ICSSR Postdoctoral Fellowship 2026: The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) has invited online applications for its Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme for the financial year 2026–2027. Indian scholars can submit applications through the ICSSR website from June 22, 2026, while the last date for online submission is July 21, 2026.The fellowship is open only through the online application process. Applicants must use the prescribed research proposal format available within the application form. Separate research proposals or copies of research papers will not be accepted. Applications may be completed in either English or Hindi, and no hard copies are required.Eligibility criteria for applicantsApplicants must be Indian citizens and should not be more than 45 years of age on the closing date of application. A five-year age relaxation is available for SC, ST and Persons with Benchmark Disability candidates. Candidates must possess a PhD degree at the time of application, and their research capability should be reflected through published work.Applicants must be affiliated with a publicly funded Indian university, deemed university, college with an approved PhD programme, an ICSSR research institute, an institution of national importance approved by the Ministry of Education, or a government research institute. The fellowship will be administered through the affiliating institution under the supervision of a serving senior social scientist not below the rank of Associate Professor, subject to ICSSR approval.Direct link to apply online for the ICSSR Postdoctoral Fellowship 2026Application and selection processOnly one application can be submitted under the Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme, although candidates may apply separately for other ICSSR schemes. The affiliating institution must forward applications only for candidates meeting the prescribed eligibility conditions.Applications will undergo evaluation and interaction or presentation before panels of subject experts in multiple stages. Final recommendations will be placed before the relevant ICSSR committees. Selected candidates and their affiliating institutions will receive provisional award letters after approval.Fellowship duration and research requirementsThe fellowship is a full-time research engagement for two years without provision for extension. Selected fellows will receive Rs.31,000 per month along with a contingency grant of Rs.25,000 annually, in accordance with Ministry of Education directives.During the fellowship, scholars must publish at least two research papers in peer-reviewed journals related to their research theme and acknowledge ICSSR support. At the end of the tenure, fellows must submit a book-length final report, a 3,000 to 4,000-word summary, published research papers and a plagiarism report showing a Similarity Index not exceeding 10 per cent.
