ICMR Fellowships - Research Associate and Senior Research Fellow (RA and SRF)

The Indian Council of Medical Research awards the following categories of fellowships to young scientists to enable them to carry out research in the field of Biomedical Sciences at the permanent Institutes of the Council, other Biomedical Research Institutes, Medical Colleges, and Universities in India where adequate laboratories and other facilities to carry out research are available:

1. Research Associates

2. Senior Research Fellowships

Fellowship Rules

APPLICATIONS :

Applications for the fellowships are invited by advertisement in newspapers and by the issue of a circular to all medical colleges, institutes etc.

The following conditions are required to be fulfilled:

• The applications should be sent through the Guide and the Head of the Institute where the candidate proposes to work. If employed, a certificate from his employer to accept the fellowship should be submitted.
• The candidate should not draw any stipend or salary or be in receipt of any other type of financial assistance except leave salary during the fellowship. A certificate to this effect should be furnished by the candidate.
• A detailed plan of work, in ten copies, for a specific time bound research project on which research is proposed to be carried out during the fellowship is required to be submitted with the application.
• The problem proposed to be studied should be well defined. It should relate to a particular aspect of a problem and not be of a general nature and should be capable of completion within the fellowship period. Preference will be given to a problem of a national health importance.
• The plan of work should be prepared, as defined in the application form. A statistician should be consulted for the preparation of the plan of work, where considered necessary.
• The Guide under whose guidance the work will be carried out should certify that the research plan has been prepared in consultation with him/her and in consultation with a Statistician where considered necessary and that he/she examined the scheme and approves the plan of work and that he/she is willing to guide and direct the research work proposed therein.
• The Head of the Institution, where research work will be carried out, should certify that full equipment, laboratory and other facilities are available in the Institution for proposed work and will be made available to the candidate. It should be noted that no funds shall be provided for the purchase of equipment or articles of non-expenditure nature.
• For the award of Research Associateship, if the candidate plans to do further work on the subject of his/her MD/Ph.D., thesis a summary of work done so far along with new facets of work to be undertaken should be attached on a separate sheet (10 copies).
• All projects involving human beings must be cleared by Ethical Committee of their Institutes.

QUALIFICATIONS :
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP

Qualification: M.Sc. (Life Sciences), MA (Social Sciences), Master in Medical Social Work (MSW) degree holders with two years research experience.

MBBS/BDS/MVSc./M.Pharm/M.E./M.Tech degree holders.

RESEARCH ASSOCIATESHIP

Qualification: Doctorate degree in Medicine namely M.D/MDS or Ph.D. in any field.

Note:

• The Research experience mentioned above includes experience as a research worker in any Institution supported by a certificate by the Head of the Institution
• GATE QUALIFIERS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FELLOWSHIPS (SRF/RA) UNDER ICMR FELLOWSHIPS PROGRAMME.

EMOLUMENTS/REMUNERATION ( PER MONTH) FOR SRF/RA WILL BE AS UNDER:

• Senior Research Fellows (Medical & Dental) thereafter : 1st year & Rs. 20,000/-
• Senior Research Fellows (Non-Medical) 2nd year: 1st & Rs. 18,000/-
• Subsequent years: Rs. 20,000/-
• Research Associates – I: Slab Rs.23,000/-
  II: Slab Rs.24,000/-

FIXATION OF REMUNERATION FOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATES:

• With up to three years Post-doctoral research experience: Rs.23,000/-p.m.
• With more than three years Post-doctoral research experience: Rs.24,000/-p.m.

Note: In fixing the initial stipend of Senior Fellows previous research experience will be taken into account.

