Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research - Scholarship for Higher Education

Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research - Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) is a central scheme of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. It encourages talented students to take up undergraduate and postgraduate studies in basic and natural sciences by offering money help of ₹ 80,000 every year to build a research career.

Fresh applications for INSPIRE-SHE are not open at the moment. DST has not released the notification for the 2025 and 2026 batches and has said the scheme is being redesigned under the Vigyan Dhara umbrella. Students already selected in earlier batches will keep getting the scholarship as per the scheme rules. Anyone planning to apply should watch the official INSPIRE portal for the new notification.

Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research - Scholarship for Higher Education - Introduction

INSPIRE-SHE is a part of the INSPIRE (Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research) program run by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. The scheme was started in 2008 to attract young students to basic and natural science subjects at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. By providing money support, it helps deserving students focus on their studies and take up research as a full-time career.

The scheme is designed to offer around 12,000 scholarships every year, each worth ₹ 80,000, to students who do well in foundational science courses. For the 2024 batch, the last one selected so far, DST received 21,392 applications. Out of these, 16,687 students met the first-level eligibility and 11,200 students were selected for the scholarship.

From the 2025-26 Union Budget, DST merged the INSPIRE program into a new umbrella scheme called Vigyan Dhara along with two other DST schemes. In July 2026, DST clarified on its official X handle that the INSPIRE-SHE scheme is not scrapped and is being redesigned, which is why the new call has been delayed. No date has been announced for the next notification so far.

INSPIRE is a large DST program with several parts. Apart from the SHE scholarship, it also runs the INSPIRE Fellowship for Ph.D. students and the INSPIRE Awards MANAK scheme for school students in Class 6 to 10.

Tenure

1. Selected students get support for a maximum period of five years. This period starts from the first year of B.Sc., B.S., or integrated M.Sc./M.S. programs, or until the course is completed, whichever happens earlier.
2. To continue receiving the scholarship, students must maintain good academic performance in university examinations and get a positive recommendation from the Head of the Institution. Existing scholars from earlier batches are continuing to receive their payments as per these rules.

The scheme supports studies in the following basic and natural science disciplines: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, Statistics, Geology, Astrophysics, Astronomy, Electronics, Botany, Zoology, Biochemistry, Anthropology, Microbiology, Geophysics, Geochemistry, Atmospheric Sciences, and Oceanic Sciences. Professional courses like Engineering, Medicine, Agriculture, Computer Science, Economics, and distance education modes are not supported. DST has also added more subjects at the M.Sc. level through a notice on the official portal.

Key Information

Benefits

Selected students get an annual scholarship package of ₹ 80,000. This includes a monthly scholarship component of ₹ 5,000, which adds up to ₹ 60,000 per year, plus a summer mentorship grant of ₹ 20,000 every year for research projects. The full amount is credited directly to the student's State Bank of India (SBI) account through DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer).

1. Monthly scholarship of ₹ 5,000, which comes to ₹ 60,000 in a year.
2. Summer mentorship grant of ₹ 20,000 every year for summer research projects under an active researcher at any recognized research center in India.
3. Direct credit of the full amount to the SBI account using the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.

The scholarship also helps students build a research habit. Every year, scholars are expected to take part in a summer research project of 6 to 8 weeks under a qualified mentor and submit a project report and completion certificate to get the mentorship grant. Group projects are not allowed, and each student has to complete an individual project.

Eligibility

Students in the age group of 17 to 22 years can apply if they meet any one of the following criteria and are enrolled in a natural or basic science course (B.Sc., B.S., or integrated M.Sc./M.S.) at a recognized college or university in India:

1. Scored within the top 1% of the Class XII board examination and are currently enrolled in a natural or basic science course.
2. Secured a rank within the top 10,000 in the JEE or NEET and are pursuing natural and basic science courses.
3. Scored within the top 1% in the Class XII examination and are enrolled in integrated M.S. courses at top institutes like IISERs, NISER, or the Department of Atomic Energy Center for Basic Sciences.
4. Selected under the Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) and are pursuing degree courses in natural sciences.
5. Scholars of the National Talent Search Examination (NTSE), Jagadish Bose National Science Talent Search (JBNSTS), or medalists in an International Olympiad, provided they are studying natural sciences at the bachelor or master level.

