CSIR JRF-GATE Fellowships – Getting Ph.D. via JRF-GATE Fellowship
Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), India, is one of the premier national Research and Development (R&D) organization. It is among the world’s largest publicly funded R&D organization. CSIR’s is a pioneer in sustained contribution to S&T human resource development. It is Human Resource Development Group (HRDG), a division of CSIR provides various grants, fellowship schemes, etc. for research and development. It has been contributing immensely towards producing a fast-growing knowledge economy. The numerous schemes cover a wide range of scientists and students.
One of the most recent grants is known as CSIR’S JUNIOR RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP (JRF) – GATE – (CSIR JRF-GATE Fellowship) which has the aim to promote academic excellence in CSIR labs and to generate great standards of science. CSIR JRF-GATE fellowship scheme is applicable only in CSIR laboratories. Students, when awarded JRF-GATE fellowship, have to get registered for PhD in any institution including AcSIR. Engineering graduates with GATE qualification who are interested in pursuing an Integrated MTech-PhD program can be registered in AcSIR only. One has to pursue Ph.D. only then JRF-GATE fellowship is awarded so there is no automatic exit after M.Tech. JRF-GATE are not eligible
to be deployed in any sponsored project.Objective – CSIR JRF-GATE Fellowships is for GATE qualified engineering graduates and GPAT qualified pharmaceutical graduates and allows them to pursue research through a suitable PhD program in AcSIR or in any other institution.
Fellowship – These fellowships can be applicable only at CSIR laboratories and JRFs who are selected under this scheme have the excellent opportunity to work with CSIR Scientists with best of the state-of-art R&D facilities. Candidates who are chosen for the award of JRF-GATE will be eligible for fellowship subject to the condition of getting registered/enrolled for PhD or Integrated PhD program.
Eligibility – BE/B. Tech degree holders in the engineering field with a valid GATE score Or Candidates having a B.Pharm degree should have qualified GPAT Or Candidates with B.Tech in Biotechnology should hold valid GATE score along with securing a minimum 85.00 percentile in GATE. NOT ELIGIBLE are those candidates who hold a ME/M. Tech degree; the ones eligible for direct CSIR-SRF are also not eligible to apply for JRF- GATE.
Age limit– The upper age limit for JRF is 28 years which is relaxable up to 5 years for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Castes, women and physically handicapped applicants.
Stipend and Tenure – The CSIR JRF-GATE Fellowships amounts to Rs 31,000/ p.m for the first two years. In addition, contingency grant of Rs.20,000/- per annum will be provided. Further on completion of two years as JRF-GATE, the fellowship will be upgraded to SRF-GATE and with an increase in stipend to Rs. 35,000/- p.m for the 3rd and subsequent years, on the basis of assessment according to CSIR JRF-NET guidelines. The total tenure as JRF plus SRF cannot exceed five years. The stipend of research fellow/associate is not taxable under 10(16) of the IT Act.
Research Progress – The fellows’ research progress/ achievements are assessed through interview consisting of an Expert Committee which includes the Guide, Head of the Department and External Member from other Institution who should be an expert in the relevant field, not should be below the rank of Professor/ Associate Professor. Under CSIR JRF-GATE Fellowships – It is also expected that Fellows should have published their research work by the end of 3rd year. This forms an important quantitative and qualitative criterion for judging the progress made by the researcher. If the work of JRF is not found satisfactory then the fellowship gets terminated. Further, if the progress is found to be unsatisfactory on completion of any sanctioned tenure, the fellowship can then be terminated. The extension of tenure for the 4th year of SRF-GATE is to be done on the basis of the progress report and recommendation of the guide. The 5th year extension as SRF-GATE is again done on the recommendation of a three-member assessments Committee and progress report which should be supported with publications in the form of manuscripts/ preprints/ prints of the paper published, accepted or communicated for publication. CSIR norms should be followed for submission of annual progress report along with submission of requisite documents within six months after completion of yearly tenure, otherwise, it may lead to termination of fellowship/associateship.
Duration of Fellowship – The total duration is five years within which the candidate is expected to complete the PhD degree.
Selection Procedure – Under CSIR JRF-GATE Fellowships : JRF-GATE candidates will be selected by CSIR laboratories by following selection procedure guidelines as advertised and interview will be conducted by Committee duly constituted by the Director. The recommendations which are to be approved by Director are to be forwarded to Head, HRDG, along with all necessary supporting documents. The documents include a copy of the notification, GATE/GPAT scorecard, selection proceedings, resume of the selected candidate(s), mark sheets, Date of Birth certificate, Caste certificate, etc. A formal award letter will then be issued by CSIR-HRDG after scrutinizing and verifying the relevant documents.
