WOS-B
Women Scientist Scheme-B
7.2/10A Research Grant by MoST for female candidates with break in their career interested in addressing societal challenges through viable S&T interventions. Women scientists who wish to apply under this scheme are required to develop their own project/proposals for scientific and technological solutions
States / UT: All India
Ministry / nodal: Ministry Of Science And Technology
Scheme for: Individual
Scheme profile
DBT (direct benefit transfer): Yes
Scheme open date: 2002-01-01
Categories: Skills & Employment, Social welfare & Empowerment, Science, IT & Communications, Women and Child
Sub-categories: Employment services and jobs, Training and Skill Up-gradation, Citizen empowerment, Financial assistance
Target beneficiaries: Individual
Tags: Women, Scientist, Female, Technology, Science, Research, Fellowship
Details
A Research Grant by MoST for female candidates with break in their career interested in addressing societal challenges through viable S&T interventions. This scheme will provide a research grant for a well-defined project proposal for a period of maximum three years. This grant will cover the fellowship of the applicant and cost of small equipments, contingencies, travel, consumables, etc. Institutional overhead charges will be extra. Women scientists who wish to apply under this scheme are required to develop their own project/proposals for scientific and technological solutions to address issues preferably at enhance quality-of-life the grassroots level. The proposal must clearly bring out the societal benefit to be accrued through well conceived plan for development of technology/technique and/or adaptation/ customization. The candidate should have adequate S&T skills and be adept at techniques to deliver the proposed outcome.
Benefits
- 1. ₹55 000/- pm (and HRA as applicable) for Ph.D. or equivalent (total project cost not exceeding ₹30 lakh (excluding HRA and Overhead) 1. ₹40 000/- pm (and HRA as applicable) for M.Phil./MTech or equivalent (total project cost not exceeding ₹25 lakh (excluding HRA and Overhead) 1. ₹31 000/- pm (and HRA as applicable) for M.Sc. or equivalent (total project cost not exceeding ₹20 lakh (excluding HRA and Overhead) The Project Cost consists of Fellowship of Principal Investigator (PI)
- Consumables Travel
- Contingencies and Minor Equipment but excluding HRA and overheads
- ₹ 55,000/- pm (and HRA as applicable) for Ph.D. or equivalent (total project cost not exceeding ₹30 lakh (excluding HRA and Overhead)
- ₹ 40,000/- pm (and HRA as applicable) for M.Phil./MTech or equivalent (total project cost not exceeding ₹25 lakh (excluding HRA and Overhead)
- ₹ 31,000/- pm (and HRA as applicable) for M.Sc. or equivalent (total project cost not exceeding ₹20 lakh (excluding HRA and Overhead)
The Project Cost consists of Fellowship of Principal Investigator (PI), Consumables, Travel, Contingencies, and Minor Equipment but excluding HRA and overheads.
Eligibility
- The applicant must be a FEMALE.
- The applicant must either be unemployed or in a position other than a regular/permanent position.
- The age of the applicant must be between 27 and 57 years (5-year relaxation for SC/ST/OBC and physically challenged candidates)
- The applicant must hold either of the following Minimum essential qualifications:
- Minimum Post Graduate degree, equivalent to M.Sc. in Basic or Applied Sciences or B.Tech. or MBBS or other equivalent professional qualifications;
- M.Phil/M.Tech/M.Pharm/M.VSc or equivalent qualifications;
- PhD in Basic or Applied Sciences.
Exclusions
The female candidate who is employed in a regular/permanent position are not eligible to apply.
How useful is this scheme?
A practical look at this scheme for citizens
AI-generated insights showing how useful, accessible, and practical this scheme may be — combining deterministic scoring rules with a public-policy LLM analyst.
- Accessibility6.0
- Financial impact9.5
- Rural utility4.0
- Awareness7.5
- Simplicity6.0
- Inclusivity10.0
What problem does this scheme solve?
The Women Scientist Scheme-B provides significant support for female scientists looking to restart their careers and contribute to societal challenges through research.
