Scholarship
Junior Research Fellowship In Engineering & Technology(JRFST)
Overview
About JRFST
The Junior Research Fellowship in Engineering & Technology is a research fellowship from the University Grants Commission (UGC), the higher-education body under the Ministry of Education's Department of Higher Education. It supports candidates who want to pursue research leading to a Ph.D. in engineering and technology.
UGC set up this route because neither it nor the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research conducts a National Eligibility Test in engineering and technology. In place of a written qualifying exam, the Commission selects fellows through a direct interview held once a year, advertised in leading newspapers and through the Association of Indian Universities. The award covers advanced study and research in engineering and technology, including agricultural engineering, leading to a doctorate.
The benefit is a composite one. A selected fellow draws a monthly fellowship together with an annual contingency grant, house rent allowance where hostel accommodation is not provided, and departmental assistance paid to the host institution; candidates with a disability are eligible for reader or escort assistance. The tenure begins as a Junior Research Fellowship and, on a satisfactory review of the work, continues as a Senior Research Fellowship, up to a combined five years or until the Ph.D. is awarded, whichever comes first.
It is meant for postgraduates in engineering and allied fields, holders of an M.E. or M.Tech. degree, with a master's in pharmacy also accepted. GATE is not required for this fellowship. A share of the places is reserved for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates.
Sources: University Grants Commission – Guidelines for Junior Research Fellowship in Engineering & Technology (PDF) · YouthPower – Junior Research Fellowship in Engineering & Technology (JRFST)
Who runs it
Provider
Ministry of Education
Central Government
University Grants Commission · University Grants Commission (UGC)
At a glance
Key details
| Level | Central |
| Scheme type | Central Sector Scheme |
| Category | Education & Learning, Science, IT & Communications |
| Beneficiaries | Individual |
| Benefit type | Composite |
| Application mode | Online |
Calendar
Important dates
Across all open application cycles.
| Cycle | Stage | Date |
|---|
Who can apply
Eligibility criteria
| All Minimum qualifications are a master's degree in engineering/technology/pharmacy, with 55 percent marks. | |
| GATE is not a mandatory condition for getting a research fellowship to pursue Ph.D. | |
| Candidates need to hold an M.E./M.Tech. degree. | |
| The age limit is 40 years as on 1 July of the year of the award, extendable by five years for women and SC/ST candidates. | |
| A total of 22.5 percent of the fellowships are reserved for candidates belonging to SC/ST who fulfill the requisite qualifications laid down for the award. In case of the non-availability of SC/ST candidates, these slots will be made available to general candidates. |
Who cannot apply
Exclusions
- CANCELLATION OF AWARD
- The fellowship is liable to cancellation, in the case of: Unsatisfactory progress of research work Failure in any of the examinations related to Ph.D.
- Candidate found ineligible later.
What you get
Award & benefits
- NATURE OF ASSISTANCE
- The tenure of the fellowship is initially for a period of two years as a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF).
- After the expiry of two years the work of the fellow will be evaluated by experts and if found satisfactory, his/her tenure will be extended for a further period of three years with enhanced emoluments as a Senior Research Fellowship (SRF).
- In case the work of the fellow for the first two years is not found satisfactory, one more year will be given to him/her for improvement, but during this period he/she will be designated as a Junior Research Fellow. In such cases work will again be evaluated after three years, and if the improvement is found, the fellow will get two more years under the SRF.
- Thus, the total period of fellowship (JRF and SRF) is five years, which is non-extendable. The awardee can avail research fellowship for the full tenure of the fellowship or up to the date of award of the Ph.D. degree, whichever is earlier.
- The assistance available under the scheme is: Fellowship @ Rs. 14,000/- p.m. for the initial two years, @ Rs.15,000/- for the remaining period
- Contingency @ Rs.12,000/- p.a. for the initial two years, @Rs.25,000/- p.a. for the remaining period
- Departmental Assistance @ Rs. 3,000/- p.a. per student to the host institute for providing, infrastructure to the researcher
- Escorts/Reader Assistance @Rs.2,000/- p.m. in cases of physically handicapped and blind candidates
- HRA As per the rule of the concerned institution
- House Rent Allowance: Suitable single-seated hostel accommodation in the institutions may be provided to the Fellow, failing which HRA as per rules of the university/institution
- will be paid, subject to the submission of the HRA certificate through the registrar/principal. Research Fellows provided with accommodation in hostels recognized/maintained by the institutions may be reimbursed the hostel fee, excluding mess, electricity and water charges, etc. A certificate to this effect is to be furnished through the registrar/principal (Annexure I). If the Fellow makes his/her own arrangements of accommodation, he/she may be entitled to draw HRA as per the categorization of cities by the Government of India. The Fellow will submit a certificate to UGC for claiming HRA through the concerned university/institution/college.
- Medical: No separate/fixed medical assistance is provided. However, the fellow may avail the medical facilities available in the institution/university.
- Leave: Research Fellows are entitled to a maximum period of 30 days leave in a year in addition to public holidays. They are not entitled to any other leave, for example, summer, winter, pooja vacations, etc. Women candidates are eligible for maternity leave of 135 days at full rates of fellowship once during the tenure of their award.
- Note-1: The Research Fellow, in special cases, may be allowed by the Commission, to leave without fellowship for up to one academic year during the entire tenure of the award for accepting teaching assignments on a temporary basis, provided the assignment is in the same city/town.
- Note-2: In other cases, leave without fellowship will be restricted to a period not exceeding three months during the tenure of the award on the recommendations of the supervisor and the head of the institution.
- Note-3: The period of leave without fellowship will be counted towards the total tenure of the fellowship.
- Note-4: Fellows are advised to apply for leave through their university/institution/college well in advance for the approval of the Commission.
What to prepare
Documents required
Step by step
How to apply
- 1Apply online
See the official links below for the application portal.
Source
Official links
Questions
JRFST – FAQ
Disclaimer
Scheme details are compiled from myScheme, the Government of India’s official scheme-discovery platform, and are reproduced without alteration. Amounts, deadlines and eligibility change between cycles — always confirm on the official links above before applying. Expertie does not process applications or charge fees.