The CSIR laboratory which participates in providing Integrated M.Tech.-PhD program of AcSIR can only award a maximum of 5 (five) fellowships under CSIR JRF-GATE Scheme. The various CSIR laboratories which participating in Integrated MTech-PhD program are CBRI, CECRI, CEERI, CGCRI, CIMFR, CMERI, CRRI, CSIO, IICT, IIP, IMMT, NAL, NCL, NEERI, NML, NPL, SERC. The remaining CSIR laboratories can award a maximum of 2 (two) JRF-GATE fellowships every year.
Every year the number of CSIR JRF-GATE Fellowships awarded will not be more than 120, if the number of JRF-GATE fellowships awarded in a year is less than 120, the remaining fellowships usually get passed on to other laboratories during the next year with the prior approval of DG, CSIR based on their requirement.
Reservation – This fellowship also follows the reservation guidelines of Government of India for direct recruitment. Each laboratory maintains records with regard to the reservation.
Publication/Patent
a) Publication: The CSIR JRF- GATE Fellow’s are bound to publish their research work in standard refereed journals at the discretion of the PhD Guide. It is mandatory to acknowledge the assistance provided by CSIR in all the publications with one copy of the published research papers to be sent to CSIR.
b) Patent: The results which can be patented should follow the rules as follows:
(i) Public funded educational/research institution, with whom a fellow is associated, should seek the patent rights at their own cost with rights would vest with the Institution concerned according to the IP policy of the concerned institutions.
(ii) In case an institution, to which a CSIR JRF- GATE fellow is associated, is not in a position to apply for patent rights then CSIR at its own cost has the rights to seek the patent rights and/or commercial exploitation of the results of the research work of the fellow, then all rights would vest exclusively with CSIR.
The research fellow has to abide by the following rule:
a) The fellow should be a full-time researcher and abide with the disciplinary regulations of the University/ Institute/ Laboratory where he/she is working. Regular attendance is mandatory which has to be ensured by the department by making an entry in an attendance register.
b) If the fellow decides to write a competitive examination, he/she should take permission from the guide and inform CSIR about it.
c) Under CSIR JRF-GATE Fellowships – The Research Fellow should not take any assignment other than related to his/her approved research program, paid or unpaid. However, when required, the fellow may provide assistance to the host institute in its academic work/other activities, according to the guidelines of its PhD program, provided the progress of research work of the fellow is not affected.
d) Once a Research Fellow accepts the Fellowship and joins, one has to continue the research for the full tenure of the fellowship or for such lesser duration in which the designed objectives of the research problem can be achieved.
e) No Fellow is allowed to discontinue his/her Fellowship without t approval of CSIR. If one wishes to discontinue the fellowship prior to completion of the tenure one must submit the resignation to CSIR through the Guide one month in advance, with the specified reasons for not continuing the Fellowship. The Fellowship shall cease from the date mentioned in the CSIR letter approving the resignation.
f) The research Fellow has to send a detailed consolidated report of the research work carried during the entire period of Fellowship on completion of the tenure/resignation of the Fellowship through the Guide to CSIR, in the prescribed proforma (Annexure-X), within one month.
g) During the tenure of the Fellowship, the Fellow can correspond with CSIR only through the Guide with the approval of the Head of the Institution.
h) The Research Fellow should also keep CSIR informed about his/her getting the higher degree, like submission of thesis for Ph.D., MD, MDS, MS, MPhil, ME etc. and submission/acceptance/publication of any research paper related of the research work done during the tenure of the fellowship. One must acknowledge the support of CSIR in the publication(s). One copy each of all the papers published must be sent to CSIR at each stage of publication/ manuscript/reprint.
The rule regarding temporary teaching & research job
A Research Fellow under CSIR JRF-GATE Fellowships can 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 only on the recommendation of Guide, with no objection from his/her University/ Institute but the duration should not exceed one year during the entire tenure of the Fellowship (JRF & SRF together). During this period the research fellow will not be receiving any stipend and contingency grant. It will be counted as a leave in the tenure which can be only taken after joining and working as Research Scholar for at least one year. The fellow then has to report for duty at the same place from where he left.