Key challenges addressed
- Supports women scientists with career breaks
- Encourages research addressing societal issues
Most beneficial for
- Women with advanced degrees in science and technology
- Unemployed women scientists
Likely challenges
- Complex application process
- Digital literacy requirements
Practical insights for citizens
Practical for educated women, but challenging for those in rural areas with limited resources
Rural challenges
- Limited internet access
- Lack of awareness about the scheme
Digital challenges
- High digital dependency for application
- Need for digital literacy
Implementation bottlenecks
- Complexity in proposal submission
- Potential delays in fund disbursement
Awareness challenges
- Low awareness among rural women scientists
- Limited outreach efforts
Application analysis
- Application mode
- Online portal
- Documents burden
- Minimal, no specific documents required
- Verification complexity
- Moderate, requires project proposal review
- Office dependency
- Low, primarily online process
- DBT dependency
- Yes, payment through DBT
- CSC support
- Limited, primarily online
- Estimated citizen effort
- Moderate, requires proposal development and online submission
Estimated beneficiary reach
Benefit analysis
- Benefit type
- Cash
- Benefit frequency
- Monthly
- Benefit practicality
- High, as it provides financial support for research
- Financial meaningfulness
- High, with significant funding available for projects
- Long-term impact
- Positive, as it encourages women's participation in science and technology
Plain-language guidance
The Women Scientist Scheme-B helps women scientists restart their careers by providing research grants. Eligible women can apply online with their project proposals.
- Who should apply
- Women scientists with a break in their careers and relevant qualifications.
- Who may struggle
- Women in rural areas with limited internet access and digital literacy.
- Best application route
- Apply directly through the online portal.
This intelligence section is generated by an AI policy analyst combined with rule-based scoring. Scores and narrative are estimates derived from the publicly available scheme information shown on this page; actual experience may vary by state, district, and department. Always confirm details on the official portal before you apply.
Application Process
Online
Step 1: Register at the online portal https://online-wosa.gov.in/wosb/ using your active email ID. An auto-generated mail will be received with an ID and link to create a password.
Step 2: After logging in to the WOS-B portal, fill out and submit the full Project Proposal under WOS-B. Project Proposal Document (PPD) includes online submission and uploading of the required documents in the said formats.
Step 3: Before submission preview your full proposal to make sure that everything is correct and in order. You will not be allowed to edit the contents after submission.
Step 4: You need to click on the "Final Submit" button for the final submission of the proposal. Your proposal will remain to save with your login ID and it may be saved in the system and also can be printed.
Send one hard copy of the submitted proposal to the address provided below, superscribing the envelope with ‘Women Scientist Scheme-B (WOS-B)’ -
Mrs. Namita Gupta
Scientist-‘G’, KIRAN Division
Department of Science and Technology (DST)
Technology Bhawan, New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi-110016.
Clarifications
Additional points from the scheme information published on myScheme (not legal advice).
- Is there a validity to the scheme benefits?
The benefits are provided for a period of maximum three years.
- What would be the mode of payment of the scholarship?
The payment of the scholarship will be through DBT.
- What benefits are covered under Project Cost?
The Project Cost consists of Fellowship of Principal Investigator (PI), Consumables, Travel, Contingencies, and Minor Equipment but excluding HRA and overheads.
- Will I be eligible for the scholarship if I fail to get promoted to the next semester?
No. The scholarship will be terminated in that case.
- Can I apply offline for the scholarship?
No. You need to visit https://online-wosa.gov.in/wosb/ to apply.
- Is there any application fee?
No. The entire application process is completely free of cost.
- Which scientific disciplines are covered under this grant?
Agriculture, Food and Environmental Challenges (AFE) Strengthening Health Care and Nutrition (HN) Energy (ER) Water and Waste Management (WWM) Engineering and IT Solutions to Societal Issues (EIT) Harnessing Advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Is it possible to pursue PhD along with a WOS-B project?
Yes, the beneficiary is allowed to do so.
- I am 24 years in age. Can I apply for the scheme?
Women scientists, less than 27 years of age are not eligible.
- Do I need to complete the application in one sitting?
No. You can save the application as draft and continue at a later time before the deadline.
- What should be the type and size of the documents to be uploaded?
The format should be.pdf. The size of each document should not be greater than 2MB.
- How do I know if a field in the application form is mandatory?
The mandatory fields have a red asterisk (*) mark at the end.
- I have a query regarding the application process. Whom should I contact regarding the same?
