TWAS DBT Fellowship

Scholarships » Italy »

PhD Fellowship in TWAS DBT

The Department of Biotechnology ( DBT ) of the Ministry of Science and Technology, India, and TWAS have instituted a fellowship programme for foreign scholars from developing countries who wish to pursue research towards a PhD in Biotechnology.

TWAS DBT offered PhD Fellowship for Foreign Scholars from Developing Countries to pursue Research in Biotechnology at Italy.

Study Subject ( s ) : Biotechnology.
Course Level : PhD.
Scholarship Provider : DBT, TWAS.
Scholarship can be taken at : Italy.

TWAS DBT Fellowship Eligibility

Applicants for these fellowships must meet the following criteria :

  • Be a maximum age of 35 years on 31 December of the application year.
  • Be nationals of a developing country ( other than India ).
  • Must not hold any visa for temporary or permanent residency in India or any developed country.
  • Hold a Master’s or equivalent degree in science or engineering.
  • For SANDWICH Fellowships, be registered PhD students in their home country and provide the “Registration and No Objection Certificate” from the HOME university (or)
  • For FULL-TIME Fellowships; be willing to register at a university in India.
  • Be accepted at a biotechnology institution in India. N.B. Requests for acceptance must be directed to the chosen host institution(s), and NOT to DBT.
  • Provide evidence of proficiency in English, if medium of education was not English;
  • Provide evidence that s/he will return to her / his home country on completion of the fellowship;
  • Not take up other assignments during the period of her / his fellowship;
  • Be financially responsible for any accompanying family members.

TWAS DBT Fellowship Program Details

  • TWAS-DBT Postgraduate Fellowships are tenable at key biotechnology research institutions in India for a period of up to five years.
  • Applicants may be registered for a PhD degree in their home country, or may enrol in a PhD course at a host laboratory/institute in India. To help candidates in their choice of a suitable host institution a list of biotechnology institutes in India is available here : List_Biotechn_India.pdf. However, candidates are free to choose an Indian biotechnology institution that does not appear on the list.
  • SANDWICH Fellowships ( for those registered for a PhD in their home country ) : The Fellowship may be granted for a minimum period of 12 months and a maximum period of 2 years.
  • FULL-TIME Fellowships ( for those not registered for a PhD ) : The Fellowship is granted for an initial period of up to 3 years.  Such Fellowships may then be extended for a further 2 years, subject to the student’s performance.  Candidates will register for their PhD at a university in India. DBT will confirm any such extensions to both TWAS and the candidate.
  • DBT will provide a monthly stipend to cover for living costs, food and health insurance. The monthly stipend will not be convertible into foreign currency. In addition, the fellowship holder will receive a house rent allowance.
  • The language of instruction is English

TWAS DBT Fellowship Application Form

  • No applications will be accepted after the deadline. Therefore, it is recommended to submit your electronic application as early as possible.
  • Applications for the TWAS-DBT Postgraduate Fellowship Programme can ONLY be submitted to TWAS via the online portal and copy of the submitted application must be sent to DBT by email.
  • For SANDWICH Fellowships ( only if already registered for a PhD in the HOME country ) applicants should ensure that the Vice-Chancellor or Registrar of the university sends a signed copy of the “Registration and No Objection Certificate” on institutional headed paper to TWAS.
  • Applicants should submit the Acceptance Letter from an Indian biotechnology institution to TWAS when applying online. Without preliminary acceptance, the application will not be considered for selection.
  • Reference letters must be on letter-headed paper and SIGNED by the referee. The subject line must contain the name DBT / PG / and the candidate’s surname. N.B. Only signed reference letters can be accepted.
  • Should you have applied to or availed any Indian fellowships ( especially INSA JRD TATA and JNCASR-CICS ) in the current or previous year this must be clearly specified in the application form.

TWAS DBT Fellowship Important Dates

  • The deadline for receipt of applications is 31 August, 2019.