Social Science Research Council

When will I know about the decision? When can I start the fellowship?
The selection committee meets in late August to make the final decision about fellowship awards. Those selected will be notified in the next few weeks, by the first week of October. If awarded a fellowship, the earliest one can begin is January of the following year.

How are selection decisions made? Who is the selection committee?
Fellows are selected through a rigorous process by an international panel of leading scholars in the field. A strict conflict of interest procedure is followed, which prevents selection committee members from participating in any decision that bears upon persons they may know in a personal capacity, and bars them from discussing applicants from their own university, even if they do not know them personally. A new panel of experts is appointed annually by the South Asia Regional Advisory Panel of the Social Science Research Council. For obvious reasons, we do not identify members of the selection committee until after the selection process is completed and the fellows have been notified.

How much is the fellowship amount? Is this amount negotiable? Is it taxable?
Fellowship amount will range from USD 2,200 to 3,000 and will be determined by the selection committee. These amounts cannot be increased in any way. Tax rules vary from country to country. While in most South Asian countries scholarly fellowships are not taxable, fellows are responsible for determining their tax liability, if any.

Can I use the fellowship funds to purchase equipment and books?
The fellowship is primarily intended as salary replacement or supplement while a fellow is on leave from his/her college or university. However, if you would like to use this amount to purchase research related equipment such as a computer or books, you are entitled to do so.

Am I permitted to draw my official salary while I hold this fellowship?
Depending on the rules of the institution to which you belong, this may be possible. Applicants who intend to use 'earned leave' may be able to draw a salary from their institution while holding the fellowship. If you intend to apply for extraordinary leave, which is usually granted without pay, you may have to give up your official salary while holding this fellowship. Under no circumstances, however, are fellows allowed to hold more than one fellowship at a time.

Am I permitted to engage in consultancy work or take on private work for remuneration while holding this fellowship?
One of the conditions of accepting this fellowship is that you must agree not to engage in any consultancy work or take on new projects while a fellow of this program.

I would like support to begin a new research project. Am I eligible?
The primary purpose of the fellowship is to encourage the publication of already completed research. Applicants proposing new research projects or who seek to collect more data for ongoing projects will be accepted but given lower priority.

Is official leave required for the entire period of fellowship?
Candidates are required to obtain official sanctioned leave for the entire period of the fellowship. Under exceptional circumstances, this condition may be waived. Waiver decisions will be taken on a case-by-case basis.

Can I undertake research for the fellowship during university vacations? Can I break my fellowship period up into two or three parts?
A fellow may take up the fellowship during the university vacation period, provided the vacation period covers the entire proposed period of research. Fellows are not permitted to break up the fellowship in any way or hold it over a discontinuous period of time. Regardless of the period during which the fellowship is held, an officially sanctioned leave letter is required in all cases.

I am a college/university faculty member holding a Ph.D. but not involved in full time teaching, can I apply? I am a full time research faculty with a nationally accredited research institute—am I eligible to apply?
Eligibility is restricted to full time teaching faculty in the social sciences, humanities and related fields. Positions that are essentially advisory, administrative or purely research oriented are excluded, whether in universities/colleges or research institutions. Faculties who are not teaching presently are ineligible to apply.

If I have completed all the requirements for my Ph.D., have a provisional Ph.D. certificate, and fulfill all other conditions, am I eligible to apply?
Applicants with certified and attested copies of provisional Ph.D. certificates are eligible.

Can I relocate either overseas or regionally for the period of my fellowship tenure for data collection or for research affiliation?
Relocating overseas for data collection is not permitted. We also do not encourage fellows to relocate within the region for affiliation. In exceptional circumstance, fellows may be allowed to affiliate outside their country but within South Asia. However, there will be no additional grants for relocation.

Am I permitted to affiliate with a research center within my University/College but in another department?
This fellowship program seeks also to encourage cross-fertilization of scholars between universities and independent research institutions, therefore, such affiliations, even if belonging to another department, are not encouraged. However, under exceptional circumstances, such an affiliation may be permitted. Decisions will be taken on a case-by-case basis.

FOR ANSWERS TO OTHER QUESTIONS OR FOR ANY CLARIFICATION, PLEASE CONTACT: sur@ssrc.org.