Know All About Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships

Sponsored by the United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF), the Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships are particularly intended for Indian scholars who are enrolled on a PhD programme at a recognised Indian university.

These fellowships, which are awarded for roughly six to nine months, give Indian academics the chance to continue their PhDs in the US. Additionally, these fellowships reimburse the candidate's living expenses, round-trip flight tickets, tuition fees and other associated costs. 

The Fulbright Programme, which was started in 1946 to enhance study exchanges and global communication, includes Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships. With institutions in more than 150 nations, it is currently one of the oldest international collaboration programmes.

The programme aims to inspire academics to engage in groundbreaking research across a fixed range of disciplines, including technology, social sciences, the humanities, and so on. To boost their research capacities, the PhD scholars additionally receive utilisation of a variety of professional networks and facilities. In this article, we will discuss everything about Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships, its eligibility criteria, document requirements, the application process, benefits, and more.

Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships Award Value and What it Covers!

USIEF urges all candidates to decide on one of their preferred universities in the USA and to contact possible host universities beforehand. The prospective student must upload the letter of invitation from their desired US institution as an extension of the online application process. The Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships cover a variety of expenses, which are concisely summarised in the following table along with the conditions for how preferred scholars may use them:

Note: This fellowship is insufficient to support an applicant’s family to live in the USA.

Eligibility for Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships

Chosen fellows for this programme will have the chance to engage in research, audit non-degree study programmes, and obtain practical applications and job skills in appropriate US different environments. The following is a discussion about the eligibility for Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships.

Here are the general eligibility criteria for the applicants:

• Indian citizens who currently have a visa for permanent residence abroad are ineligible to apply.

• If employed, the applicant must be qualified for leave for the duration of the entire programme.

• The student must be in good health condition.

• To complete the assigned project or academic programme and adapt to life in the USA as an international student, the fellow has to demonstrate proficiency in the English language.

• The applicant must promise that they will return to India after the fellowship is over.

• A high level of academic and professional accomplishment is required of the student.

• If a prospective applicant needs to travel internationally (for a seminar, fellowship, and so on.) between the admissions season of July 2023 to July 2024, they must notify USIEF promptly in advance.

• The fellow must not be a US citizen or be in the process of obtaining a green card.

• It is prohibited for the student to reside in the US during the period between February 2023 and July 2024 when recruitment and placement will take place.

• The applicant must be an honest and devout Indian citizen who may provide an accurate and comprehensive depiction of Indian culture and civilisation, fostering mutual respect and affection between the inhabitants of both the USA and India.

Here are a few additional eligibility criteria which applicants must adhere to:

• If the person applying is already working, they must meticulously adhere to the guidelines for the employer's endorsement. If necessary, get the FNDR Employer's Endorsement Form's endorsement from the relevant regulatory body. The employer must state that leave will be given for the duration of the fellowship.

• On the respective application form, the candidate must provide a copy of the original published or submitted paper or excerpts from the Master's or MPhil thesis (up to 20 pages in length).

• The candidate needs to have conducted a sufficient study in the pertinent field, particularly in the detection of Indian resources.

• Three of one LORs must be from the applicant's PhD advisor and must discuss their research, demonstrate their need for the fellowship, and include information about when they registered for their PhD.

• This scholarship is for doctoral candidates from India to carry out research that is necessary for their dissertations or theses. So, at least a three-month period after the Fulbright-Nehru grant's termination date should pass before the PhD thesis is due. For instance, if the scholarship expires in June 2026, the candidate will not be able to turn in their thesis until September 2026. Candidate must specify their annexure when the PhD will be registered and when the PhD thesis is scheduled to be submitted.

Note: (i) Applicants with less previous considerable US exposure will be offered preference. Additionally, the requirements and conditions mentioned above, some fellowship programmes may have additional requirements.

(ii) These fellowships are not for post-doctoral research; rather, they are only for research at the pre-doctoral level. Candidates having PhDs or those in the latter stages of submitting their PhD theses will not be taken into consideration.

Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships Applicable Courses, Universities, and Country

Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship is applicable for a fixed or restricted number of academic courses, which are discussed exclusively in the table below. With this fellowship, students can study in the USA at any university at pre-doctoral level research. Further, it is required that applicants should be affiliated with a US host institution.

Restricted Fields for Which Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships are Awarded

Applications for this fellowship are only invited for the following fields highlighted in the table below, and no related field will be accepted:

Application Deadline for Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships

As of IST 2023, the fellowship deadline for Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship is July 17, 2023, 23:59:59 hours. Having said that, prospective candidates can anticipate the application deadline for Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships could occur somewhere in mid-July each year. Thus, it is advisable to keep your application-related documents and other required material ready at hand well in advance before by this time. The following table summarises the application timeline for this fellowship for the year 2023:

How to Apply for Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships?

The Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship offers J1 visa assistance, a monthly stipend, and an accident and illness programme for exchanges that comply with US government regulations. In addition to this, the fellowship also offers two-way economy-class flight tickets, necessary allowances, and minimal affiliation costs, if any. The following steps are required in the online application process for this fellowship:

• To start the application, access the official website and create an account.

• Register and finish the application. Ensure that your application does not contain any grammatical mistakes.

• Upload the PDF versions of the required documents.

• Shortlisted applicants will be notified by their registered email.

Pre-Requisite Application Points for Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships

The following points are a must to remember before you start applying online for this fellowship:

• All applications must be completed online only unless otherwise specified.  

• Your application can not be modified once it has been submitted. 

• Gather all the necessary documents and save them in PDF format. It is strongly advised that you upload your papers in PDF format only to safeguard any layouts, formatting, fonts, and unique characters.  

• Applicants must adhere to character limits when responding to application questions.

• Before submission, thoroughly read the application. Errors in grammar and spelling must not be present in the application.

• This fellowship application does not have to be finished in one sitting. You are always welcome to return and make changes to the form before submitting it. However, keep in mind that you will be logged out after a half hour (60 mins) of inactivity. To continue working on your application, you must log in a second time. 

• Your login name or username you entered while creating your account is your email address. Keep a secure backup of the username and password you use when you register for the Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships application. By selecting the "Forgot Your Password" option on the login screen, you can change your username and password if required. It is advised to avoid writing your passwords in all CAPS.  

Important Things to Keep in Mind While Applying for Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships 

Mentioned below are some important things which prospective applicants must keep in mind while applying for Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships: 

• For the funding, the candidate must be affiliated with only one US host institution. 

• Throughout a competition cycle, students are limited to one Fulbright-Nehru scholarship category.

• Submissions after the specified deadline would not be taken into consideration.

• Any application that contains plagiarism will be immediately rejected.

• Sponsorship of a visa cannot be extended or transferred.

• Applications for the Fulbright-Nehru fellowship must be completed online.

• If candidates are already working, they have to carefully adhere to the guidelines governing the employer's endorsement. If necessary, acquire the FNDR Employer's Endorsement Form's endorsement from the relevant regulatory body.

Documents Required for Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships

The following is a list of documents required for Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships:

• Certificate of registration for PhD programme at an Indian institution

• Current employer’s endorsement (if any) 

• Updated CV or resume 

• FNDR applicant annexure 

• Letter/s of invitation from the US host university 

• Personal statement 

• Scanned copies of diplomas, mark sheets, and degree certificates 

• Study/research objectives 

• Three Letters of Recommendation (LORs) 

• Writing sample as required, as asked

• Any additional documentation asked by the authority

In the end, Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship applicants are selected through a detailed review of their applications and an interview process. In addition to academic merit and extracurricular accomplishments, the research project must be relevant and the applicant's learning potential will also be considered when favouring candidates.

Need more information about the Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellowship? Or, still confused about its application process? Do not fret! Write to us at abroad@collegedekho.com. for expert help!