A major opportunity for PhD candidates: a fellowship of up to ₹70,000 and an innovation grant of ₹10 lakh..

There is good news for students preparing to pursue a PhD. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has approved a new fellowship scheme designed to link research with the industry and startups. Under this program, selected researchers will receive financial assistance for five years. They will receive a monthly fellowship of ₹60,000 for the first three years and ₹70,000 for the subsequent two years. Additionally, House Rent Allowance (HRA) and a separate grant of up to ₹10 lakh for innovation-related activities will be provided. The scheme makes provision for a total of 150 PhD fellowships.

**Fellowship for Five Years**
The objective of AICTE’s 'Innovation and Entrepreneurship Doctoral Fellowship' scheme is to promote research that can be applied to solve real-life problems. A budget of ₹245 crore has been allocated for this five-year program.

Students selected under the scheme will receive ₹60,000 per month for the first three years and ₹70,000 per month during the fourth and fifth years. HRA will also be provided in accordance with the rules. Each researcher may also receive an innovation grant of up to ₹10 lakh for activities such as prototype development, testing, field trials, and data collection during the research period.

**Opportunity to Work with Industry and Startups**
A key feature of this fellowship is that researchers will have the opportunity to collaborate with industries, startups, research institutions, and incubators. They will also be given the option to gain industrial experience for a period of six to 12 months. During this time, students will be able to engage in activities such as research and development, prototype creation, testing, and verification.

The scheme emphasizes promoting multidisciplinary research across both technical and non-technical fields. There will be a focus on patents, prototypes, technology transfer, startups, and new products ready for market application.

**Institutions Offering the Program**
Colleges ranked among the top 150 by NIRF, 'Institutes of Eminence,' and institutions with adequate research facilities will be eligible to offer PhD programs under this scheme. AICTE aims to link research with employment, industry, and entrepreneurship. This will provide students with practical experience alongside their studies and increase opportunities to translate their research into real-world applications.

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