New Delhi, 02 June (H.S.): The Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education has invited applications for the Prime Minister Research Chair (PMRC) Scheme 2026, aimed at connecting scientists, researchers, and technology experts of Indian origin working across the world with India’s research and innovation ecosystem.

The Ministry of Education announced on Tuesday that under the PMRC initiative, outstanding researchers, scientists, technology specialists, and professionals of Indian origin working at leading universities, laboratories, research institutions, and industries worldwide will be provided opportunities to contribute to premier government higher education institutions, national laboratories, and research centres in India.

The scheme will focus on 13 national priority sectors. These include Artificial Intelligence, advanced computing including quantum computing and supercomputing, semiconductors, energy and climate change, cybersecurity, health and medical technology, biotechnology, advanced materials and critical minerals, space and defence, next-generation communication technologies, manufacturing and Industry 4.0, agriculture and food technology, the blue economy, and nuclear energy.

According to the Ministry, the scheme will be built around three key pillars—Lead Institutions, Host Institutions, and PMRC Fellows. Through this framework, the government seeks to promote impactful and outcome-oriented research aligned with national priorities. The selection of institutions and fellows will be carried out under the supervision of an empowered committee chaired by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.

Selected PMRC Fellows will receive fellowships and research grants, access to state-of-the-art laboratories and research infrastructure, and opportunities to work with some of India’s leading government institutions. Host institutions, in turn, will benefit from international academic collaborations, engagement with global experts, and the expansion of research and innovation activities.

The scheme offers opportunities under three categories. These include Young Research Fellow for early-career researchers, Senior Research Fellow for experienced researchers, and Research Chair for globally distinguished research leaders.

Indian citizens working abroad, Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders who are scientists, researchers, and professionals will be eligible to apply. The initiative seeks to leverage the expertise of Indian-origin talent working in top institutions and industries around the world and integrate them into India’s research and innovation landscape.

Eligible host institutions will include government higher education institutions ranked among the top 100 in the Overall or Engineering categories and the top 50 in the Research category of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). In addition, leading national laboratories and research institutions operating under organisations such as the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will also be eligible to participate.

To ensure effective implementation of the programme, seven institutions have been designated as Lead Institutions. These are Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, and Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru.

The Ministry stated that the application process for both fellows and host institutions commenced on June 1 this year. Detailed guidelines, eligibility criteria, and application procedures are available on the official Prime Minister Research Chair Scheme portal.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar