Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) 2019
The notification for the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) May 2019 has been released. Application Portal will open shortly. Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship Scheme has been designed for candidates who are willing to do Doctoral Studies (Ph.D.) in IITs and IISc, it aims at attracting the best talent in the country.
This call expires in :
Table of Contents
The deadline for submission of applications has been extended till 11.30 pm, 14 April 2019.
About PMRF
The Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) scheme is aimed at attracting the talent pool of the country to doctoral (Ph.D.) programmes of Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institutes of Science Education & Research (IISERs) and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) for carrying out research in cutting edge science and technology domains, with focus on national priorities.
Under the PMRF scheme for PMRF May 2019, students who have completed, or are pursuing, the final year of four year undergraduate or five years
integrated M.Tech or five years integrated M.Sc. or five year undergraduate-postgraduate dual degree programmes or two year M.Sc. programmes in Science and Technology streams from IIEST/IISc/IITs/NITs/IISERs and centrally funded IIITs or any other Institute / University recognized in India, are eligible for admission to full time Ph.D. programme in the IISc, IISERs and IITs provided they fulfil prescribed eligibility criteria and finally get selected after shortlisting/written test/interview. For each hosting institute (IISc, IISERs and IITs) the PhD admissions under the PMRF scheme will be supernumerary.Applicants who fulfill the eligibility criteria, and are finally selected through a selection process, will be offered admission to Ph.D. programme in one of IISc/IISERs/IITs with a fellowship of Rs.70,000/- per month for the first two years, Rs.75,000/- per month for the 3rd year, and Rs.80,000/- per month in the 4th and 5th year. Apart from this, a research grant of Rs.2.00 lakh per year will be provided to each of the Fellows for a period of 5 years to cover their academic contingency expenses and for foreign/national travel expenses.
There will be a rigorous review of the performance of Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship holders and continuation of the next year fellowship shall be contingent upon successful review.
Fellowship Details
The following would be the fellowship for the PMRFs:
| Year | Amount (Rs) |
| Year 1 | 70,000 |
| Year 2 | 70,000 |
| Year 3 | 75,000 |
| Year 4 | 80,000 |
| Year 5 | 80,000 |
Apart from this, each Fellow would be eligible for a research grant of Rs. 2 lakhs per year (total Rs. 10 lakh)
The tenure of fellowship will be four years for students from integrated courses and five years for B. Tech. students.
Industry participation in the PMRF programme would be explored through CSR funding so as to enable the industry to sponsor a maximum number of fellows.
Eligibility:
The applicants for the PMRF should:
a. have completed or be pursuing the final year of four (or five) year undergraduate or five year integrated M.Tech or five year integrated M.Sc. or 2 year M.Sc. or five year undergraduate-postgraduate dual degree programs in Science and Technology streams from IISc/IITs/NITs/IISERs/IIEST and centrally funded IIITs. These candidates should have secured a CGPA/CPI of at least 8.0 (on a 10-point scale). For applicants in the five year integrated or dual degree programs, if separate CGPAs/CPIs are awarded for UG and PG parts of the programme then the CGPA/CPI of UG part (first four year) will be considered, OR
b. have completed or be pursuing the final year of four (or five) year undergraduate or five year integrated M.Tech or five year integrated M.Sc. or 2 year M.Sc. or five year undergraduate-postgraduate dual degree programs in Science and Technology streams from any other (not covered in a.) Institute / University recognized in India. These candidates should have secured a CGPA/CPI of at least 8.0 (on a 10-point scale) or equivalent till the last semester and have secured a score of 750 or higher in the respective GATE subject. OR
c. have qualified GATE and be pursuing or have completed M.Tech. / MS by Research at IISc/IITs/IISERs ( hereafter referred to as host institutions) having a minimum CGPA or CPI of 8.0 (on a 10-point scale) at the end of the first semester with a minimum of four courses. Those candidates who are applying after the first semester, the CGPA or CPI requirement of 8.0 will be based on all the courses, labs, thesis that the candidate has completed. This is applicable to above eligible candidates at the time of application.
AND
d. have completed the required academic qualifications in (a), (b) or (c) in the preceding three years from when the application is submitted.
Abstract Submission
- The Project abstract should clearly articulate the area of the study and should display keen interest and insight on the subject chosen.
- The Project abstract should formulate a problem for the study which would be used for assessing the applicant’s analytical and research skills.
- The topic chosen should be in frontier areas of science and technology, preferably, focusing on national priorities.
- There should be at least two referee names provided by each applicant for the Selection Committee to seek feedback.
Broad Disciplines & Nodal Institutes
- Admission under the PMRF will be made in 19 broad disciplines.
- For each broad discipline, one IIT or IISc will coordinate the admission process (review applications, shortlist applicants, constitute selection committees and hold final selections) and will be referred to as the Nodal Institute for that broad discipline.
Selection Process
The selection process for the PMRF will be a rigorous process consisting of Screening by the Reviewers, and final selection by the Selection Committee for each research vertical to ensure competition, standardization, transparency and selection of the best talent. The process may also include written test and/or discussions, if necessary. The allocation of Institute shall be done in the following manner:
a. For each subject area, the Selection Committee constituted by the NI will will conduct the interviews and select candidates.
b. The allocation of Institute for the doctoral study would be done keeping in view the choices of the selected candidates and the availability of academic and other infrastructure.
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
The IPR policy shall be as per the Institute’s Policy on IPRs. The IPRs are owned by the Institution where the Fellow has worked.
Monitoring Mechanism
The National Coordination Committee (NCC) will periodically review and monitor the implementation of the scheme. The NCC will report to MHRD the status of the scheme, fund flow and utilization thereof, and policy changes required to make the scheme more effective.
Apart from this, the monitoring will be done in the manner detailed below:
- There will be internal reviews twice a year.
- There will be a National Convention every year where all PMRFs will showcase their work. This will be an occasion for the Industry to participate in the Convention.
- There will be a website set up by the NCC showcasing the areas of work of each PMR.
PMRF Participating Institutions :
- IISc Bangalore
- IISER Berahampur
- IISER Bhopal
- IISER Kolkata
- IISER Mohali
- IISER Pune
- IISER Thiruvananthapuram
- IISER Tirupati
- IIT Bhilai
- IIT BHU
- IIT Bhubaneswar
- IIT Bombay
- IIT Delhi
- IIT Dharwad
- IIT(ISM) Dhanbad
- IIT Gandhinagar
- IIT Goa
- IIT Guwahati
- IIT Hyderabad
- IIT Indore
- IIT Patna
- IIT Roorkee
- IIT Ropar
- IIT Jammu
- IIT Palakkad
- IIT Tirupati
1. Q. Which students are eligible to apply for the PMRF scheme?
a. Have completed or be pursuing the final year of four (or five) year undergraduate or five year integrated M.Tech or five year integrated M.Sc. or 2 year M.Sc. or five year undergraduate-postgraduate dual degree programs in Science and Technology streams from IISc/IITs/NITs/IISERs/IIEST and centrally funded IIITs. These candidates should have secured a CGPA/CPI of at least 8.0 (on a 10-point scale). For applicants in the five year integrated or dual degree programs, if separate CGPAs/CPIs are awarded for UG and PG parts of the program then the CGPA/CPI of UG part (first four years) will be considered, OR
b. have completed or be pursuing the final year of four (or five) year undergraduate or five year integrated M.Tech or five year integrated M.Sc. or 2 year M.Sc. or five year undergraduate-postgraduate dual degree programs in Science and Technology streams from any other (not covered in a. above) Institute / University recognized in India. These candidates should have secured a CGPA/CPI of at least 8.0 (on a 10-point scale) or equivalent till the last semester AND have secured a score of 750 or higher in the respective GATE subject. OR
c. have qualified GATE and be pursuing or have completed M.Tech. / MS by Research at IISc/IITs/IISERs ( hereafter referred to as host institutions) having a minimum CGPA or CPI of 8.0 (on a 10-point scale) at the end of the first semester with a minimum of four courses. Those candidates who are applying after the first semester, the CGPA or CPI requirement of 8.0 will be based on all the courses, labs, thesis that the candidate has completed. This is applicable to above eligible candidates at the time of application.
AND
d. have completed the required academic qualifications in (a), (b) or (c) in the preceding three years from when the application is submitted.
2. Q. I completed my B.Tech. degree three years ago. Am I eligible to apply for PMRF?
A. Yes. Those who are awarded degree in past three years (i.e. graduated during 2017, 2018, and 2019 ) are eligible to apply for PMRF 2019 . Each application will be treated as a fresh application.
3. Q. My CGPA until seventh semester is 8.19, however, I have a backlog. Am I eligible to apply?
A. No.
4. Q. I am a final year student and have <8 CGPA until seventh semester. Should I be provisionally allowed to appear for the selection procedure subject to the condition that I will improve my CGPA at the end of my B.Tech?
