Eligibility
Candidate
For Margdarshi Fellowship Eligibility Candidates of all nationalities and origins are eligible to apply if they are pursuing or intend to pursue research at an institution in India.
There is no age limit to apply for the Fellowship. However, Applicants should not use this scheme to propose a post-retirement settlement plan.
Applicants would normally be expected to be running an independent laboratory for at least 10 years and have an outstanding scientific record.
Eligible candidates should have:
• Demonstrated leadership skills
• Made significant and outstanding contributions in biomedical research
• Mentored young scientists and students
• Attracted extramural funds from peer-reviewed competitive sources
• Established important national and international collaborations
• Maintained high ethical standards of research and financial management
To be eligible, an Applicant must be sponsored by a Host Institution located in India. This scheme provides the flexibility of choosing two Host Institutions.
Flexibility in time commitment:
It is not mandatory for the Applicant to commit 100% of his/her time towards the Margdarshi Fellowship Programme at the Host institution. Applicants will be expected to make a suitable commitment that satisfies the scientific, administrative, mentoring and team building requirements of the programme.
This flexibility on time commitment has been introduced to allow highly successful scientists to continue with their other position/commitments at the parent institution, in parallel.
In cases where the Applicant will continue to hold the previous position at an institution within India or overseas, the parent institution as well as the Host Institution will be required to communicate the following.
1. Agreement to the dual appointment of the Applicant
2. Confirmation of the time distribution proposed by the Applicant
3. Level of engagement with the Applicant during the Fellowship tenure and beyond
4. Changes to the personal support (salary) of the Applicant
5. Plans to establish a long-term collaboration between the two institutions and potential benefits of this partnership
It is not mandatory for the Applicant to hold a confirmed appointment at the Host Institution. A long-term commitment will however be important to foresee the impact the partnership proposed through the Margdarshi Fellowship programme.
It is essential that the intended programme be conceived in consultation with the Host Institution, and clear evidence of that provided in the application.
To ascertain the level of coordination, collaboration and integration between the stakeholders as desired by the mandate of the Margdarshi Fellowship programme, the Applicant and the Sponsor(s) are required to submit a joint application by the announced deadline. No exceptions to this deadline will be made.
The complete application will include:
• Applicant Form
• Sponsorship form(s)
• Consent form by Sponsor(s)
The Applicant and the Sponsor(s) at the Host Institution will be required to explain (1) their strategic thinking and conceptualization of the proposed programme, (2) how the Applicant’s experience, knowledge and reputation in the field of interest will help in introducing a new programme at the Host Institution, (3) the support committed by the Host Institution to achieve the desired impact, and (4) the expected short-term and long-term outcomes.
It will be necessary to demonstrate how this Fellowship will pave way for establishing a larger programme in future and opening new avenues for other researchers. Applicants should also outline their engagement plans with the wider scientific community, and an outreach beyond the scope of their proposed research.
It is not mandatory for applicants who are already pursuing research in India to relocate to another institution. However, if the programme necessitates relocation, interested applicants can do so. In such cases, applicants will have to detail the reasons for leaving their current institution and how the proposed relocation will augment their scientific activities and enhance research activities at the proposed institution.
The Lead Applicant and the Sponsor/Host Institution(s) will be required to fill online Forms, which will be made available through IASys, the India Alliance online application portal. Deadlines communicated in advance will be strictly enforced.
A format of the Sponsor’s consent form is included in the application form. The Sponsor at the Host Institution must upload this form through IASys. If there are two Sponsors, both of them will be required to upload their respective consent forms. Please note that a completed consent form is mandatory for the application to be considered in the competition.
An invitation to the next level of the competition will be contingent upon a successful review of the joint application made by the Applicant and the Sponsor(s).
Application Process