The Prime Minister Research Chair (PMRC) Scheme is a Central Sector Scheme under the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India. It is designed to attract and engage leading Indian-origin researchers, scientists, and professionals from abroad and place them at premier government higher education institutions and national research laboratories in India to undertake cutting-edge research.

The scheme is anchored on three core pillars — Lead Institutions, Host Institutions, and PMRC Fellows — and will be operationalised through India's leading government (Central and State) Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), National Laboratories, and Research Institutes. These shall be identified by an Empowered Committee chaired by the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India.

The PMRC Scheme is operationalised through three interconnected pillars:

• Lead Institutions: One Lead Institution is designated per thematic area. They provide strategic direction, coherence, and quality assurance across the PMRC ecosystem — ensuring research is mission-aligned, non-fragmented, and nationally impactful. They also evaluate the readiness and suitability of prospective Host Institutions within their respective thematic areas.
• Host Institutions: Premier government HEIs and national laboratories that provide infrastructure, research facilities, and institutional support to PMRC Fellows.
• PMRC Fellows: Distinguished Indian-origin researchers and professionals who conduct high-impact research at Host Institutions across identified priority sectors.

Eligible Host Institutions must fall under one of the following categories:

• Government HEIs ranked in the Top 100 in NIRF Overall category
• Government HEIs ranked in the Top 100 in NIRF Engineering category
• Government HEIs ranked in the Top 50 in NIRF Research category
• National laboratories and research institutions under DBT, DST, ICMR, CSIR, among others

Participating Host Institutions are expected to extend in-kind contributions including access to laboratories, libraries, research facilities, instrumentation, computational resources, collaborative academic environment, and publication and institutional support. Open-access publication charges and patenting costs arising from jointly produced RDI outputs may also be covered by the Host Institution.

Over the five-year period (2026–27 to 2030–31), the scheme envisions engaging at least 120 distinguished researchers, scientists, and professionals across three categories:

The PMRC Scheme supports Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) activities in the following 13 priority thematic areas, plus one open category:

The scheme provides comprehensive financial support across all categories. Below is the unit cost breakdown (in INR Crore):

For Host Institutions:

• Eligible government HEIs (Top 100 NIRF Overall, Top 100 NIRF Engineering, Top 50 NIRF Research)
• Identified national laboratories and research institutions under DBT, DST, ICMR, CSIR, among others
• Institutions can submit multiple project proposals across different thematic areas via the official PMRC portal
• Funding is received from the Department of Higher Education and disbursed to Fellows and their research activities as per approved scheme pattern
• Institutions may also assist Fellows in accessing other existing schemes such as the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF)

For Fellows:

• Indian-origin researchers/scientists/professionals — Indian nationals, Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), or Persons of Indian Origin (PIO)
• Currently working at leading foreign HEIs, research laboratories, research institutions, reputed companies, or other industries
• The fellowship is in-person — Fellows must work physically at Host Institutions
• Maximum tenure of 5 years, subject to performance
• Must demonstrate distinguished track record through publications, patents, awards, citations, or other internationally recognised indicators of excellence
• Must be willing to commit to research, teaching, and mentorship responsibilities during the engagement period

Selected PMRC Fellows will be expected to:

• Conduct original, high-impact research in identified priority sectors in collaboration with the Host Institution
• Teach and co-design courses, contributing to curriculum enrichment
• Mentor doctoral, postdoctoral, postgraduate students, and junior researchers
• Facilitate international collaborations, publications, and co-funded R&D projects
• Engage with industry partners to promote applied research and real-world adoption of research outcomes
• Ensure research ideas translate into commercial products; patents from PMRC work are of great importance to link research with industry-aligned innovation — Fellows will be supported through the full patenting process chain
• Submit periodic progress reports and participate in evaluations as stipulated by the Empowered Committee

For Host Institutions:

Submit project proposals through the official PMRC portal. Each submission should include:

• Institutional profile, research strengths, and existing infrastructure to support research in thematic area(s)
• Proposed thematic area(s) and research project description — including why it is important for India's growth, intended impact, potential outcomes, and methodological overview
• Details of the designated institutional liaison and Co-Principal Investigators
• Statement of institutional RDI strength, including co-funding, industry partnerships, patent history, student support, and research outputs
• Any existing collaborations relevant to the proposed thematic area
• Recommendations of up to 3 potential PMRC Fellows the institution is interested in hosting

For Fellows:

Submit an application through the official PMRC portal. The application must include:

• Curriculum vitae including full list of publications, patents, awards, and international engagements, plus proof of past work and education
• Details of citizenship, visa, and documents supporting domicile/residency
• Details of research outputs, patents granted and commercialized, and other research/professional achievements aligned with a thematic area
• Details of the preferred Host Institution (if any), including the rationale for the choice

Apply via the Official PMRC Portal: pmrc.education.gov.in

The PMRC Scheme aims to deliver the following measurable outcomes for India's research and innovation landscape:

• Stronger academia-industry linkages fostered through sustained engagement, knowledge exchange, and co-designed research programmes
• Enhanced domain knowledge and expertise in national R&D priority sectors
• Enriched curriculum and teaching standards in STEM and applied research disciplines
• Improved quality of research and academic output in Indian HEIs
• Leading industry partners onboarded with different projects
• Co-funded research projects undertaken by corporate partners and global fellows
• Improvement in international research rankings of HEIs, along with increased patent filings by fellows and host institutions across national priority sectors

For queries related to this Call for Applications:
Email: contact.pmrc@gov.in

Official PMRC Portal: pmrc.education.gov.in

Read the full official PMRC Call for Applications document issued by the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India: