ICSSR Doctoral Fellowships 2025–26: Call for Applications, Eligibility, Guidelines, and Benefits

The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) has officially invited applications for its prestigious Doctoral Fellowship Schemes for the Financial Year 2025–26. These fellowships are designed to encourage high-quality research in social sciences and humanities, with an emphasis on addressing India’s dynamic socio-economic challenges through evidence-based research.

This is a golden opportunity for PhD scholars in social sciences to secure financial assistance, academic recognition, and institutional support to advance their doctoral research.

Fellowship Schemes Offered by ICSSR

ICSSR will award three categories of Doctoral Fellowships for 2025–26:

• Full-Term Doctoral Fellowship Scheme
  • Centrally Administered & Institutional Mode
  • Duration: 2 years
  • Value: ₹20,000 per month + ₹20,000 contingency per year
• Short-Term Doctoral Fellowship Scheme
  • Duration: 6 months or till thesis submission (whichever is earlier).
  • Value: Equivalent to six months of Full-Term Fellowship + contingency grant.
• Contingency Grant Scheme
  • One-time consolidated grant of ₹62,500.
  • Meant for scholars at the advanced stage of PhD research.

Important Dates

• Start of online application: 22 September 2025
• Last date to apply: 21 October 2025
• Application Portal: https://app.icssr.org/

Applicants are strongly advised to apply well before the deadline to avoid last-minute rush.

Broad Research Domains & Priority Areas

ICSSR supports research across 29 broad domains within social and human sciences, including but not limited to:

• Economics: Rural development, blue economy, fintech, MSMEs, green economy, gig economy.
• Management & Commerce: Financial literacy, entrepreneurship, CSR, HRM, digital systems.
• Sociology & Social Work: Empowerment of vulnerable sections, ageing, informal work, education & technology.
• Political Science & International Relations: E-governance, human rights, democracy, geopolitics, cultural diplomacy.
• Public Administration: Governance reforms, bureaucracy, decentralization, digital governance.
• Health & Public Health: AYUSH, digital health, nutrition, post-pandemic mental health.
• Education & Skilling: NEP 2020, AI in education, skilling for future jobs, teacher capacity building.
• Environmental Studies: Climate change, renewable energy, biodiversity conservation, SDGs.
• Law & Legal Studies: Judicial reforms, access to justice, AI & digital rights, criminal justice system.
• Gender Studies, Diaspora Studies, Tribal & Rural Studies, Media Studies, Library Science, Indian Knowledge Systems, and many more

Eligibility Criteria

General Conditions (Applicable to Most Schemes)

• Applicant must be a full-time PhD scholar in a UGC-recognized institution, Institute of National Importance, or ICSSR Research Institute.
• Age Limit: Not more than 40 years as on last date of application (relaxation of 5 years for SC/ST/OBC-NCL/PwD candidates).
• Minimum Academic Requirement: 55% marks in Post-Graduation (5% relaxation for reserved categories).
• UGC-NET Mandatory: Up to 10% of fellowships may go to non-NET candidates if proposals are exceptionally strong.
• Scholars who have already availed major fellowships (UGC-JRF, RGNF, MANF, CSIR, ICSSR, etc.) are not eligible.
• Scheme-Specific Conditions
• Short-Term Fellowship: Applicant must have completed at least 3 years of PhD research.
• Contingency Grant: Applicants should be at an advanced stage of PhD research.

Application Process

• Submit Online Application at ICSSR Fellowship Portal.
• Upload required documents, including:
  • Educational certificates & PG mark sheets.
  • UGC-NET certificate (if applicable).
  • PhD registration certificate & approval of research topic.
  • Forwarding letters from supervisor & affiliating institution.
  • Valid caste/EWS certificate (if applicable).
• Applications can be filled in English or Hindi (Unicode Mangal font for Devanagari).

• Institutional Fellowship applicants must route their applications via ICSSR Research Institutes.

👉 Note: Incomplete applications or those without forwarding letters will be summarily rejected.

Selection Process

• Proposals will be evaluated by expert committees.
• Merit lists will be published on the ICSSR website.
• Reservation norms for SC, ST, OBC (NCL), EWS, and PwD will be strictly followed.
• Shortlisted candidates may be called for presentations before subject experts.

Monitoring & Expectations

• Scholars must submit six-monthly and annual progress reports.
• At least two research papers in peer-reviewed journals must be published during the fellowship tenure.
• Acknowledgement to ICSSR is mandatory in all publications and the final thesis.
• Fellowship may be terminated if progress is unsatisfactory or rules are violated

Why Should You Apply?

The ICSSR Doctoral Fellowships not only provide financial support but also help scholars gain recognition, networking opportunities, and structured research monitoring. For a PhD scholar in social sciences, this fellowship:

• Reduces financial stress with a sustained stipend.
• Encourages interdisciplinary and socially relevant research.
• Strengthens career prospects in academia, policy research, and think-tanks.
• Enhances visibility through mandatory publications.