Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships 2027-2028

The Fulbright Commission in India is now accepting applications for its prestigious Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships 2027-2028. These fellowships aim to foster long-term capacity building to address global challenges and develop innovative solutions in key priority areas in both India and the United States.

📖 About the Fellowship

The Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships are designed to:

• Encourage futuristic, innovative, and technology-focused research proposals.
• Support Ph.D. students in conducting research essential to their dissertations or theses.

🎁 Benefits

Selected fellows will receive:

• J-1 visa support.
• Monthly stipend.
• Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges (as per U.S. Government guidelines).
• Round-trip economy class air travel.
• Applicable allowances and modest affiliation fees (if any).

Note:

• No allowances are provided for dependents.
• The grant is not sufficient to support family members.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

1. Ph.D. Registration:

   • Must be registered for a Ph.D. at an Indian institution on or before November 1, 2025.
   • The expected Ph.D. thesis submission date should be at least three months after the grant end date (e.g., if the grant ends in May 2028, the thesis cannot be submitted before August 2028).

2. Research Justification:

   • Provide a clear justification for undertaking research in the U.S. and identify the U.S. institution for the research.
   • Demonstrate reasonable study and preparation related to research objectives, including identifying resources in India and the U.S.

3. Recommendation Letters:

   • One recommendation letter must be from the Ph.D. supervisor, commenting on the applicant’s research, the need for the fellowship, and the Ph.D. registration date and topic.

4. Employer’s Endorsement (if applicable):

   • Applicants who are employed must obtain an endorsement from their employer using the FNDR Employer’s Endorsement Form.
   • The employer must confirm that leave will be granted for the fellowship period.

5. Research Work Submission:

   • Upload a copy of the original published/presented paper or extracts from the Master’s/M.Phil. thesis (not exceeding 20 pages).

6. Ineligibility:

   • Employees of the Government of India and Indian State Governments (e.g., IAS, IPS, IRS, IFS, and allied services) are not eligible.
   • However, researchers, scientists, and academicians from institutions like CSIR, ICAR, ICGEB, DRDO, ISRO, ICMR, DBT, DST laboratories, BARC, IISc, IITs, and other centrally funded government institutions and universities are eligible to apply.

Important Note:

• These fellowships are for pre-doctoral level research.
• Applicants with Ph.D. degrees or those at the final stage of Ph.D. thesis submission will not be considered.

📅 Application Deadline

The deadline to apply is 01 July, 2026.

📝 Application Process

• Visit the official application website to apply.
• Ensure all required documents, including recommendation letters and research work submissions, are uploaded.

For more details, visit the official Fulbright Commission in India website.

• J-1 visa support
• Monthly stipend
• Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges
• Round-trip economy class air travel
• Applicable allowances and modest affiliation fees