If you are a woman researcher looking to enhance your career in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), starting February 1st 2025 applications will be open for the Women Involvement in Science and Engineering Research (WISER) program. This initiative, organized by the Indo-German Science & Technology Centre (IGSTC), supports women researchers in India and Germany by enabling them to collaborate on ongoing R&D projects without the need for a fresh project grant.
WISER Programme Summary
Location: India and Germany
Host Institution: Indo-German Science & Technology Centre (IGSTC)
Target Group: Women researchers in academia, research institutes, or industry
Academic Level: Applicable to early and mid-career researchers; no academic degree requirement specified
Research Fields: Open to all areas of STEM
Funding: Up to ₹39 lakhs (Indian awardees) or €48,000 (German awardees) over three years
Duration: Up to 3 years
Applications Open: February 1, 2025
Application Deadline: March 31, 2025
Start Date: Within 12 months of receiving the award letter
Eligible To: Women researchers in India and Germany holding regular or long-term research positions
Programme Overview
The WISER program aims to promote, retain, and empower women researchers in STEM fields by fostering collaborations between India and Germany. The initiative facilitates networking, long-term research partnerships, and the addition of new research components to ongoing projects. Researchers are expected to identify a host project in the partner country and secure endorsement from the host project investigator (PI).
Programme Structure and Activities
Participants can expect:
Join an ongoing R&D project in India or Germany.
Add value to the host project by contributing their expertise and advancing research objectives.
Make short research visits (up to one month per year) to the partner country for collaborative work.
Receive mentorship and engage in networking opportunities to build their professional capacity.
Areas of Research
The WISER program is open to all areas within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Researchers from diverse disciplines, including but not limited to:
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Renewable Energy and Sustainability
Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences
Materials Science and Nanotechnology
Robotics and Automation
Environmental Science and Climate Change
Computational Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
Award Value and Financial Arrangements
1. Financial Support for Indian Awardees:
Travel, visa, and insurance costs up to ₹1 lakh per visit.
Project costs up to ₹12 lakhs/year, including consumables, contingency, and research staff.
Per diem of €2300/month during research stays in Germany.
2. Financial Support for German Awardees:
Travel, visa, and insurance costs up to €1500 per visit.
Project costs up to €14,500/year, including consumables and contingency.
Per diem of €2300/month during research stays in India.
Other Benefits:
Funding for basic project requirements.
Opportunity to collaborate on high-impact research projects.
Strengthened Indo-German partnerships in STEM research.
WISER Programme Eligibility Criteria
Citizenship: Women researchers holding citizenship in either India or Germany.
Research Position: Applicants must hold a regular or long-term research position in academia, research institutes, or industry in India or Germany.
Age: No age limit applies; preference is given to early and mid-career researchers.
Host Project: Applicants must identify and secure endorsement from a host project in the partner country.
NOC: A No Objection Certificate (NOC) or endorsement letter from the applicant's institution is required.
Programme Requirements/Conditions
The applicant must be working either in India or Germany.
The collaborating pair will consist of an Indian and a German women Principal Investigator (PI) who will submit separate proposals seeking WISER support.
The tenure of the grant will be for a period of 3 years. The grant will cover one visit per year for a short stay up to 1 month in the host country (India/Germany).
Awardees can plan their visits to the host country (India/Germany) accordingly.
The awardee shall commence her visit within 12 months from the date of the award letter.
The awardee will abide by the conduct, rules & regulations of the host and the host country. IGSTC will not be responsible for violation of any Rules & Regulations by the awardee.
The awardee and host must intimate IGSTC through email/letter in case of discontinuation by the awardee.
The awardee must recognise and acknowledge IGSTC in all online/print documents, communications, reports, publications, conferences, theses, etc. on work emanating from the grant
Application Procedure
Applications the Women Involvement in Science and Engineering Research (WISER) program are usually accepted throughout the year, with current cut-off date for submission set on March 31, 2025. To apply, follow below steps:
1. Online Submission:
Application must be submitted online via the “Application Portal” separately by each member of the collaborating pair.
Interested qualified candidates can submit their applications by Completing the online application on the IGSTC portal.
2. Required Documents:
Completed online application form
Endorsement letter from the host Principal Investigator (PI) in the partner country
NOC or endorsement letter from the head of the applicant’s institution
Detailed project role, objectives, execution strategy, and expected outcomes.
3. Evaluation:
Applications are reviewed by a Joint Committee based on merit, feasibility, relevance to STEM, and potential outcomes.
4. Key Dates:
Applications Open: February 1, 2025
Application Deadline: March 31, 2025
Additional Information
For detailed information about the WISER Programme, visit the Basic Guidelines & FAQ.
📂 Download WISER Application Sample [PDF]
ℹ️ For queries, contact [wiser@igstc.org] or call +91-011-26543500.
🔗 OFFICIAL CALL LINK
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