2026-2027 Fulbright-Nehru Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

Applications submitted prior to February 18, 2026 will NOT BE considered.

The Postdoctoral Research Fellowships are designed for early-career faculty and researchers in India, offering an opportunity to enhance their research capabilities. Postdoctoral fellows will have access to some of the finest resources in their areas of interest and will help build long-term collaborative relationships with U.S. faculty and institutions. These fellowships are for eight to 12 months.

1. Critical Minerals and Supply Chains
4. Science and Research Collaboration
2. Defense and Security
5. Space Cooperation
3. Energy Security
6. Technology and Innovation

The applicant will be affiliated to one U.S. host institution. USIEF strongly recommends all applicants to indicate affiliation preference, and to correspond, in advance, with potential host institutions. If the applicant has secured a letter of invitation from a U.S. institution, they must include it as a part of the online application.

These fellowships provide J-1 visa support, a monthly stipend, Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges per U.S. Government guidelines, round-trip economy class air travel, a modest settling-in allowance, and a professional allowance. Subject to availability of funds, a dependent allowance and international travel may be provided for one accompanying eligible dependent provided the dependent is with the grantee in the U.S. for at least 80 per cent of the grant period.

In addition to the General Prerequisites

  • The applicant must have a Ph.D. or a D.M. degree within the past four years. They must have obtained Ph.D. degree between July 15, 2022 and July 14, 2026. The applicant is required to upload their Ph.D. or D.M. degree certificate/provisional on the online application;
  • The applicant must have a publication in a reputed journal. They must upload a recent significant publication (copy of paper/article) on the online application (not exceeding 30 pages); and
  • If applicant is employed, please follow the instructions carefully regarding employer’s endorsement. If applicable, obtain the endorsement from the appropriate administrative authority on the FNPostdoc Letter of Support from Home Institution. The employer must indicate that leave will be granted for the fellowship period. Candidates working under government-funded projects are also required to get endorsement from their affiliating institutions in India.
  • Employees of the Government of India and Indian State Governments are not eligible for any Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships. This includes civil servants in central services (such as IAS, IPS, IRS, IFS, and allied services), state government services (including state civil services), and bureaucratic staff employed in central and state ministries or departments. However, researchers, scientists, and academicians from CSIR, ICAR, ICGEB, DRDO, ISRO, ICMR, DBT institutions, DST laboratories, BARC, IISc, and IITs, as well as other centrally funded government institutions and universities, are eligible to apply.

Note: In the application, the applicant is required to indicate the period in which they can complete the proposed project in the United States. The applicant must determine grant duration carefully. Should they be selected for a grant, it will be for the period specified in their application. The duration cannot be changed.

  1. Applications must be submitted online at: https://apply.iie.org/fvsp2027
  2. Please carefully review the FNPostdoc Applicant Instructions before starting your online application
  3. Please refer to FNPostdoc Applicant Checklist before submitting the application
  4. In addition, you must complete and upload the FNPostdoc Applicant Annexure and FNPostdoc Letter of Support from Home Institution on your online application (if applicable).

Timeline and Placement Process

July 15, 2026 Application deadline
October 2026 Review of applications
November 2026 USIEF informs the applicants about the review outcome
End November 2026 Interviews of short-listed candidates
Early December 2026 USIEF notifies principal and alternate nominees
December 2026 USIEF forwards applications of recommended candidates to the U.S. for J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) approval and placement
April 2027 USIEF notifies the finalists about the FFSB approval
May/June 2027 Pre-Departure Orientation
August/September 2027 Program begins

For any queries contact: postdoc@usief.org.in

Application Deadline: July 15, 2026, 23:59:59 hrs (IST)

IMPORTANT:

  • You can apply for only ONE Fulbright-Nehru fellowship category during a competition cycle.
  • Plagiarism in the application will lead to disqualification.
  • Some U.S. universities and colleges have developed and published policies on the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) on applications for admission or affiliation with their institution. Some institutions may scan applications for the use of language produced by GenAI. While individual institutional policies range widely and policy responses from US universities will continue to evolve, copying language/content produced by GenAI directly into your application may negatively impact admission or affiliation decisions.
  • Incomplete applications will be rejected.
  • Extensions and Transfer of visa sponsorship will not be permitted.