Students must continue in approved science subjects throughout the course to stay eligible. Engineering, medicine, and other professional programs are not covered under this scheme. KVPY was merged with INSPIRE after it was discontinued in 2022, and NTSE is under a long review, so INSPIRE-SHE remains the main DST scholarship for undergraduate science students.

Application Process

Applications for INSPIRE-SHE are invited only against a specific call from DST, usually released around September every year. The last call was for the 2024 batch, and no notification has been released for the 2025 or 2026 batches so far. DST has said the scheme is being redesigned. Eligible students should keep checking the official INSPIRE web portal for the new notification.

Apply Link: Apply via official portal

STEP 1 - Go to the official INSPIRE web portal at online-inspire.gov.in and register using a personal email ID. The email ID cannot be changed later, so use one that will remain active for the full course period.

STEP 2 - Log in with the registered email and password, and open the 'Scholarship' link on the dashboard.

STEP 3 - Go to the 'Related Link' icon and select 'View Offer Letter'. Read the offer letter carefully before proceeding.

STEP 4 - Enter the State Bank of India (SBI) account details and upload a scanned image of the front page of the passbook. The SBI account must be in the student's own name and linked with Aadhaar.

STEP 5 - Submit the bank details. A confirmation message will appear once the bank information is updated successfully.

STEP 6 - Click the 'Documents for BSc/MSc' icon under the 'Related Link' menu and upload the required academic mark sheets and performance reports.

STEP 7 - Submit the documents and wait for the confirmation popup. Do not send any physical documents by post.

Selection Process

Because the number of applications is high, the selection process takes about four months from the deadline. Students selected will get a provisional offer letter in their web portal account. The final confirmation depends on the course and the performance in the first year. For the 2024 batch, the Class XII cut-off varied from board to board, like 94.6% for CBSE, 95.4% for ISC, 99% for the Kerala board, and 85.83% for Maharashtra.

Keep the Official Guidelines for Online Application handy to understand each step clearly.

Documents

Students selected for the scholarship need to upload the following documents to the portal account within the time given in the offer letter:

1. Class XII Mark Sheet.
2. Class X Mark Sheet or Certificate as birth proof.
3. Endorsement Certificate signed by the college principal or university registrar.
4. Eligibility or Advisory Note, if issued by the board.
5. Front page of the SBI Bank Passbook showing the account number and name.
6. Annual or semester mark sheets for B.Sc. or integrated M.Sc. courses.
7. Performance Report for B.Sc. or integrated M.Sc.

Students who miss the document upload window can lose the scholarship, so it is better to keep all the papers ready before the portal opens.

References

• FAQs
• Application Process & Documents Required
• Brochure
• Post Offer Implementation Guidelines
• M.Sc Enrolment Form
• Official DST INSPIRE Scheme Page

FAQ's

Is the INSPIRE-SHE scholarship closed?

No. DST has confirmed that the scheme is not scrapped. It is being redesigned, which is why the notification for the new batch has been delayed. No fresh applications are open right now.

When will the next INSPIRE-SHE application open?

No date has been announced so far. DST has not given any timeline for the redesigned scheme. Keep checking the official INSPIRE portal and the DST website for updates.

Will existing scholars keep getting the scholarship?

Yes. Students already selected in earlier batches continue to receive their scholarship, subject to maintaining the required academic performance and continuing in an approved science course.

What is the total scholarship amount?

The scholarship provides ₹ 80,000 per year, which includes a monthly component of ₹ 5,000 and a summer mentorship grant of ₹ 20,000.

How much is the summer mentorship grant?

Students get a mentorship grant of ₹ 20,000 every year for summer research projects.

How will the money be paid?

The scholarship amount is sent directly to the student's SBI bank account through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.

Where can I find the user manual for the application process?

Download the guidelines PDF here: Application Process & Documents Required

Under whom can I undertake summer research projects?

Students work under an active researcher at any recognized research center within India and submit a project report and completion certificate to get the grant.

What are the full forms of KVPY and NTSE?

KVPY stands for Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana and NTSE stands for the National Talent Search Examination.