Programme details

• TWAS-SN Bose Postgraduate Fellowships are tenable at the S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences in Kolkata, India for studies leading towards a PhD degree in the physical sciences for four years with the possibility of a one-year extension.
• The Centre carries out the following research activities:
  - Linear and Non-linear spectroscopy, Ultrafast molecular processes and spectroscopy, Ultrafast dynamics in biological macromolecules and magnetization, Ultrafast laser induced processes, Soft condensed matter systems of chemical and biological interests, mesocopic physics, ionic liquids, multi-component liquid mixtures, supercooled melts, supercritical fluids, bio-nano interface, nano-magnetism, magnonic crystals, micromagnetic simulations, Nanomaterials in general, and Physics of Correlated oxides, low dimensional systems, magnetic shape memory alloys, dilute magnetic semi-conductors, multi-ferroic materials, thin films of metals and oxides, electronic, magnetic and structural properties of complex materials, superconductivity,  strongly correlated electronic systems, quantum many-body physics, micromagnetic and monte carlo simulation of static  and dynamic properties of nanomagnets, theoretical study of thermalconductivity, Ab initio plane wave pseudo-potential calculation, strongly correlated electron systems, electronic structure and transport through nano-materials.
  - Quantum field theory, mathematical physics, cognitive science, granular physics, non-commutative quantum mechanics, statistical physics, non-linear dynamics, turbulences, lattice gauge theories, representation theory of lie groups and coherent states, quantum optics, black holes, constrained dynamics, quantum gravity, quantum spin systems, collective behaviour and emergent phenomena, explosive percolation, complex networks and critical phenomena.
  - Cosmology, Relativistic Astrophysics, ionospheric science, Astrochemistry.
• Applicants may be registered for a PhD degree in their home country (SANDWICH option), or may enrol in a PhD course at the S.N. Bose National Centre (FULL-TIME option). In both cases, the programme entails only one journey to the host country.
• Admission to the PhD programme at the S.N. Bose National Centre will depend on the successful completion of coursework (about one year's duration).
• S.N. Bose will provide a monthly stipend to cover living costs and food. The monthly stipend will not be convertible into foreign currency. Free on-campus accommodation will be provided. The monthly stipend does not cover comprehensive health insurance.  The Centre does however deduct a small contribution towards a Contributory Medical Scheme. The benefits are partial reimbursement of Doctor's fees, medicines and/or hospitalization costs, if any, and only for costs incurred in Kolkata. The reimbursement structure is along the lines of the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) of the Government of India.
• The S.N. Bose Centre  does not provide comprehensive health or medical insurance to its staff or students. All SN Bose-TWAS fellows must have their own "Medical Insurance" before joining the programme to cover medical emergencies.
• The request for the Acceptance Letter should reach the S.N. Bose Centre by 31st July allowing the Centre a month to look into your request. This is to ensure that all applications get a reasonable amount of attention during the selection process.
• The language of instruction is English.

Eligibility

Candidates for these fellowships must meet the following criteria:

• be a maximum age of 35 years on 31 December of the application year;
• be nationals of a developing country (other than India);
• must not hold any visa for temporary or permanent residency in India or any developed country;
• hold a Masters Degree in physics, mathematics or physical chemistry. S/He must have completed at least a total 5 years of undergraduate and postgraduate studies in a recognized university or institute.
• be accepted by a department of the S.N. Bose National Centre. Requests for acceptance must be directed to the Dean (Academic Programme), S.N. Bose National Centre for Sciences by e-mail (deanap@bose.res.in) (see sample Acceptance Letter, at the end of the application form). In contacting the Dean (Academic Programme), applicants must accompany their request for an Acceptance Letter with copy of their CV, a research proposal outline and two reference letters
• provide evidence of proficiency in English, if medium of education was not English;
• provide evidence that s/he will return to her/his home country on completion of the fellowship;
• not take up other assignments during the period of her/his fellowship;
• be financially responsible for any accompanying family members.

Submitting your application

• The deadline for receipt of applications is 31 August each year.
• Applicants must submit an Acceptance Letter from a department of the S.N. Bose National Centre when applying, or by the deadline at the latest. Without preliminary acceptance the application will not be considered for selection.
• Reference letters must be on letter-headed paper, SIGNED and sent as attachments via e-mail to TWAS only. The subject line must contain SNBOSE/PG/ and the candidate’s surname. N.B. Only signed reference letters can be accepted. The letters can be submitted either by the referee or by the applicant directly.
• Applications for the TWAS-S.N. Bose Postgraduate Fellowship Programme should be sent to TWAS only (by email).
• Applicants should be aware that they can apply for only one fellowship per year from among those offered by TWAS.

Are you a potential applicant for a full-time PhD in a field related to atmospheric science, climate and climate change, hydrology, multi-hazard early-warning or disaster-risk reduction? If so, you may be interested in applying for a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) travel grant as a complement to the PhD fellowship.

Contact Details

• TWAS Fellowships Office
ICTP campus, Strada Costiera 11
34151 Trieste, Italy
Tel: +39 040 2240314
Fax: +39 040 2240689
E-mail: fellowships@twas.org

• S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences
Dean (Academic Programme)
JD Block, Sector 3, Salt Lake City
Kolkata 700098, India
Tel: +91 33 2335 5706
Fax: +91 33 2335 3477
E-mail: deanap@bose.res.in