Brain Gain? 75 Indian diaspora scientists to receive fellowship in India

To get the intellectual asset back in the nation, the centre has launched the ₹80 cr Vaishvik Bharatiya Vaigyanik (Vaibhav fellowship) for nearly 75 Indian diaspora scientists across the world.

Recently, the department of science and technology (DST) announced the results of the first batch of Vaibhav fellowships in the presence of the union minister of state science and technology and the secretary of the department.

“We received about 302 proposals when we made the first call last year, out of which 22 proposals have been shortlisted from 18 different fields and will be given the award letters soon,” says Dr Charu Agarwal of DST. 

The fellowship of 22 candidates is likely to start in April 2024. The applications for the second batch of fellowships will be analysed until Mar 15, 2024.

The apex committee reviewed these recommendations, and 22 Vaibhav fellows and 2 distinguished fellows were recommended. The fellowships can collaborate with Indian institutions and may last up to two months in a year, for a maximum of three years. 

Scientists from nations including the US, Sweden, Canada, Norway, Australia, Singapore, Japan, and Britain have shown interest in the fellowship. However, most of the applications have been received from the US and Canada.

What is Vaibhav fellowship?

The Vaibhav fellowship envisages a collaboration between scientists of the Indian diaspora and Indian higher educational institutions (HEIs), universities, and/or public-funded scientific institutions for five years. 

The fellowship would include a grant of ₹4 lakh per month ($4,800), international and domestic travel, accommodation, and contingencies. 

The fellowship is open to all areas, including science, technology, engineering, mathematics, medicine (STEMM), artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and data science.

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