More scholars to get ICHR research grants

More scholars will get fellowships and research grants from the Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR).

Revising its rules, the Council has introduced a new provision which stipulates that a recipient of its research grant will be eligible to apply for grant for a new project only after a gap of three years from the date of completion of the previous project.

The revised research grants rules of the ICHR, notified recently, also makes three-year cooling period mandatory for award of grants for publication of the research work in history.

"The said provision has been introduced to ensure that more scholars get opportunity to do quality research in the field of history," official sources told DH.

The revised rules will "facilitate the needy scholars,' they added.

"A scholar is not eligible to apply for research project grant and foreign travel grant within a
gap of three years after completing the earlier project. A post doctoral fellowship and senior academic fellowship scholar is not eligible to apply for grants within three years of completion of his or her research project," the revised rules stipulate.

A junior research fellowship scholar, however, can apply for post doctoral fellowship immediately after having completed his or her PhD, it provides.

The revised rules also specify the number of research grants to be awarded under various schemes in a financial year. It has capped the awards for junior research fellowship at 80, post doctoral  fellowship at 10, senior academic fellowship at 10 and the national fellowship at three.

Gurukul fellows

A new research grant scheme, titled Gurukul Fellowship, has been added to the list with a cap of two to be awarded in a given financial year. Under this scheme, a reputed historian along with one of his or her "disciples" will get grants to conduct research in the field of  history.

"At any point of time, the number of total fellowships should not be more than double of the upper number ceiling of fellowship indicated in the list," the revised rules stipulate.

No new category of fellowships other than those mentioned in the list "shall be" introduced without prior approval of the Union Government, the revised rules add.