VAJRA Scheme 2026: US$ 15000 Honorarium for Overseas Faculty in India

At a glance

About the scheme

The Visiting Advanced Joint Research Faculty Scheme was launched by the Department of Science and Technology to strengthen the international connection in India's research and development ecosystem. It offers adjunct or visiting faculty assignments to overseas scientists, faculty members, and R&D professionals, including Non-resident Indians and Overseas Citizens of India, to undertake high-quality collaborative research in publicly funded academic and research institutions of India. The Science and Engineering Research Board implements the scheme.

Benefits

• Residency period in India is for a minimum of 1 month and a maximum of 3 months.
• Honorarium of US$ 15000 in the first month of engagement and US$ 10000 per month in the subsequent two months.
• One research visit by the Indian host to the institute of the VAJRA Faculty for a period not less than a week and not exceeding 30 days, with return economy airfare not exceeding ₹1.5 lakhs per diem and accommodation as per the norms of the Board.
• Collaborative research visit of not more than 2 doctoral or postdoctoral students after 2 years of engagement from the research group of the Indian host to the institute of the VAJRA Faculty for a duration of three to six months, with return economy airfare, a one-time contingency grant of ₹60,000/-, and fellowship equivalent to the norms of the Board.
• Research Contingency Grant of ₹5.0 lakhs per year of research visit per VAJRA Faculty to the Indian host to meet expenses related to collaborative research.
• Support of ₹1.0 lakh per year for the VAJRA Faculty to give lectures in his or her area of expertise in the host institute.

Who can apply (eligibility)

• The scheme is open to overseas scientists, faculty members, and R&D professionals including Non-resident Indians (NRI) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI).
• The overseas scientist or faculty should be an active researcher working in a leading academic, research, or industrial organisation with a proven track record of research and development.
• Indian Collaborator(s) should be a regular faculty or researcher in academic or research institutions.
• Indian Collaborator(s) from the Top 10 Private Institutions as per the NIRF ranking are eligible to apply if the Institute contributes 50% of the cost.

Documents required

• Passport size photograph
• CV of VAJRA Faculty including academic qualifications, research experience, awards or honors, and a maximum of ten relevant research publications
• Technical details of the proposed work
• Certificate from Lead Indian Collaborator
• Endorsement Letter from Indian Collaborator Institution
• Letter from Institution of VAJRA Faculty
• Any other document, as required

How to apply

1. 1The Indian collaborator identifies an appropriate overseas faculty member or researcher and jointly frames a research plan.
2. 2The Lead Indian Collaborator registers on the SERB Online Portal at www.serbonline.in.
3. 3Ensure all other Indian Collaborators are registered on the SERB Online Portal and have filled all mandatory fields in the Profile Details section under User Profile.
4. 4Under 'Form Submission', choose Scheme: VAJRA to open the online submission form.
5. 5Fill in all details in the online submission form.
6. 6Upload the endorsement certificate from the Indian Institution and the consent letter from the overseas faculty institution for participation as VAJRA Faculty.
7. 7After submission, a link to view the submitted application is sent to the overseas faculty; on acceptance, the application is deemed formally submitted for further consideration.
8. 8Applications can be submitted throughout the year. The Committee evaluates applications twice a year and SERB announces the results subsequently.

Frequently asked questions