CSIR Direct Senior Research Fellowship (SRF)

The CSIR Senior Research Fellowship is offered as the Direct SRF. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) runs it through its Human Resource Development Group. It funds full-time research training for Indian citizens, under faculty members or scientists at universities, laboratories and institutes. Each fellow gets Rs. 42,000 a month, plus a contingent grant of up to Rs. 20,000 a year.

Applications for the 2026 cycle closed on 17 September 2026. Applications were taken online from 18 August 2026 to 17 September 2026 through the CSIR-HRDG portal. The notice does not give a date for the next round, so read this page as a guide to the rules you will need to meet.

What you get

• Your monthly stipend is Rs. 42,000, paid for the fellowship tenure, ending on the date of your PhD viva-voce if that comes earlier.
• A contingent grant of up to Rs. 20,000 a year comes with the stipend. The grant is a maximum of Rs. 20,000 per annum.
• The fellowship runs for up to two years at first, or less if you have already used fellowship time. The SRF is tenable initially for a maximum of two years or depending upon the fellowship tenure already availed.
• The notice does not mention house rent allowance.
• There is no application fee.

Who can apply

• Nationality: Only Indian citizens are eligible for the award.
• Degree and marks: You need one of six routes. Each route has its own minimum marks.
  • An M.Sc., B.E. or B.Tech (or equivalent) with at least 55% marks, one paper in an SCI-indexed journal, and at least two years of research experience after the degree. The experience must be shown on the last date of application, from a fellowship or from the date you registered for PhD.
  • An M.Tech. or M.E. (or equivalent) in engineering or technology with at least 60% marks.
  • A B.E. or B.Tech (or equivalent) with at least 60% marks and two years of research experience as on the last date of application.
  • An MBBS or BDS (or equivalent) with at least 60% marks and a one-year internship.
  • A B.Pharm., B.V.Sc. or B.Sc. (Ag) with at least 55% marks, one SCI publication and three years of research experience.
  • An M.Pharm., M.V.Sc., M.Sc. (Ag) or M.Phil (or equivalent) with at least 55% marks, one SCI publication and one year of research experience.
• Age: The maximum age is 32 years as on the last date of application. The upper age limit is relaxable by five years for SC, ST, physically handicapped and women candidates, and by three years for OBC (non-creamy layer) applicants.
• Working people: Employed candidates may apply with an undertaking that they will resign before taking up the fellowship. The application will be rejected if the undertaking is not provided.

You cannot apply if any of these apply to you:

• You already hold a PhD, MD, MS or MDS, or have submitted a thesis for one. Such candidates are not eligible for the position of SRF.
• You have used, or will have used by 17 September 2026, five years of JRF or three years of SRF from any source. Such candidates need not apply.
• You have applied three times and were not called or selected. Such candidates need not apply again.

If you already hold an equivalent fellowship from a body such as DST, DBT, ICMR, UGC or ICAR, you may still apply. The total tenure, including the CSIR fellowship, must not exceed three years. You must say why you are applying, and the application is likely to be rejected if the reason is not given.

You apply under one subject code from Appendix I of the notice. The code should relate directly to your past education, experience and future area of study. No change of code is allowed after you submit the online application. For example, LIFE 12 covers biochemistry, biophysics, immunology, microbiology and physiology of living systems.

How to apply

1. Apply online only, at srfra.csirhrdg.res.in, within the application window.
2. Register on the portal before you apply. Use an email ID you check daily, because all further correspondence will be through email.
3. Log in, choose your subject code and fill in the form. List every period from your qualifying degree to the last date of application in column 19. An unaccounted period may lead to rejection.
4. Upload your documents in the formats listed below.
5. Save or submit the form within 40 minutes of filling it in, or your session will expire and you will have to log in again.
6. Only one application per candidate is accepted. No extension on the closing date is given.

Documents you need

• A photo (JPEG or JPG, 130×160 to 260×320 pixels, under 150 KB) and a signature (JPEG or JPG, 90×25 to 225×100 pixels, under 150 KB). These are the size rules for the photo and signature files.
• Date of birth proof.
• One combined file with your qualifying degree, any marks-to-percentage conversion certificate, and PhD registration, submission or award proof.
• A caste certificate and a PwD certificate, where they apply. Each is mandatory if applicable.
• An experience certificate that includes fellowship office orders. Employed candidates also upload a signed undertaking to leave the job if selected.
• One combined file with the declaration and undertaking, signed and stamped by you, your supervisor and the head of your institution, plus your research proposal. The format is available on the portal.
• One PDF with the first page of up to three of your best research papers, if you have them.
• Office orders supporting your research experience and proof of PhD registration must be attached. Otherwise the application will be rejected. No testimonial is accepted as proof of research experience.
• File rules: Documents must be PDFs under 400 KB. File names may use only letters, numbers, a hyphen or an underscore, with no spaces and one lowercase extension.

Keep originals ready for the interview and later, including your PhD registration, research experience office orders, acceptance letters for papers under publication, and any NET or GATE certificate.

How students are selected

Shortlisted candidates are interviewed by discipline-wise high-level expert committees, after the committees assess their academic record, experience, publications and proposed research. Meeting the essential qualifications does not by itself entitle you to an interview. SC and ST candidates called for interview get a single second-class rail or bus fare on proof of travel. Your application is processed on what you enter online, and if the details do not match your originals at verification, you may not be allowed to attend the interview. The interview date will not be changed at a candidate’s request.

Renewal

• The term can be extended by one year, based on an assessment of progress by a three-member committee.
• The combined tenure of JRF and SRF cannot exceed five years.
• The SRF ends on the date of the PhD viva voce or at the end of tenure, whichever is earlier.

The notice does not describe a separate renewal form.

Important dates

• Advertisement date: 14 August 2026 (Advertisement No. 2026/DirectSRF/1).
• Online applications: 18 August 2026 to 17 September 2026.
• Last date: 17 September 2026. The 2026 window is closed.
• Interview dates: the notice does not publish them.