Applications are invited for the ASEAN-India Research Training Fellowship for post-graduates in Natural Sciences or an equivalent degree in technology, engineering, medicine, or allied disciplines.

About AI-RTF

India has been a dialogue partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 1992. To mark the 20th anniversary of this partnership in 2012, India and ASEAN held a commemorative summit, during which they elevated their relationship to a strategic level.

The collaboration between ASEAN and India in the field of Science and Technology (S&T) formally began in 1996 with the establishment of the ASEAN-India S&T Working Group (AIWGST). Initially, S&T activities were funded through the ASEAN-India Fund (AIF), provided by the Government of India. In 2008, the Government of India established a dedicated fund—the ASEAN-India S&T Development Fund (AISTDF)—to further support projects and related development activities. The AISTDF, which is equivalent to 5 million USD, is jointly contributed by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The DST serves as the nodal department responsible for the implementation and execution of the ASEAN-India S&T Cooperation program from the Indian side.

The Plan of Action for the ASEAN-India Partnership for Peace, Progress, and Shared Prosperity (2021-2025) outlines the goals and objectives of the ASEAN-India Partnership and reflects the Vision Statements of ASEAN and Indian leaders. Under this plan, both parties are committed to supporting the ASEAN Community building and integration process, striving for a politically cohesive, economically integrated, socially responsible, and people-oriented ASEAN. They aim to narrow the development gap, enhance ASEAN Connectivity, and promote collaboration to address emerging challenges. Furthermore, they seek to strengthen coordination in international forums on issues of mutual concern, contributing to regional peace, stability, and prosperity.

Objectives

  • Promote and foster collaboration in science, technology, and innovation through joint research efforts and development across various sectors such as health, communicable and emerging infectious diseases, environmental management, climate change adaptation and mitigation, agricultural technologies, alternative energy, biodiversity, food processing, advanced materials for value-added product development, and space technology and applications.
  • Encourage and enhance cooperation in biotechnology, particularly through capacity building and collaborative research and development for mutual benefit.
  • Initiate activities and develop programs or projects under the ASEAN-India Science and Technology Development Fund.

To support and encourage the mobility of young, talented researchers from ASEAN Member States (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam), India and ASEAN launched the ASEAN-India Research Training Fellowship (AIRTF) Scheme, providing opportunities for young researchers to work at Indian research and academic institutions.

The AIRTF scheme is a fellowship scheme with the following objectives:

  • To promote mobility of scientists and researchers from the ASEAN-Member Countries to India and provide them opportunity to work at Indian R&D/ academic institutions to upgrade their research skills and expertise.
  • To facilitate exchange of information and contacts between the scientists and researchers of India and ASEAN Countries and create a network for building research collaborations.

As a spin-off, the Fellowship awardees may also have opportunity to get co-supervisors from India for their research projects for Ph.D. or Masters degree on their return to their home countries.

Number of fellowships

Fifty (50) fellowships per year shall be awarded to young scientists and researchers from ASEAN-Member States to get affiliated with Indian academic and R&D institutions.

Duration of fellowships

The duration of the Fellowship will be for a period of two to six months. No request for extension \ reduction in duration period shall be entertained after award of the fellowship.

Management & execution

ASEAN-India Research Training Fellowship (AI-RTF) program shall be managed and coordinated by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), New Delhi.

Areas in which fellowships are available

The area/ topic of research for availing AIRTF must be ASEAN centric and must be aligned with the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation (APASTI). The fellowship is offered for working in research topics under any of the following broad disciplines:

  • Agricultural Sciences
  • Biological and Medical Sciences
  • Chemical Sciences & Engineering
  • Computer Science & Engineering
  • Physical Sciences and Mathematics
  • Ocean, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
  • Engineering Sciences
  • Materials, Minerals and Metallurgy
  • Science Policy / IPR Management / Technology Transfer & Commercialisation
  • Other multi-disciplinary areas of Science, Technology and Innovation in alignment with APASTI.

Eligibility and requirements

  • Applicant must be holding nationality of any of the ASEAN Member State.
  • Possess at-least a Masters Degree in any Natural Sciences or an equivalent degree in Technology / Engineering / Medicine / allied disciplines.
  • Applicant should be working / studying and / or affiliated to any national R&D or academic institution in his/ her home ASEAN Member State. The application should be endorsed by the Head of his/ her institution confirming that if selected, he/ she will be sanctioned leave for the Fellowship period and will join his/ her duties back in the institution on completion of the Fellowship in India.
  • The upper age limit for the applicant is 45 years as on date of submission of application.
  • Fluency in English language
  • Indian nationals are not eligible for the Fellowship.
  • ASEAN applicants who have availed any fellowship scheme of Govt of India during last 3 years are not ELIGIBLE to apply.
  • The proposed research work in India must be linked/connected and add value to any of the on-going research project/scheme of the Indian host Institute.

