The TWAS-CSIR Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme is offered by TWAS, The World Academy of Sciences, with India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the country’s main government R&D body.
It places PhD holders from developing countries other than India in a CSIR laboratory or institute for six to twelve months of postdoctoral research in an emerging area of science or technology. No call opens in 2026; the last one closed on 28 January 2025.
Benefits & funding
- A monthly CSIR stipend for living costs, food and health insurance; the amount is not published, and it cannot be converted into foreign currency.
- Subsidised accommodation.
- Six to twelve months in a CSIR laboratory, working in English.
- International travel is not listed as covered; accompanying family members are the fellow’s own cost.
Eligibility
- A national of a developing country on TWAS’s list, other than India (countries below).
- A PhD in a field of science or technology.
- Aged 45 or under on 31 December of the application year.
- Regularly employed in a developing country, with a research assignment there.
- No visa for temporary or permanent residence in India or in any developed country.
- An official acceptance letter from a CSIR host institute, dated in the year of application.
- Proof of English if your education was not in English, and evidence that you will return home afterwards.
- One application per calendar year across all TWAS and OWSD programmes.
- Eligible nationalities: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Taiwan, Colombia, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, DR Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Palestine, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, UAE, Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
“be regularly employed in a developing country and hold a research assignment. … must not hold any visa for temporary or permanent residency in India or any developed country.” Eligibility
Eligible nationalities
Afghanistan · Algeria · Angola · Antigua and Barbuda · Argentina · Aruba · Azerbaijan · Bahamas · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belize
+ 125 more
Benin · Bhutan · Bolivia · Botswana · Brazil · Brunei · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Cambodia · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · Chile · China · Taiwan · Colombia · Comoros · Republic of the Congo · Costa Rica · Côte d'Ivoire · Cuba · DR Congo · Djibouti · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Egypt · El Salvador · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Fiji · Gabon · Gambia · Ghana · Grenada · Guadeloupe · Guatemala · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Jamaica · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kenya · Kiribati · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mexico · Micronesia · Mongolia · Morocco · Mozambique · Myanmar · Namibia · Nepal · Nicaragua · Niger · Nigeria · Oman · Pakistan · Palau · Panama · Papua New Guinea · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Qatar · Rwanda · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Samoa · São Tomé and Príncipe · Saudi Arabia · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Solomon Islands · Somalia · South Africa · South Sudan · Sri Lanka · Palestine · Sudan · Suriname · Syria · Tajikistan · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Togo · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tunisia · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · Tuvalu · Uganda · UAE · Tanzania · Uruguay · Uzbekistan · Vanuatu · Venezuela · Vietnam · Yemen · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Education required
PhD
Age requirement
≤ 45 yrs
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Application process
- 1Request a preliminary acceptance letter from a CSIR laboratory, copying the CSIR contact person.
- 2Once a call opens, apply to TWAS through its online portal; the acceptance letter must arrive by the deadline at the latest.
- 3Email a copy of the submitted application to CSIR.
Program timeline
last call opened
3 October 2024
28 January 2025
deadline (extended from 14 January)
results
Mid-2025
fellowships start
End of 2025 at the earliest
no call
2026