Prayas and several friends and well-wishers of Girish Sant, a pioneering policy researcher and public interest advocate in the energy sector who passed away unexpectedly in February 2012, have set up a Young Researcher Fellowship (YRF) to encourage young researchers to imbibe his values and approach of high quality analysis, commitment to social equity and emphasis on policy impacts.
Objectives
The objectives of the fellowship are to encourage young Indian researchers to take up public interest oriented research and advocacy in the Indian energy sector, and to provide some financial and professional stability to youngsters at an early stage of their career.
Details of the fellowship
- One fellowship would be awarded each year.
- The fellowship work would be mentored by a senior researcher at Prayas (Energy Group).
- The researcher receiving the fellowship will primarily be based at Prayas (Energy Group) and would also be encouraged to develop additional affiliations and spend time at other institutes and with other mentors to develop diverse perspectives. However, at least four months of the fellowship must be spent at Prayas (Energy Group).
- The fellowship amount would be Rs. 30,000 per month plus some provision for other expenses such as travel.
- The fellowship would be for one year and is likely to begin around April 2013.
- The fellowship program would be managed by the Girish Sant Memorial Committee and administered by Prayas (Energy Group).
Eligibility criteria
- The fellowship would be open to all Indians below the age of 30.
- Applicants should have at least an under-graduate degree in a relevant discipline.
- We are looking for candidates with strong analytical skills, multi-disciplinary interests and ability and willingness to learn.
- Upon selection, applicants should be willing to work full-time on the fellowship.
Selection process
All applications for the fellowship must be submitted electronically to gsm-yrf@prayaspune.org
1) Applicants for the fellowship must submit the following information as part of the application:
- A complete bio-data giving the candidate’s date of birth, contact details, details of education, work experience, research and other interests, and list of publications.
- Names and email addresses of two respected researchers from the energy and/or development sectors who can be contacted for references
- A detailed research proposal, not exceeding 1500 words, describing the proposed problem statement, its relevance and importance, outline of research activities, and expected outputs and outcomes.
- Applicants are also encouraged to include a rough schedule in the proposal indicating the various other potential collaborator institutions.
2) Complete applications as described above should reach this email address by the midnight of 13th January 2013. Incomplete applications will be rejected.
3) Applicants would be judged on the basis of their bio-data, references and research proposal. They may also be asked to appear for an interview, possibly over telephone or skype.
4) The successful applicant would be announced in February, following written acceptance of fellowship by the successful candidate.
Contact details
Prayas
Amrita Clinic, Athawale Corner, Karve Road
Pune - 411004,
Maharashtra, India
Telephone: 91-20-25420720, 91-20-65205726
Fax: 91-20-2542 0337
Submit applications to gsm-yrf@prayaspune.org