Financial and other terms & conditions

Full financial assistance will be provided to the selected Fellows which include the following:

  • Round trip international airfare by lowest economy class and by shortest route from the international airport in the home country of the applicant to the international airport nearest to the host institution in India; visa fees, overseas medical insurance etc.
  • A consolidated Fellowship amount of Indian Rupees (INR) 60,000 per month.
  • A one-time grant of INR 40,000/– as research contingency expenses, airport transfers, domestic travel for attending scientific /events and field-trips within India.
  • Institutional overhead charges @ Rs. 2,500/- per month.
  • The allowance as in (a), (b) and (c) will be released to the host institution in India for disbursement to the Fellow. The host Institution will arrange appropriate accommodation for the Fellow on payment basis.

The selected Fellow is advised to take an appropriate policy for health insurance coverage for the period of stay in India. The cost for obtaining overseas insurance policy is covered and reimbursable under AISTDF.

Individual Fellow, or his/ her government / institution, is required to bear the following costs

  • All expenses in the home country incidental to travel abroad, including expenditure incurred to obtain passport and visa and for medical examinations and vaccinations as may be required as well as other miscellaneous expenses such as internal travel to/ from the international airport of departure in the home country.
  • Salary and other related allowances in the home country, if applicable, during the Fellowship period.

Neither the AISTDF nor the host institution in India will assume any responsibility whatsoever for the following expenditure of the Fellows during the tenure of the Fellowship

  • Compensation in the event of death, disability or loss of personal belongings or compensation for damage caused by climatic or other conditions.
  • Travel and other costs incurred by the dependents, who might accompany the Fellows.

Application Process

The applications are to be submitted only ONLINE at www.aistic.gov.in.

The hard copies of the application are neither required. The applications submitted through any other form or channel shall not be considered.

How to Apply?

For online submission of the application the following points may be noted:

  • Applicants should first register in ASEAN online portal click here to register
  • After log-in, applicants are required to fill all the mandatory fields in Profile Detail section under User Profile, which includes Bio data, photo, Institute Address, etc.
  • Some of the details of proposal like Project Title, Project summary, Keywords, Objectives of project, Expected output and outcome of the proposal etc have to be entered at the time of proposal submission.
  • Other relevant information of the proposal has to be uploaded as a single PDF file, not more than 10 MB

The Applicant should submit the application online along with the following enclosures

  • C.V. of Applicant
  • C.V. of Indian host
  • Copy of relevant pages of valid Passport
  • A copy of the the endorsement letter from present employer in the prescribed format  (Format for endorsement letter from present employer)  Download
  • A copy of the acceptance letter from any Indian scientist/ institution for hosting the applicant, if selected   (Format for providing acceptance letter by Indian host)  Download
  1. It is strongly advised that the applicant, in his/ her own interest, should make a prior contact with an Indian institution, where work is in progress in his/ her area of interest, or with a concerned scientist in India, and obtain consent that the applicant, if selected for the Fellowship, will be accepted to work in the institution on the proposed research project. A copy of such consent letter should be enclosed with the application.
  2. In this connection, a suggestive list of Indian academic and R&D institutions has been enclosed with this Announcement to help the applicant, but the applicant is free to contact any other institution in India for his/ her affiliation.
  3. Securing a prior consent from an Indian institution/ scientist does not guarantee the selection of an applicant. All applications received shall be scrutinised scientifically by DST. DST shall make the final decision based on the quality of the research proposal submitted by the applicant, applicant’s academic merit and available slots in the Fellowship scheme.
  4. The completed applications / proposals can be submitted ONLINE. The deadline for submitting the application for current cycle is 31st March 2024 till 5:00 PM (IST).

Documents to be submitted after fellowship approval

Obligations of the AI-RTF fellows

The Fellows will observe the regulations and procedures stipulated below. If they fail to do so, the Fellowship shall be withdrawn.

  • During their tenures, Fellows shall not, either in or outside the host institution, infringe in any way on the human rights of others, including racial or gender discrimination or other forms of abuse.
  • Fellows shall stay in India continuously during the tenure of the fellowship and concentrate on their scientific work at the host institution. Fellows shall not engage in other work, either paid or unpaid, during their tenure.
  • The Fellows shall follow the rules of the host institution and shall not undertake any acts of research misconduct, e.g., fabricating or falsifying research results and misuse of research funds.
  • A Fellow shall submit a fellowship completion research report to the DST / FICCI and ASEAN Secretariat on completion of his/ her tenure. Click here for format.
  • Transfer of any type of biological material during the tenure of availing the Fellowship is NOT permissible.

Contact Details

For More Information About AI-RTF program, please contact Mr. Vivek Kumar (airtfscholars [at] ficci [dot] com, vishal [dot] khanna [at] ficci [dot] com)

Click here to view the official notification for the ASEAN-India Research Training Fellowship.