Scholarship
Overseas Visiting Doctoral Fellowship(OVDF)
Overview
About OVDF
The Overseas Visiting Doctoral Fellowship (OVDF) is a research-training fellowship of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. It was administered through the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body set up under the department; since 2023 SERB's schemes have moved to its successor, the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). The fellowship places doctoral students already enrolled at Indian institutions in universities and research institutions abroad for a fixed research stint.
The stated purpose is to build national capacity in frontier areas of science and engineering that are of interest to India. By working in well-regarded overseas laboratories, fellows gain access to advanced facilities and international collaboration, and they are expected to bring that training back into Indian doctoral programmes.
OVDF is aimed at Indian nationals who are registered full-time PhD students at recognised Indian institutions, across science and engineering disciplines including medicine, pharmacy and agriculture. It is not open to part-time, sponsored or thesis-submitted candidates. The overseas research training runs for up to twelve months.
The benefit is a composite one: a monthly fellowship for the period abroad, a one-time preparatory allowance towards visa and travel, and economy return airfare to the host institution. Exact figures and the full eligibility conditions are published in the official OVDF scheme guidelines.
Sources: Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) – Overseas Visiting Doctoral Fellowship (OVDF) · Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology · Science and Engineering Research Board – Wikipedia
Who runs it
Provider
Ministry Of Science And Technology
Central Government
Department Of Science & Technology · Science And Engineering Research Board, Government Of India
At a glance
Key details
| Level | Central |
| Scheme type | Central Sector Scheme |
| Category | Science, IT & Communications |
| Beneficiaries | Individual |
| Benefit type | Composite |
| Application mode | Offline |
Calendar
Important dates
Across all open application cycles.
| Cycle | Stage | Date |
|---|
Who can apply
Eligibility criteria
| The scheme is open to Indian nationals only. | |
| The applicant should have registered for a full-time Ph.D. Degree in any of the recognized Institutions / Universities in India in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (including Medicine, Pharma, Agriculture, and related S&T areas) disciplines. | |
| Part-time and sponsored students are not considered under the scheme. | |
| The students who have submitted their thesis for the award of the Degree of Ph.D. are not eligible to apply. | |
| Note 01: The selected fellows while taking up the SERB overseas fellowship should not draw their regular research fellowship in India. | |
| Note 02: The exchange visit of the supervisors should be during the tenure of the Ph.D. work of the applicant. Both supervisors should ensure a residency period of at least two weeks and not exceeding 30 days in their respective foreign institutes. | |
| Note 03: The Indian Institution should ensure the availability of necessary facilities including scientific equipment, infrastructure, research personnel, etc. for facilitating the visit of overseas scientists for undertaking collaborative research. The institution should also extend all necessary administrative support to the proposed work. | |
| Note 04: Purdue faculty may support only one OVDF application per call. |
What you get
Award & benefits
- The selected fellows will be paid a monthly fellowship amount equivalent to US $ 2000, one-time Contingency/Preparatory allowances of ₹60,000/- to cover visa fees, airport transfer charges, medical insurance, etc.
- The selected fellows will also be provided the shortest route economy class airfare from their place of work in India to the place of the host institute and back. Students should make their own arrangements for accommodation etc.
- One visit, each by the Indian supervisor to the Overseas Institution where the student is working and overseas faculty to the host Indian Institution of the student is also admissible under the Scheme. The following provisions are made for them to undertake research visits:
- Travel: Both the Indian supervisor and overseas scientist will be provided the shortest route round-trip economy class airfare not exceeding ₹1.5 lakhs per round trip from their place of work to the city of the host institute and back. Any additional cost would have to be borne by the visitors.
- Per-diem (Subsistence Allowance): Indian Supervisors to Overseas CountryOverseas host to IndiaOverseas host to IndiaUp to 14 days>14 and up to 30 daysUS $ 75 per day up to 30 days₹3000/- per day₹2000/- per day
- Accommodation: Indian Supervisors to Overseas CountryIndian supervisors to Overseas CountryOverseas host to IndiaOverseas host to IndiaUp to 14 days>14 and up to 30 daysUp to 14 days>14 and up to 30 daysUS $ 150 per dayUS $ 100 per day₹4500/- per day₹3000/- per day
- Contingencies and related travel costs: Allowance of US $ 250 per visit is provided to both Indian Supervisor and Overseas host to cover the expenditure incurred towards visa fees, travel / medical insurance, airport transfers, and other contingencies.
- Note: For scientists/researchers in regular employment, rules governing payment of salary, leave, medical, gratuity, GPF pension, etc. of the organization/ institution/ university to which the faculty belongs would continue to be applicable. No liability on any of these accounts will be borne by SERB.
What to prepare
Documents required
Step by step
How to apply
- 1Apply offline
See the official links below for the application portal.
Source
Official links
Questions
OVDF – 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.