Rule for leave
a) Leave with stipend will be given for only 30 days for each completed year of tenure through the approval of the Guide after the request is communicated to CSIR. This leave can be carried over to the next year, however, one cannot accumulate more than 90 days at any time during the tenure. Of this, not more than 30 days can be taken in a calendar year with a stipend and beyond that, if leave taken will be treated as “Leave Without Stipend”. Sanction of leave without stipend can be considered by CSIR under special circumstances.
b) Women Fellows with less than two surviving children are entitled to maternity leave for up to 180 days.
c) The leave should be sanctioned by the Guide under intimation to CSIR. The Fellowship amount for leave period is to be paid only after the fellow resumes duty and submits a medical certificate in support of the above cause. The Fellow should make up for the research work during the remaining tenure.
d) Male Fellows of CSIR with less than two surviving children are also entitled to paternity leave of 15 days during the confinement of his wife on submission of documentary proof.
Transfer of Fellowship – CSIR JRF-GATE Fellowships
It’s the responsibility of the fellow to select the host institution, guide/supervisor, carefully with the institution having necessary infrastructural and other research facilities, etc. so as to carry out his/her research before joining. As the request for transfer of fellowship is not entertained except for some compelling circumstances. For taking a transfer No Objection Certificate should be given by the Fellow/ Associate from the guide and Head of Department of University/Institute from where transfer is taken and the consent of the Guide/Host Institute where Fellowships is to be transferred by giving reasons of transfer. One has to take prior approval from CSIR for “transfer of fellowship” and if he/she joins elsewhere without approval of CSIR, the fellowship will remain terminated. The Fellowship will also stand terminated from the date of resignation. Moreover, no transfers are allowed in the last six months of the tenure of fellowships & also after submission of Ph.D. thesis.
Termination of Fellowship
a) The fellowship will get terminated from the date of viva-voce of PhD or on completion of fellowship tenure, whichever is earlier. The fellowship will also be terminated from the date the Fellow resigns and the resignation has been accepted by CSIR. The Fellowship can also stand terminated by the CSIR on the recommendation of the Supervisor and Head of the Department/Institution. The fellowship can also be terminated if the institution where the fellow is working, refuses to continue to provide the facilities to the fellow on disciplinary grounds and thus informs CSIR.
b) If a fellow leaves without permission, the stipend due will not be paid to him/her by the Institution, till all the University and other dues are cleared and certified by the University/Institution. It is the responsibility of the University/Institution concerned to see to it.
c) The research Fellows must get their claims settled within one year of leaving the Fellowship. No claim will be taken by CSIR after one year of leaving the Fellowship.
MEDICAL BENEFITS
a) All Research Fellows will be provided medical facility according to the Central /State Government Medical norms.
b) The host institute has to get the fellows/associates medically examined during the time of joining or thereafter.
OTHER TERMS & CONDITIONS
The host institution is entitled to timely submit (within one month) of the following documents to CSIR.
a) The list of research fellows/associates working/terminated/ transferred/ resigned in the particular year with their date of termination/transfer/resignation of fellowship/associateship.
b) Yearly the number of PhD degrees awarded to CSIR Research Fellows (JRF/SRF)/PhD theses submitted by CSIR Research Fellows (JRF/SRF).
c) Consolidated utilization certificate of all the fellows during the financial year in question.
d) Statement of Receipt & Expenditure of CSIR grants head-wise and year-wise. Audited statement by statutory auditors or government auditors may be sent later on.
e) The host institute should provide details of refunds of unspent balance of the fellows terminated/ transferred / scholars who resigned during the year/Leave sanctioned to research fellow(s) without Stipend and the Interest Earned on Grants released by CSIR along with the cheque/draft number, date & issuing bank branch, etc.
f) CSIR can send whenever considered necessary its officers for reviewing the work of the fellows and Associates, an inspection of accounts, attendance, etc, in Universities/Institutes where the Research Fellows/Associates are placed.
g) Any kind of paid or honorary, part-or-full-time employment or private practice even in honorary capacity is not permissible during the tenure of Fellowship/Associateship.
towards teaching and educating students. Having done her Ph. D. research on nanoparticles, She has a wide range of publications in the field of nanoparticles. Adding to her further achievements are CSIR NET and GATE qualifications and Gold Medal in Biochemistry and Chemistry.Keywords: CSIR JRF-GATE Fellowships, CSIR NET JRF-GATE Fellowships, JRF-GATE Fellowships, CSIR Fellowships, CSIR JRF-GATE Fellowships for PhD Degree.
I have completed my PhD through this fellowship programme 2013-2018 from CSIR CSMCRI Bhavngar Gujarat
Nice information
can you please shrae the process to apply
The Union Government must take some initiatives to provide at least for those net qualified candidates whose scores are good almost above to 95 percentile because research and development is required much more like commerce and management field.These fields can give boost up to all the research areas whatever you call either science and technology or any other fields.As we know funds are required to give momentum to the development of country and therefore policy makers must think for these things,then a good momentum can be maintained and retained sustainably.
How i can approach the form for filling the required information