The Environment Ministry will launch post-doctoral research fellowships in the memory of former President late APJ Abdul Kalam to nurture young scientists working in the fields of environment and ecology.
The programme will be announced on the occasion of Kalam’s 85th birth anniversary. This scholarship is for scientists preferably below 35 years of age. The duration of this fellowship is for three years which includes a monthly fellowship, equivalent to that of a research associate, together with an annual research contingency grant of Rs 1.5 lakh. The post-doctoral fellowship will also be entitled to house rent allowance and other benefits as per the Ministry’s guidelines applicable for research associates.
The eligible applicants need to have completed their PhD or about to complete their doctorate on issues related to environment and ecology.
According to sources in the Ministry, the main objective of the new fellowship programme is to nurture environment scientists for undertaking good quality scientific research under the mentorship of established scientists of the country.
The Ministry will soon advertise on the fellowship to invite applications and the guidelines for the programme. This will be uploaded on the Ministry’s website. It proposes to constitute a committee of experts headed by RA Mashelkar for selection of fellows.
Sources said that the fellowship is in keeping with the spirit of Kalam the person. He was people’s President, had an abiding trust and faith in the abilities of the youth of the country to transform India into a global power.