For further inquiries regarding WOS-B please send email to: wosb-dst@gov.in
- Do I need to apply as a PI or as a Mentor?
The applicant must apply as Principal Investigator. Mentor will not be considered as an applicant.
- Is there a deadline for submitting the hard copy of the online application?
Hard copy of submitted online application has to reach the department within twenty days from the last date of online submission of proposals including extended period, if any.
Definitions
- Person with Disability (PwD)
- Scheduled Tribe (ST)
- Scheduled Caste (SC)
- Other Backward Class (OBC)
Official links
References
- Guidelines
- https://www.indiascienceandtechnology.gov.in/programme-schemes/women-schemes/women-scientist-scheme-b-wos-b
Apply
Apply nowOpens the official application or programme portal in a new tab. If in doubt, confirm details on the ministry site.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the purpose of Women Scientist Scheme-B?
- Women Scientist Scheme-B is a government welfare initiative designed to support Individual, Individual through benefits related to Skills & Employment, financial assistance, subsidies, social welfare, healthcare, education, or livelihood support.
- Who can apply for Women Scientist Scheme-B?
- Eligibility for Women Scientist Scheme-B may depend on factors such as income category, age, gender, occupation, state of residence, social category, and government-defined beneficiary criteria.
- What benefits are offered under Women Scientist Scheme-B?
- Benefits under Women Scientist Scheme-B may include financial assistance, subsidies, scholarships, insurance support, healthcare benefits, pension support, training assistance, or welfare services depending on the scheme guidelines.
- Which department manages Women Scientist Scheme-B?
- Women Scientist Scheme-B is managed by Ministry Of Science And Technology and may be implemented through district offices, online portals, CSC centres, banks, or authorised government agencies.
- Can users apply online for Women Scientist Scheme-B?
- Yes, eligible applicants may be able to apply online for Women Scientist Scheme-B through official government portals, authorised service centres, or digital application systems depending on the implementation process.
- Is Aadhaar mandatory for Women Scientist Scheme-B?
- Many government schemes may require Aadhaar verification, identity proof, or linked bank account details for beneficiary validation and direct benefit transfer processing.
- Where can users apply for Women Scientist Scheme-B?
- Applications for Women Scientist Scheme-B may be submitted through government departments, official scheme portals, CSC centres, district offices, welfare departments, or authorised service centres.
- What documents may be required for Women Scientist Scheme-B?
- Applicants may need Aadhaar card, income certificate, residence proof, bank account details, caste certificate, photographs, educational records, or occupation-related documents depending on scheme eligibility requirements.
- Is Women Scientist Scheme-B a central government scheme?
- Yes, Women Scientist Scheme-B is a central government welfare initiative that may be implemented across multiple states through authorised departments and agencies.
- Is Women Scientist Scheme-B only for women beneficiaries?
- Women Scientist Scheme-B is primarily intended to support eligible women beneficiaries through welfare assistance, financial support, skill development, healthcare, or social security initiatives.
- Does Women Scientist Scheme-B support self-employment or financial assistance for women?
- Depending on scheme guidelines, Women Scientist Scheme-B may provide loans, subsidies, training support, self-employment assistance, or financial welfare benefits for women.
- Can CSC centres help users apply for Women Scientist Scheme-B?
- Many government schemes may be accessible through nearby CSC centres, authorised digital service centres, or welfare facilitation offices.
- How can users check the latest updates for Women Scientist Scheme-B?
- Users should verify official notifications, department announcements, application deadlines, and eligibility updates through authorised government portals or implementing agencies.
- Are there deadlines for applying to Women Scientist Scheme-B?
- Some schemes may operate through fixed application windows, annual registration cycles, or department-specific deadlines depending on scheme implementation policies.
- Can beneficiaries track application status for Women Scientist Scheme-B?
- Certain schemes may provide online application tracking, beneficiary verification systems, or status-check facilities through official portals.
- Where can users get help for Women Scientist Scheme-B in All India?
- Users in All India may seek assistance through CSC centres, district welfare offices, government departments, agriculture offices, social welfare departments, or authorised facilitation centres.
- Which nearby public services may help with Women Scientist Scheme-B applications?
- Depending on the scheme, users may require support from Aadhaar centres, CSC centres, banks, hospitals, post offices, or government welfare offices for document verification and application assistance.