificates, category certificate (if applicable), undertaking certificate, endorsement certificate from the mentor and host institute, short CV of the mentor, and a plagiarism undertaking.
Selection: The selection is based on the recommendations of an Expert Committee constituted by the ANRF. If required, applicants may be called for a personal interview.
📌 Important Notes
Mentor Limitations: A mentor shall not have more than two ANRF NPDF fellows at any given time.
Application Frequency: Applicants of NPDF, Start-Up Research Grant (SRG), and Empowerment and Equity Opportunities for Excellence in Science (EMR) can submit their proposals only once in a calendar year in any of these schemes.
Fellowship Termination: If a fellow wishes to terminate the fellowship, they must inform the ANRF through the mentor and host institute immediately. The implementing institute should not incur any expenditure from the date of termination of the project or the date of resignation of the fellow.
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