CSIR SRF Direct Fellowship

CSIR offers financial assistance in the form of SRF Direct Fellowship to eligible candidates. The EMR Division under HRD Group of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) provides CSIR Research Fellowships and Associateships to candidates for training in methods of research under the expert guidance of faculty members/scientists working in University Departments/Institutes of National Importance/National Laboratories and Institutes of CSIR in various fields of Science & Technology and Medical Sciences.

Eligibility for CSIR SRF Direct Fellowship


MSc/BE/BTech or equivalent degree with at least 55% marks and one publication in SCI Journal and should have completed at least two years of post MSc/BE/BTech research experience;

OR

MTech/ME or equivalent degree in engineering/technology with at least 60% marks;

OR

BE/BTech or equivalent degree with at least 60% marks and two years research experience as on the last date of application;

OR

MBBS/BDS or equivalent with at least 60% marks and one year internship;

OR

BPharm/BVSc/BSc(Ag) or equivalent degree with at least 55% marks and one publication in SCI Journal and should have completed at least three years research experience;

OR

MPharm/MVSc/MSc(Ag) or equivalent degree with at least 55% marks and one publication in SCI Journal and should have at least one year research experience.

Age Limit

  • The upper age limit for applying for the award of SRF-DIRECT shall be 32 years.
  • The upper age limit is relaxable upto 5 years in case of candidates belonging to scheduled castes/Scheduled Tribes/physically handicapped and female applicants whereas 3 years in case of OBC (Non-Creamy Layer candidates).

How to Apply

On-line Applications for SRF-DIRECT are invited every year from eligible candidates. The information with respect to inviting applications is also made available on the website www.csirhrdg.res.in.

Applicants are required to apply on-line and the hard copy of the duly completed applications forms and forwarded through the proposed Supervisor and Head of the Department/Institution and should be submitted within the prescribed date.

SRF Direct Fellowship Selection Process

  • Selection will be made through interview whereby the assessment of academic record and published/project work is tested by discipline-wise high-level expert Committees.

  • Merely fulfilling of eligibility criteria may not entitle a candidate for being called for interview. Candidates will be called for interview after screening on the basis of criteria adopted by CSIR depending on the number of fellowships available. CSIR reserves the right to call or not to call a candidate for interview.

Tenure of SRF Direct Fellowship

The tenure of SRF-DIRECT will initially be 2 years. Extension of tenure for the 3rd year will depend upon the recommendation of three member Expert Committee consisting of Guide, Head of Department and External Member  from outside the University/ Institution who is an expert in the relevant field, not below the rank of Professor/Associate Professor. As far as possible the External member should be the Chairman of three members Expert Committee. 

The total tenure as JRF and SRF-DIRECT combined (from all sources) will not exceed 5 years. The total period of tenure as Research Fellow will include any other fellowship of equivalent status from any other agency/institute and is computed after deducting the tenure of fellowship already availed. A Research Fellow who joins on the first day of the month, his/her tenure will be completed on the last day of the previous month. In other cases the tenure will be completed on the last day of the same month of joining the Fellowship. 

Award of Fellowship

The fellowship grant money is payable on monthly basis through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode whereas the annual contingency will be paid to the host institute of the research fellow duly signed by the Finance Officer/Registrar/Head of the Institution.

The first payment (fellowship stipend) will be made after the receipt of the joining report of the fellow along with other necessary documents as mentioned in the award letter, through the Guide duly forwarded by the Executive Authority of the institute in whose favour the contingency grant is to be released. 

Temporary Teaching and Research Job

A Research Fellow on the recommendation of Guide, and provided that his/her University/ Institute has no objection, may be permitted by CSIR to take up temporary paid lectureship/research job in a recognized R&D Institution/University, College/Institute of repute/Recognized R & D Institution/ PDF studies in India & abroad for a period not exceeding one year during the entire tenure of the Fellowship (JRF & SRF together).

However, the Research Fellow will not be entitled to any extension of the Fellowship for such periods. The Fellow will not be entitled to stipend and contingency grant during such leave. Such leave period will be counted in the tenure. Such leave can be taken only after joining and working as Research Scholar at least for one year. Fellow has to report for duty at the same place from where he proceeded on leave.

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