Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships 2027-2028

The Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships are for Indian scholars registered for a PhD at an Indian institution who need to conduct essential dissertation research in the United States.

United States-India Educational Foundation lists this opportunity for Indian PhD students, Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, India / United States. Applicants should use the official call page to confirm final requirements before submitting.

Applicants must be registered for a PhD at an Indian institution on or before 1 November 2025.

The fellowship is pre-doctoral; applicants with PhD degrees or at the final stage of thesis submission are not considered.

Applicants must justify the need for U.S.-based research and identify a U.S. host institution. Government of India and Indian State Government employees are not eligible, while researchers and academicians from specified public research institutions and universities may apply.

Selected scholars conduct research, audit non-degree courses, and gain practical experience at U.S. academic institutions for six to nine months.

Priority fields include critical minerals and supply chains, defense and security, energy security, science and research collaboration, space cooperation, and technology and innovation.

The fellowship provides J-1 visa support, a monthly stipend, accident and sickness coverage under U.S. Government guidelines, round-trip economy class travel, applicable allowances, and modest affiliation fees where applicable.

Application deadline: Application deadline: Jul 1, 2026.

Confirm the exact deadline time, time zone, and submission route on the official call page.

Plan internal approvals, partner confirmations, budgets, letters, and portal submission before the final deadline.

Submit the online application through the Fulbright application system linked from the official USIEF page by 1 July 2026 at 23:59:59 IST.

Before submitting, check required documents, eligible costs, attachments, page limits, institutional approvals, and whether the opportunity uses an expression of interest, full proposal, registration, or nomination stage.