Scholarship
Paired Early Career Fellowship in Applied Research(PECFAR)
Overview
About PECFAR
The Paired Early Career Fellowship in Applied Research (PECFAR) is run by the Indo-German Science & Technology Centre (IGSTC), a body set up jointly by India's Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research. It funds short research visits between India and Germany for early-career researchers on both sides.
The fellowship works in pairs: one Indian and one German researcher form a team and submit a joint proposal. If selected, the pair travels to the partner country for a stay of one to two months so they can network, meet potential collaborators and test avenues for joint work in applied research across science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The support is composite, combining a monthly fellowship with travel and insurance costs for the visit.
PECFAR is aimed at working early-career researchers rather than students. On the Indian side, an applicant is expected to hold a regular position in academia, a research institution or industry, with a minimum qualification of a master's degree in science or a four-year bachelor's in engineering, and an upper age limit applies. Because the award is granted to an Indo-German pair, an Indian candidate needs a German counterpart to apply alongside.
Sources: DAAD scholarship database – IGSTC: Paired Early Career Fellowship in Applied Research (PECFAR) · Forschungszentrum Jülich – Paired Early Career Fellowship in Applied Research (PECFAR) 2025
Who runs it
Provider
Ministry Of Science And Technology
Central Government
Department Of Science & Technology · Indo-German Science & Technology Centre, Government Of India
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
| Early Career Researchers holding regular positions in academia/research institution/industry or holding long-term nationally recognized fellowships (4 years and above) will be eligible to apply. | |
| The applicant should possess the minimum qualification as “Masters in Science/Bachelor in Engineering (4 years)”. | |
| PhD Students/Post-docs affiliated with research institutions/industries may also apply. | |
| The upper age limit of the applicant should be 35 years. | |
| Note 01: The applicant with institutional affiliation shall submit a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Head of the Institution at the time of the application. | |
| Note 02: Applicants must define a detailed activity plan mentioning their objective, work plan, and expected outcomes for the duration of the fellowship. | |
| Note 03: The Pair must complete his/her visits within 12 months from the initiation of the PECFAR Award. | |
| Note 04: The time gap between the visits of the two Awardees should be less than 6 months. | |
| Note 05: Any change in the proposed date of travel should be intimated to IGSTC 45 days before the visit is planned. | |
| Note 06: The fellows will abide by the conduct, rules, and regulations of the Paired organization & the country. | |
| Note 07: IGSTC will not be responsible for violation of any Rules and regulations by him/her. | |
| Note 08: Each of the Awardees of the Pair must submit UC/SE along with the Fellowship visit report in the prescribed format at the end of their visits. | |
| Note 09: Within 4 weeks of completion of the Fellowship, the Awardees must submit a detailed consolidated Fellowship completion report endorsed by the host institutions in the prescribed format along with representative photos to IGSTC. The travel support for both the Awardees will be reimbursed after the Awardees complete both their visits. | |
| Note 10: The fellows must recognize and acknowledge the IGSTC fellowship in all online/print documents, communications, reports, publications, etc. on work resulting from the fellowship. |
What you get
Award & benefits
- The financial support shall be provided as a time grant and it will be limited to: Fellowship: € 2300 per month/fellow on a pro-rata basis.
- Single round trip economy class airfare including visa fees and medical/travel insurance approximately ₹1,00,000/- (for Indian fellow) and € 1500 (for German fellow).
- Note 1: IGSTC grant is only for covering monthly fellowship, round trip fare, visa, and travel/medical insurance.
- Note 2: A one-time grant will be provided to cover the travel, accommodation, and daily expenses.
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
PECFAR – 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.