Photo: S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences Archive (Public domain)
The Central Government’s J.C. Bose Fellowship honours senior scientists in India for outstanding research. The fellowship was given by the SERB and now comes under the ANRF. Important change: from 2026, the scheme has become the ANRF J.C. Bose Grant. The old fellowship paid ₹25,000 a month plus a ₹15 lakh yearly research grant; the new grant pays no monthly fellowship, but a ₹25 lakh yearly research grant.
How much money is given
Under the new ANRF J.C. Bose Grant (from 2026), a research grant of ₹25 lakh every year is given, and the host institution gets ₹1 lakh a year as overhead. No separate ₹25,000 monthly fellowship is paid — the full amount is for research. The grant lasts for 5 years. Under the old J.C. Bose Fellowship, ₹25,000 a month was paid in addition to regular income, along with a ₹15 lakh yearly research grant and ₹1 lakh yearly overhead. The old fellowship also lasted 5 years, or up to age 68. The new grant removed the monthly amount and raised the research grant from ₹15 lakh to ₹25 lakh a year — up to ₹1.25 crore over 5 years.
Who can apply
The J.C. Bose honour is given to active scientists for outstanding performance. The scientist should have won the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize or be a fellow of a science academy. The scientist must be in service at the time of nomination in India. The nominee must be an Indian national and must not be receiving any other fellowship from any government source. The old fellowship could be held up to 68 years of age. For the new ANRF Grant (2026), the applicant must be between 45 and 65 years of age and hold a professor-level position in a recognised institution. The honour is very selective — nominations are sought from heads of institutions, J.C. Bose Fellows and academy presidents.
How to apply
Applications are made online — on serbonline.in for the old fellowship and on the ANRF portal for the new grant. The nomination is sent by the head of the institution — the scientist does not apply directly. The 2026 call for the new grant was open from 1 January to 10 February 2026 and is now closed — check the next cycle dates on the ANRF portal. Never pay anyone for applying. Note: ₹25,000 a month plus a ₹15 lakh grant is the old fellowship — new applications follow the 2026 grant rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How much money is given under the J.C. Bose Grant? A: Under the new ANRF Grant, a ₹25 lakh yearly research grant and ₹1 lakh yearly overhead are given; there is no monthly fellowship.
Q2: How much did the old fellowship pay? A: ₹25,000 a month in addition to regular income, plus a ₹15 lakh yearly research grant and ₹1 lakh yearly overhead.
Q3: Who can apply? A: Active senior scientists with a Bhatnagar Prize or academy fellowship; the new grant needs age 45–65 years and a professor-level post.
Q4: Where do I apply? A: Online on the ANRF portal, through a nomination by the head of the institution; the 2026 cycle closed on 10 February 2026.
Useful links
- ANRF Online Portal: https://anrfonline.in/
- J.C. Bose Fellowship on MyScheme: https://www.myscheme.gov.in/schemes/jcbs
- Also see the National Post-Doctoral Fellowship: https://www.viksitharyana.com/english/central-government-national-post-doctoral-fellowship-haryana/
- Next Action: see all 726 Central Government schemes — https://www.viksitharyana.com/english/kendra-sarkar-ki-yojnayen-2/
