The Scheduled Tribe Research Fellowship (STRF) supports Scheduled Tribe students who are doing a Ph.D. in Maharashtra. The Tribal Research and Training Institute (TRTI), Pune, invites online applications for the fellowship for Scheduled Tribe Ph.D. candidates.
TRTI is an autonomous institute under the Tribal Development Department of the Government of Maharashtra, established in May, 1962. To apply, you must be a Maharashtra resident, belong to a tribe on the state’s ST list, and hold a caste validity certificate when you apply.
What you get
Selected scholars receive Rs. 31,000 every month. The fellowship also includes a contingency grant of Rs. 25,000 a year, and candidates with disabilities get a Rs. 2,000 support grant. The portal page gives these amounts without naming a year, so check the latest notice before you plan your budget.
| Benefit | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly fellowship | Rs. 31,000 a month |
| Contingency grant | Rs. 25,000 a year |
| Support grant for candidates with disabilities | Rs. 2,000 |
Who can apply
- You must be a resident of Maharashtra.
- Your tribe must be on the Scheduled Tribe list for Maharashtra.
- You must hold an ST caste validity certificate when you apply.
- The maximum age for this benefit is 45 years.
- You must be a Ph.D. candidate. Your research must be full time, under an approved guide, on the subject approved by your university or institution.
- The official pages do not publish a family income limit, minimum marks or other exclusions.
How to apply
Apply on the TRTI fellowship portal at fellowship.trti-maha.in. The portal lists these steps:
- Create a login on the portal, or sign in if you already have one.
- Fill in the application form.
- Wait for selection by the administrator.
- Upload your Ph.D. joining letter.
- Receive your fellowship.
Documents you need
- An ST caste validity certificate, which must be in hand when you apply.
- Your Ph.D. joining letter, uploaded at step 4 of the portal process.
- An Aadhaar-linked savings bank account. The fellowship amount is deposited directly into an Aadhaar-linked savings bank account.
The official pages do not publish a full document list. Check with TRTI before you apply if you are unsure about anything else.
How students are selected
The administrator selects candidates from the online applications. The award letter is provisional and subject to verification of the documents you submit. Your entitlement runs from the date of the fellowship award letter issued by TRTI.
The portal has posted lists of eligible candidates, incomplete applications and selected candidates. For 2023-24, the first selected list was published on 04-Jul-2024 and the second on 13-Aug-2024. The official pages do not give the selection criteria, the number of awards or a merit cut-off.
Renewal
Your fellowship depends on your progress. Keep these rules in mind:
- Submit a detailed status report on your research every six months, in TRTI’s format.
- Payments are subject to TRTI’s evaluation of your progress and entitlement.
- The last six months of the fellowship are paid only after you submit your research thesis.
- You cannot ask for an extension beyond your Ph.D. tenure or thesis submission date, or for back payments.
- Attend the workshops and seminars that TRTI organizes during the fellowship.
- If the fellowship is discontinued or surrendered, you must refund the entire amount TRTI spent on you.
The official pages I could read do not describe a separate renewal application form.
Important dates
- 31 July 2026: TRTI published the notice inviting applications for STRF-2025. The notice does not say whether it covers the 2026-27 session.
- The last date for STRF-2025 is not in the pages I could read. Check the portal before you apply.
- For 2023-24, the deadline for fellowship applications was extended to 31 May 2024 at 6 PM.
- A 2024-25 undertaking form refers to the STRF-2024-25 fellowship.
Official sources
Checked against these official sources on 5 November 2026.