A. No. You will not be considered this year for the selection procedure. However, you may apply for the PMRF next year should you secure CGPA of 8 or more at the time of graduation.
5. Q. I am a PhD scholar in a host institute. I graduated from an AICTE recognised Institute and joined IIT under the Direct PhD programme. Whether existing scholars like me who meet all the criteria, but have joined last year will be eligible to upgrade to PMRF?
A. You will have to apply afresh. If you are allotted any institute other than the parent institute you will have to join as a totally fresh registration at a new institute.
In case, based on your merit position, you are allotted the same host institute where you are currently registered for the PhD program, you may continue the PhD program under the PMRF scheme. In this case you will be eligible for PMRF for the rest of the PhD tenure. For example, if you have availed MHRD fellowship for two years, you will be entitled for maximum two or three years of PMRF, if you entered the PhD program after B.Tech. or MTech., respectively.
6. Q. I am a third-semester M.Tech. student in a host institute (IISc, IITs, IISERs). My current CGPA is 8.19 but at the end of the first semester, my CGPA was 7.98. Am I eligible for PMRF selection in May 2019?
A. No. CGPA of at least eight is required at the end of the first semester.
7. Q. I completed my MTech from NIT in June 2016 with a CGPA 8.96. Will I be eligible to apply for 2019 May PMRF?
A. No you are not eligible to apply for 2019 May PMRF.
8. Q. I have completed my MTech in 2018 form a host institute ( IISc/IITs/ IISERs) and passed GATE in 2016. I have a CGPA of 8.0. As per 1(d) the required academic qualifications should be in the preceding three years. Will I be eligible?
A. Yes, you are eligible. Academic Qualification refers to the qualifying degree. You must have a valid GATE score at the time of admission in the M.Tech. program.
9. Q. I a student currently registered for Integrated PhD program. Am I
eligible to apply for PMRF May 2019?
A. You are eligible to apply for PMRF May 2019 selection subject to
the following:
a) You should be awarded two separate degrees for (MTech or MSc ) and
PhD at the end of the program, and
b) You should be registered in integrated MTech+PhD program at one of the
host institutes, cleared GATE, and should have CGPA of 8/10 at the end
of the first semester with four theory courses. You should have
completed the first semester of MTech in academic year 2016-2017,
2017-2018 or 2018-2019
Or
You should be registered in integrated MSc.+PhD program at
IISc/IITs/IISER/NITs/ centrally funded IIITs and your institute
should provide you with a certificate of completion of the two year
MSc part of the integrated program with a CGPA of at least 8/10 in
academic year 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019
10. Q. My university awards only in percentage. The revised guidelines of PMRF May 2019 say the candidates should have secured a CGPA/CPI of at least 8.0 (on a 10-point scale) or equivalent till the last semester. How do I convert the percentage to a CGPA, out of 10, equivalent?
A. You should contact the competent authority (e.g., Controller of Examination) at your University to know the formula for conversion. You will be required to furnish the conversion formula along with certificate issued by the competent authority at the time of application.
Application
11. Q. Which are the institutes where PMRF Fellows can join to undertake research work as a Ph.D. student?
A. The institutes are the IISc, IITs and IISERs.
12. Q.I have interests in two disciplines, chemistry and nanotechnology. Can I apply for more than one discipline?
A. Yes. An applicant can apply for multiple disciplines. She/he will need to individually appear for multiple written tests and/or interviews conducted at the respective nodal institutes and/or interviews conducted at the respective nodal institute.
13. Q. Do I need to submit a project proposal along with my application?
A. You must submit an abstract as described on the PMRF website.
14. Q. Does PMRF scheme apply for part-time PhD?
A. No, PMRF is for undertaking full-time PhD program at IISc, IITs and IISERs.
15. Q. Is there a word limit for the abstract? Can I upload the proposal in JPEG format?
A. The word limit is 1000 and it must be in PDF format. No other format is acceptable.
16. Q. What is expected from the project abstract?
A. The requirement for a project abstract is for assisting the selection committee in assessing the research and analytical capability of the applicant. The originality of the abstract is very important. The abstract will be checked for plagiarism. The project abstract need not necessarily be the topic of PhD research.
17. Q. Who can be the referees?
A. The referees should be from among those with whom the applicant has closely interacted during her or his undergraduate or postgraduate programme and who can comment on the applicant’s academic knowledge and research and analytical skills.
18. Q. How many times can I apply for fellowship under the PMRF scheme?
A. You can apply two times provided all eligibility criteria are met each time.
19. Q. If I am selected for fellowship under the PMRF scheme this year, but do not avail the offer, can I apply once again next year?