CONTINGENT GRANT

i) RA: Rs.20,000/- per annum

ii) SRF: Rs.20,000/- per annum

Contingent grant can be utilized for the following:

• Acquisition of books and documents of relevance to the research topic provided these are not available in the library of the University/Institution. The requisition is to be recommended by the Supervisor and approved by the Head of the Deptt. The books will become the property of the University/Institution’s Library after purchase and could be issued to the Supervisor/Fellow after accession for use by the indenting fellow till his/her research fellowship is over. Normally, not more than 25% of the total annual contingent grant can be utilized for this purpose.
• Towards meeting actual train fare and DA, during tours of the research fellow/associate, they will be entitled to TA/DA as admissible in case of Government servants drawing basic pay of Rs. 8000/- p.m.. The calculation of the daily allowance will be made from the date of commencement of the journey to the date he/she returns to the headquarters.
• Petty expenditure for purchase of chemicals, reagents, stationery postal charges, the registration fee for attending scientific conferences.
• Charges for typing a thesis up to 10 per cent of the contingent grant can also be met from the contingency grant.
• Photographic materials for research or thesis work.
• Computation charges.
• Reprints/off-prints of research papers.
• No non-expendable articles or equipment can be purchased out of the grant. In special projects, the sanction of a higher contingent grant would be considered on their requirements of needs.

CONTINGENT GRANT CANNOT BE UTILISED FOR:

a) Foreign travel or other expenses for visit abroad.
b) Stationery items such as a pen, pencils, folders, file covers, carbon papers etc. and furniture items.

UPPER AGE LIMIT:

i) Senior Research Fellowship – 35 years

ii) Research Associateship – 40 years (Relaxed upper age limit by two years in the case of
woman candidates). (Order No.16/99/2000-Admn.II dt. 7.2.2001)

TENURE:

The maximum tenure for all the fellowships will be three years, subject to annual review of work done. The tenure may be extended by the Council only in exceptionally deserving cases. The fellowship can be terminated at any time on a month’s notice if the progress of work is not satisfactory or on receipt of an adverse report from the Guide. The fellowship can be terminated forthwith if the particulars given in the application form for the fellowship are found to be incorrect or false. The Council also reserves the right to terminate fellowship forthwith without assigning any reason. In the event of his/her leaving before completing one year, he/she may be required to refund the stipend drawn by him/her from the date of joining to the date of leaving the fellowship.

PRIVATE PRACTICE: Private practice of any kind, or taking up any appointment even in an honorary capacity, during the fellowship, is not permissible.

ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL: The Fellow/Associate will not be treated as an employee of the Council. The candidate will be under the administrative control of the Institution where he/she works and will be subject to the Rules and Regulations of the Institute concerned.

PUBLICATION OF PAPERS:

Prior permission for publication of papers on the research work done under the aegis of the Council, in a journal should be obtained from the Council. The papers should be sent to the Council through the supervisor with his/her recommendations.

PAYMENT OF FUNDS:

The Council will pay in Four installments the fellowship stipend and the contingent grant to the Head of the Institute for disbursement to the Senior Research Fellow/Research Associate. Detailed instructions regarding payment of funds shall be communicated separately on the award of the fellowship. The first installment will be paid after the receipt of the joining report of the fellow. The subsequent installment will be released only on receipt of the statement of accounts of utilization of the previous installment. The University/Institution shall be responsible for proper utilization of grant and for a rendition of accounts of ICMR.

TRANSFER OF FELLOWSHIP:

The fellow will not be allowed transfer from one institution to another except in special circumstances with the prior approval of the DG, ICMR. No T.A. will be paid as a result of such a transfer.

POST FELLOWSHIP CAREER:

Research fellows should send to the Council, within six months from the date of completion of fellowship, utilization report in the prescribed form of the training received during the fellowship.

Senior Research Fellows should be advised to register himself/herself for his/her doctorate degree in the subject and University of his/her choice within 6 months. If done so, it may be ensured that the fellowship will continue up to 4 and a half years by which time the candidate is expected to complete his/her doctorate degree. The candidate may be offered Research Associateship on suitable terms for 1-2 years.

The fellowship program for SRF and RA will open online from June 1, 2017, onwards.

No Hard copies will be accepted for Fellowship program.

Links for the required submissions:

1. Required Documents: http://icmrextramural.in/ICMR/app_srv/icmr/gl/jsp/docReportFS.jsp

2. Online Application and other required criterions: http://icmrextramural.in/ICMR/