WISE Fellowship for Ph.D. 2026: ₹37,000 Monthly Stipend, Eligibility & How to Apply

At a glance

About the scheme

The WISE Fellowship for Ph.D. (WISE-PhD) is a central scheme under the Department of Science and Technology’s Women in Science and Engineering‑KIRAN (WISE‑KIRAN) programme. It aims to encourage women scientists to undertake independent doctoral research in STEM fields by providing a monthly fellowship, house rent allowance, annual research grant and institutional overhead charges. The fellowship is open to unemployed women with a postgraduate degree in basic or applied sciences, aged 27‑45 years (with age relaxation for SC/ST/PH), who are not in regular employment and have not completed two years of Ph.D. at the time of application.

Benefits

• Fellowship amount of ₹37,000 per month with House Rent Allowance (HRA) as per norms
• Annual research grant of ₹1.00 lakh
• Institutional overhead charges of ₹0.50 lakh per year

Who can apply (eligibility)

• Unemployed women wishing to pursue a Ph.D. in basic or applied sciences
• Age between 27 and 45 years (with 3 years relaxation for SC/ST/PH candidates)
• Hold M.Sc., M.Tech. or equivalent qualification from a recognised university/institute
• Not currently in regular employment
• Have not completed two years of Ph.D. as on the date of application
• May be either not yet registered for Ph.D. or already registered but not receiving any other fellowship

Who cannot apply

• Women in regular employment
• Candidates who have completed two years of Ph.D. at the time of application
• Applicants already receiving a fellowship from any other source
• Male applicants
• Applicants without the required postgraduate qualification

Documents required

• Complete proposal in the prescribed format
• High school certificate
• Highest degree certificate
• SC/ST/PH certificate (if claiming age relaxation)
• Certificate from the head of the institution
• Ph.D. registration letter (if already registered)
• Consent letter from scientist mentor/Ph.D. supervisor
• Bio‑data of the scientist‑mentor

How to apply

1. 1Visit the DST e‑PMS portal at https://onlinedst.gov.in and click on New PI Registration.
2. 2Fill in personal details, designate yourself as WISE‑PhD Fellow and provide host institute information.
3. 3Log in, select Submit Proposals and complete all mandatory sections (general, PI, financial details).
4. 4Enter fellowship amount (₹37,000 per month), applicable HRA, annual research grant (₹1.00 lakh) and overhead (₹0.50 lakh).
5. 5Upload required documents including proposal format, educational certificates, and any SC/ST/PH certificate.
6. 6Preview the application, correct any errors, then submit final application via the Submit button.
7. 7Keep a copy of the submitted proposal; a new proposal can be submitted only after the previous one is rejected.

Frequently asked questions