SRFP

Summer Research Fellowship Program (SRFP)

Contributed by: Arkya Chatterjee (SRFP summer research fellow, 2017)

SRFP is a two-month summer fellowship/internship program conducted by the three National Science Academies - Indian Academies of Science (Bangalore), Indian National Science Academy (New Delhi), and The National Academy of Sciences, India (Allahabad).

Eligibility Criteria

While applying, students must be in their 2nd/3rd year (if BTech), or 2nd/3rd/4th year (if DD). The other requirement is that the minimum percentage in core subjects from tenth std. should be 65% or above.

Application Requirements

• Transcript
• Marksheets of tenth and twelfth std. examinations
• A letter of recommendation
• Statement of purpose (SoP) explaining motivation and research interests

Application details

You are required to choose a sub-discipline of the chosen field. For example, for Physics, a sub-discipline could be Condensed Matter Physics. A list of prospective guides, associated with various universities/research institutes throughout the country, for each field and sub-discipline is uploaded on the application portal at the time of application. You are required to list three choices for your preferred guide. As far as possible, the academies will try to assign you to a professor of your choice. Besides, you are required to list your past projects and write a short (250 words) write-up describing your motivation to work in your area of interest.

Timeline

Application deadline: 30th November.

Results are usually declared in February-March. Guides are assigned based on your preferences, listed in your application.

Scholarship Benefits

• Reimbursement of round-trip train fare
• Monthly stipend, enough to cover your living expenses. The exact amount varies year to year; it was ₹10,000 (pm) in 2016.
• If your internship is in Bangalore: The academies provide accommodation at their Guest House (located in Jalahalli), at an extremely affordable price. Daily shuttle service, to and from your designated institute, is also provided as part of this accommodation.

Personal Advice

It is not always guaranteed that you will be allotted a guide working in your preferred research area. Since a large number of institutes in India are affiliated to the Academies, and consequently most of the professors are invited to accept students via SRFP, it is a good idea to individually “app” to professors in your area of interest. In case they are interested in taking you, they will (most probably) be able to get you selected for funding via SRFP, which simplifies a lot of troubles for both you and your prospective guide.

Good Luck!