Khorana Program for Scholars 2025 – Indian Students Apply Now To Study In The USA
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt. of India, Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) and WINStep Forward are partnering to support the prestigious Khorana Program for Scholars named in honor of Dr. Har Gobind Khorana, who won the Nobel Prize in 1968 for his work at the interface of Chemistry and Biology while a member of the University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty. The Khorana Program will provide opportunities to Indian students to get research exposure at leading U.S. universities over summer 2025 for a period of 10-12 weeks.
Objectives
The broad objectives of the program are:
- To provide exposure to world class scientific research facilities.
- Nurture the next generation of scientists and technologists to build long term R&D collaborations.
- Enable undergraduate and post-graduate students to pursue higher education and research-based careers.
- Promote capacity building in frontline areas of biotechnology and bio-quantitative sciences.
Eligibility
- Pre-final year students enrolled in B. Tech., M. Tech., B.Sc., M.Sc., B.E., M.E., M.S., Integrated B. S-M.S., B.V. Sc., M.V. Sc., B. Pharm., M. Pharm., MBBS., and Master in Medical Science and Technology (MMST) at recognized institutions of higher education in India in Biotechnology and allied areas (including agricultural, food, health, biomedical sciences and interdisciplinary areas like Computational Sciences, Big Data, Machine Learning etc.) are eligible to apply.
- First Year, Final year and PhD students are NOT eligible to apply.
- Applications in subject – fields other than those specified above will not be considered.
- The applicant should have:
– Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 8.0 or higher, OR
– Percentage: 80% and higher
– Minimum 65% and higher if the applicant is an MBBS student - Preference will be given to students without prior international research experience.
For complete Application Guidelines, refer to the “Application Guidelines” tab.
Funding
The Program support covers:
- Round-trip Airfare
- Stipend
- Health Insurance
Khorana Program for Scholars 2025
Eligibility and Application Guidelines
-
- Indian citizens currently enrolled in a recognized Institution of Higher Education in India.
- Pre-final year students enrolled in B.Tech., M. Tech., MSc., B.E., M.E., M.S., Integrated B.SM.S., B.Sc., B.V.Sc., M.V.Sc., B. Pharm., M. Pharm., MBBS., and Master in Medical Science and Technology (MMST) at recognized institutions of higher education in India in Biotechnology and allied areas (including agricultural, food, health, biomedical sciences and interdisciplinary areas like Computational Sciences, Big Data, Machine Learning etc.) are eligible to apply.
- Only those candidates who have a minimum of one year remaining for the completion of their course in India are eligible to apply [for e.g. for the 2025 Call, only those candidates who shall be completing their degree program on or after May 2026 are eligible to apply (preferably pre-final year students)]. First Year, Final Year and Ph.D. students are NOT eligible to apply.
- Preference will be given to students without prior international research experience.
- The applicant should have:
▪ Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 8.0 or higher, OR,
▪ Percentage: 80% and higher.
▪ Minimum 65% and higher if the applicant is an MBBS student. - A three-tiered screening process will be followed to select Khorana scholars.
- The eligible applications will be reviewed and shortlisted by subject experts based on the following criteria:
▪ Academic background and credentials;
▪ Research interests, project ideas, and career goals;
▪ Research experience, technical background, other internships, courses, lab work (if any);
▪ The need to conduct research in the U.S. and
▪ Publications, Poster presentations, and related conference participation (if any). - Program Schedule for 2025 Call (Tentative):
Timeline | Event |
---|---|
1st week of September 2024 | Program announcement on the IUSSTF/DBT website |
Last week of September 2024 | Webinar for prospective applicants |
1st week of October 2024 | Application Deadline |
2nd week of October 2024 onwards | Stage 1: Preliminary Screening |
1st – 4th week of November 2024 | Stage 2: Review Process |
3rd week of December 2024 | Stage 3: Final Screening and Selection of Scholars |
End December 2024 | Award Announcement |
January-March 2025 | Placements by WSF |
May 2025 | Orientation by WSF in U.S. and Commencement of Internship by Selected Candidates |
December 2025/January 2026 | Symposium/Interaction with Scholars (Batch 2025) in India |
- Candidates are encouraged to fill out the online application and upload scanned copies of the latest marksheet/transcript, No-Objection Certificate & 2 Letters of Recommendation. Supporting documents should be provided strictly according to the check-list mentioned in the application form. Please DO NOT attach Class X/Class XII marksheets.
- Recommendation letters can be sent along with the application form or if referees wish to provide a confidential recommendation, they may send it directly to [email protected] with the Applicant’s full name in the subject line, well before the submission deadline. All documents must be submitted before the application deadline, as no documents, including recommendation letters, will be accepted after the deadline.
- Hard copies of the application form/supporting documents are not required.
- If you do not have a passport and have applied for it, choose “Applied for” in the passport details section of the Application form.
- Applications in subject fields other than those specified on the webpage will not be considered.
- Support Details:
A. IUSSTF:
a) Disbursement of an advance grant that includes 90% of the stipend of USD 3000 for the entire duration of the internship (10-12 weeks) along with USD 600 as health insurance to the students before the commencement of their internship. The remaining amount will be released on submission of the reports and related documents towards the closure and settlement of the award.
b) Facilitation of round-trip travel (up to USD 2500) for selected students. Roundtrip air-tickets for all selected Khorana scholars would be directly provided by the IUSSTF travel desk in economy class.
B. WINStep Forward (WSF):
a) WSF, along with IUSSTF, will jointly reach out to the selected candidates and assist in identifying up to 3 U.S. professors (in order of priority) based on matching areas of interest. Following the receipt of the mentor list from the candidates, WSF will contact the U.S. Professors and invite them to participate in the program by hosting a student.
b) Organize the Orientation Program (virtual/in-person) for the visiting scholars.
c) Provide necessary support and guidance to the scholars during and after their tenure in the U.S.
IUSSTF reserves the right to amend its policies and priorities anytime, depending on circumstances. Applicants are advised to visit the Program website https://iusstf.org/khorana-program-for-scholars frequently for updates.
How to Apply:
Applications for the Khorana Program must be submitted exclusively through our Online Application Portal for Visitation Programs. Hard copies and electronic copies of the application forms will not be accepted. All required documents, including recommendation letters, must be submitted before the application deadline. Any supporting documents sent to [email protected] after the deadline will not be considered.
Submission Deadline: 07 October 2024
Contact Information
Indo-US Science and Technology Forum
Download the application guidelines here
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