A. No. However, you can defer your admission for one year subject to the approval of the host institute.
20. Q. Is the PMRF scheme the same as the CII-PMF scheme?
A. No, they are different.
Written test and interview
21. Q. What will be the syllabus for the written test?
A. The Nodal Institute will define the syllabus for the test. Please frequently visit the PMRF website for the latest updates.
22. Q. Where will the test centres be located?
A. A single written test and/or interview for each broad discipline will be conducted at the IIT or IISc which is the Nodal Institute for that broad discipline.
23. Q. Will the written test/ interview of different streams be conducted on the same date.
A. No. The tests will be conducted on different dates with a gap of a day or two so that an applicant may reach from one Nodal Institute to the other Nodal Institute in time.
24. Q. Will there be any TA/DA provided for appearing for the test or interview?
A. No TA/DA will be provided to the applicant appearing for the written test or interview.
25. Q. Will all the eligible applicants be called for the written test and/or interview?
A. Not necessary. In case of a large number of applicants, only shortlisted applicants will be called for the written test and/or interview.
Preference, allocation of seats
26. Q. How will be the institute and discipline be allotted to the selected applicant if the applicant has selected more than one institute?
A. The applicants will be asked at the time of application to give up to five choices for the broad disciplines wherein they would like to appear for the interview. The applicants will be asked to online provide their preferences of combinations of institute and discipline only for which the candidate is selected. The combination of discipline and the institute will be allotted based on the preference indicated by the applicant and the merit position of the candidate. For example, a candidate who appeared for the interview in Chemistry, Biological Sciences, and Interdisciplinary Programs in Science and Engineering and is selected for Chemistry, will be able to give preferences only in the Chemistry broad discipline.
27. Q. Can I give preference for different disciplines in an IIT?
A. Yes. An applicant will be allowed to give up to 31 preferences (combinations of the institute and discipline) from the discipline/s she/he would have been selected for e.g. an applicant selected for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering can give preference of Chemistry at IISc, Chemical Engineering IIT Bombay, Chemistry at IIT Delhi, etc.
28. Q. I have a specific idea for my potential research topic. Will the selection committee consider this while allocating me an institute/discipline if I am selected?
A. The selection committee will take a holistic view of the project details, subject knowledge, research & analytical skills, and any other aspect deemed fit in their opinion in making a recommendation on the suitability of the candidate for the PhD program under PMRF scheme.
The selection and allocation are decoupled. Once the candidate is selected for PMRF for a discipline/s, the allocation will be based on an algorithm that will take care of merit position of the selected candidate in the discipline the candidate is selected for and the preference order of the combinations of the institute and discipline the candidate has provided. Once the candidate joins the host institute, she/he may explore with the concerned faculty members about the possibility of the potential research topic. The rules and regulation of the host institute will prevail in the selection of the research topic and the supervisor.
Fee Payment:
29. Q. Is there an application fee, and if yes how can I pay the application fee?
A. Yes, there is an application fee of Rs.1500. The fee can be paid online using the link provided in the application form.
Contact Us
Coordinating institute: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, HYDERABAD
Address:
Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad
Kandi, Sangareddy – 502285
Telangana, INDIA
Email: [email protected]
Helpline: +91-8330913053
ONLINE APPLICATION
Application submission window for PMRF May 2019 is now open
The deadline for submission of applications has been extended till 11.30 pm, 14 April 2019.
Editor’s Note: PMRF Scheme May 2019. PMRF May 2019. Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship Scheme May 2019. Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship Scheme 2019, Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship 2019, PMRF 2019, PMRF Scheme 2019, PMRF May 2019, PMRF Scheme 2019. Check out the Biotecnika Times Newsletter for more such opportunities. And the Podcast that we have for free listen on SoundCloud.
Hi sir I am PhD Biotechnogy doing now….
Very useful……
Useful…
How Apply this application form
I have completed my B.Sc.Ag. with O.GPA 9.07 and now I joined for M.Sc.Ag. can i apply for the scheme?
I think only IISC and IITs are involved in Research. What about the other Institutions??
Are they getting Nobel Prize?? But, in Incredible India Research is like a Part time job only (few might be enthusiastic for research else they experts in Data Manipulation)
rightly said
Whether can also aplly for Environmental related studies?
i passed m.sc biotechnology from ccs university merrut 2015. my cgpa is 8.3 can i apply PMRF Programm.and pursuing ph.d biotechnology from gurugram university .