American Institute of Indian Studies Senior Fellowships
For more than 60 years, the American Institute of Indian Studies has provided funding for scholars to pursue knowledge about India.
AIIS fellows contribute to scholarship about and understanding of India through publications, teaching, presentations, exhibitions, educational programs, and service to the field of Indian studies.
Junior Research Fellowships
Junior Research Fellowships are available to doctoral candidates at U.S. universities in all fields of study. These grants are specifically designed to enable doctoral candidates to pursue their dissertation research in India. With AIIS support, Junior Research Fellows establish formal affiliation with Indian universities and research supervisors. AIIS provides administrative support for Fellows before, during, and after their award period. The Junior Fellowship Award is $7000.
Early Career Scholar Travel Fellowships
Early Career Scholar Travel Fellowships are available to scholars who have completed their doctoral degree no more than 5 years ago (2020 or later). Travel funds of $2500 will be award to help defray the costs of traveling to do new research in India. Fellowships will only be awarded for new research which can include significant additional research to a scholar’s first book project, research toward the publication of a new article, or exploratory research for a second project. AIIS will provide administrative support for fellows before, during, and after their time in India.
The AIIS fellowship competition is not restricted to those from its member institutions. Non-U.S. citizens may apply as long as they are either graduate students or full-time faculty at colleges and universities in the United States.
THE APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR THE 2025 FELLOWSHIP COMPETITION IS DECEMBER 15, 2025
Selection
Applications for fellowships are screened and chosen by a Selection Committee comprised of experts in various fields, but all with extensive India experience. Junior Fellowship applications will be evaluated in two rounds. Finalists will be announced before the end of March, and awardees will be announced by the middle of May. Early Career Scholar Travel Fellowships will be announced by the middle of May.
Applications from scholars who are part of a collaborative project involving other scholars are welcome, though AIIS fellowships are granted to individuals, not to teams. Amounts awarded to successful applicants who are members of group projects will be equivalent to fellowships awarded to scholars who submitted applications for individual projects.
Contact AIIS
USA Email: aiis@indiastudies.org
