Back-to-Lab Research Fellowship Programme

In Kerala, a good number of women will have to undergo career breaks due to family commitments and as the gap widens, they will have limited opportunities for re-entry in Science. In order to overcome this situation and to facilitate the re-entry of women having career breaks to Science research, the Kerala State Council of Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) launched the “Back-to-Lab Research Fellowship Programme” in 2010. The Scheme aims to support Women Research Scholars having career breaks, to come back to research and complete the Ph.D programme. The fellowship is provided normally for a period of 3 years. The scheme is open to unemployed women of Kerala origin qualified with a post-graduate degree in Basic or Applied Science or Professional Courses.
Necessary conditions as per the scheme:

• There should be a Scientist Mentor (preferably a Research guide) who is a regular faculty/staff of the institution under whose guidance the woman scientist should carry out the work. The Scientist Mentor should have at least 5 or more years of service left in the Institution before retirement. The Scientist Mentor should constantly monitor the progress of the project, facilitate smooth implementation of the programme and ensure timely submission of financial utilization certificates by the institute to KSCSTE.
• In case the Research Fellow submits the Thesis before the scheduled tenure of the fellowship, the Thesis Submission Certificate and other completion documents should be submitted to KSCSTE within one month so as to enable termination of the Fellowship.
• Research fellows availing financial assistance/stipend from other State/Central funding agencies or other sources will not be simultaneously eligible for the KSCSTE Back-to-Lab Research Fellowship. The Research Fellow should furnish an undertaking to the effect that she is not availing financial assistance/stipend from any other source simultaneously.
• The implementing Institute should provide full infrastructural facilities such as a laboratory, computer, library, communication, accommodation, water, electricity, etc. for smooth implementation of the project.
• The unutilized portion of the grant (along with the interest accrued) at the end of the project period should be refunded to Council by DD in favour of Member Secretary, KSCSTE.
• Scientists who publish technical/ scientific papers based on the research work done under the project should acknowledge the assistance received from KSCSTE.
• The Research Fellow should not enter into collaboration with a foreign party (individual/ industry) without prior approval of the Council.

1. Monthly Research Fellowship of ₹22,000/- + 10 % HRA in the first two years and ₹25,000/- + 10 % HRA per month in the third year, along with an annual contingent grant of ₹20,000/-.
2. Duration of the Fellowship is 3 years or till the date of submission of Ph.D Thesis, whichever is earlier.

• Only women candidates are eligible to apply.
• Applicant should be of Kerala origin and unemployed.
• Age limit: 45 years
• Applicant should have qualified post-graduation with a minimum of 60% marks.
• Applicant should have a valid Ph.D registration in an institution of academic/ research excellence in Kerala including R&D institutions, University Departments, Govt. Aided colleges, in any of the streams; Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture or Medicine (STEAM).
• Applicant should have completed Ph.D coursework.
• Only those research scholars who are under (undergone) a career break spanning a minimum period of 6 months during the course of their Ph.D. programme due to maternity or other valid reasons are eligible to apply.
• Applicant should not have completed 4 years as on the date of Ph.D registration.
• Applicant should not be receiving any fellowship or grant from any other source for the Ph.D. programme.

Offline

Application Process:

Step 01: Applications are invited once a year, tentatively during January.
Step 02: Eligible applicants may apply in the prescribed format and the format for the application can be downloaded from the Official Website of KSCSTE.
Step 03: Duly filled up application along with copies of relevant documents (in original), should be forwarded to the following address: The Director, Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), Sasthra Bhavan, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram – 695004.
Note 01: The envelope containing the application and relevant documents should be super scribed “Application for Back-to-lab Fellowship: Year”
Note 02: A soft copy of the application in MS Word format and all supporting signed documents in .pdf format, should be mailed to the mail ID: wsd.kscste@kerala.gov.in
Note 03: Incomplete applications, applications not supported by relevant documents, and applications received after the due date will be rejected.

Scrutiny of the Application:

Preliminary scrutiny of the application is carried out for verification of basic eligibility conditions and supporting documents.

Peer review:

All eligible applications are subjected to peer review by five subject experts in the relevant area of research. Proposals with at least three reviews graded above 5 (on 10 point scale) are only considered for further processing.

Presentation before Expert Committee (whether RC or RAC):

Proposals that have passed the peer review requirements will be invited for presentation before the Research Advisory Committee. One or two reviewers will serve as additional Subject Expert during the RAC meeting. On favourable recommendation by the RAC, the proposal will be considered for funding by KSCSTE. The selected applicants will be informed of the decision and will be asked to execute an Agreement as per the guidelines of the scheme.

Contact Details:

The Head, Women Scientists Division
Kerala State Council of Science, Technology and Environment
Sasthra Bhavan, Pattom (P.O), Thiruvananthapuram – 695 004
Ph: 0471 2548208, Fax: 0471 2540085, 2534605
E-mail: womenscientistkerala@gmail.com

For queries:

E-mail : wsd.kscste@kerala.gov.in, womenscientistkerala@gmail.com, wsdkscste@gmail.com
Tel: 0471- 2548208, 0471- 2548346