Post Doctoral Fellowship Program HEC Pakistan 2023. The project offers 1000 fellowships over a span of 5 years. These fellowships are offered on open merit at the national level. Seventy percent of slots are reserved for faculty members of public sector universities and institutes, private universities are given 15 percent of slots and 15 percent of these slots are kept for public sector R&D organizations (recognized by Pakistan Council of Science and Technology). Post Doctoral Fellowship Program HEC Pakistan 2023
Table of Contents
Announcement:
The programme is currently closed for intake. Interested candidates are requested to keep the following documents ready for submission of application on the online portal as and when the opportunity is announced. Post Doctoral Fellowship Program HEC Pakistan 2023
- ​Research Proposal as per format (Click here to download Pdf format) (msword format)
- Valid Invitation/acceptance letter in the relevant field from top 200 QS world-ranked universities. The letter must be on University letterhead duly signed by the host supervisor/ authorized official of the concerned university clearly indicating the name of the host supervisor. Post Doctoral Fellowship Program HEC Pakistan 2023
- The letter dated within the last six months will be considered valid. However, the recipients will be required to ensure that the offer is also confirmed on the online portal as and when opened for this purpose. Post Doctoral Fellowship Program HEC Pakistan 2023
- Host supervisor CV
- Updated/ accurate self CV
- Updated Profile on HEC online portal i.e personal profile, education, employment history, publications.
- Five years’ recognized experience in the online profile at HEC in case of foreign PhD.
- NOC from relevant section(s) of HEC in case any scholarships/financial support/research grant (as PI or Co-PI) has been availed/ is being availed from HEC (Conditional NOC will not be accepted).
- Attested Ph.D. Degree/ Foreign Ph.D. degree & transcript with authentic translation
- Equivalence Certificate (in case of foreign Ph.D.)
- Duty Resumption Notification (Only for the applicants who have completed Ph.D. during service after obtaining study leave)
- Experience Certificates (Only for foreign Ph.D. degree holders in support of their claim of five years’ recognized work experience)
- NOC from employer clearly stating that you are a regular employee and can avail at least 9 months leave in case of selection.
Please carefully read all pages for complete details. Please also note that the portal will be opened for a specific duration according to Pakistan Standard Time (PST) and the last date will not be extended in any case. Therefore, please submit the application as soon as the advertisement is floated. It is worth mentioning that ONLY applications submitted on research.hec.gov.pk will be considered for further processing. Post Doctoral Fellowship Program HEC Pakistan 2023
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA of Post Doctoral Fellowship ProgramÂ
The Applicant must:
- Hold Ph.D. degree from HEC recognized local or international university (in possession of HEC attested Ph.D. degree or HEC Equivalence Certificate for foreign Ph.D.). Post Doctoral Fellowship Program HEC Pakistan 2023
- Be a regular employee of public/private sector HEC recognized university/degree awarding institution or public sector R&D organization (recognized by Pakistan Council of Science & Technology).
- Not have availed/completed any post-doctoral fellowship either funded or self-funded, local or foreign, before (any research fellowship or training that is undertaken after Ph.D. and spans more than 3 months is considered as postdoctorate).
- Not be more than 45 years of age (on the closing date of application submission).
- Possess five years’ recognized work experience in Pakistan after completion of foreign Ph.D. Post Doctoral Fellowship Program HEC Pakistan 2023
- Have a placement letter (on the host university letterhead) from the top 200 QS World Ranking Universities/research institutes from a relevant supervisor along with his CV.
- Have acquired requisite qualifications on or before the closing date (must be in possession of HEC attested degree (if local Ph.D.) or HEC Equivalence Certificate (if foreign Ph.D.). Post Doctoral Fellowship Program HEC Pakistan 2023
TERMS & CONDITIONS of Post Doctoral Fellowship ProgramÂ
- Selected scholars will have to ensure that entire research is carried out abroad. They have to be physically present in the same University/department for which approval is granted. Post Doctoral Fellowship Program HEC Pakistan 2023
- The minimum duration for stay abroad is nine months. The selected scholar cannot come back to Pakistan during fellowship period except with prior permission from HEC.
- In case the scholar returns back to Pakistan without completing nine months of the postdoctoral  fellowship at host university/institute and without obtaining prior permission from HEC, the foreign stipend will not be admissible. HEC reserves the right to adjust/recover any advance payment or initiate legal proceedings, as the case may be. Post Doctoral Fellowship Program HEC Pakistan 2023
- The person availing the fellowship would be required to sign a surety bond co-signed by a guarantor requiring him/her to return to Pakistan on completion of post-doctoral fellowship and serve in the university/institution/organization in Pakistan for a period of three (03) years. Post Doctoral Fellowship Program HEC Pakistan 2023
- Post-Doctoral Fellowship applications are processed on the basis of online information/data provided by the applicants and in case of any error/omission and misrepresentation, HEC reserves the right to reject the application at any stage or recover full amount with/without penalty (as the case may be) after award of the fellowship.
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HOW TO APPLY for Post Doctoral Fellowship ProgramÂ
​​​Applications can be submitted in response to an advertisement. Submission must be made to the HEC online portal (research.hec.gov.pk). Please go through the User Manual​ before filling of online application. Once the required details are filled online, please upload all the required documents in .pdf form and submit the application before deadline. Post Doctoral Fellowship Program HEC Pakistan 2023
The submitted applications are assessed by other active researchers with great expertise within the field. HEC evaluates the process continuously and has clear guidelines for the assessment of work. The assessment shall be of high quality and be conducted in an objective, impartial and transparent manner. Post Doctoral Fellowship Program HEC Pakistan 2023
Applicants are required to have a confirmed placement letter from the Top 200 QS world-ranked universities/Institutes. The online application will only proceed further if the prospective host supervisor confirms/approves the request of the applicant for a postdoc position in the online application system. Otherwise, the application will remain pending and will not be considered. Post Doctoral Fellowship Program HEC Pakistan 2023
Applicants have to deposit/online transfer Rs.2000/- (non-refundable), as an application processing fee in favour of Director General Finance, HEC in A/C No. 1742-79001334-01 Habib Bank limited.
Only SUBMITTED applications on the online portal will be processed. SAVED applications will not be considered. Post Doctoral Fellowship Program HEC Pakistan 2023
The application will be processed on the basis of online information/documents provided by the applicant on the online portal. In case of any error/omission and misrepresentation/concealment of facts, HEC reserves the right to reject the application/cancel selection at any stage. Incomplete applications and those submitted without complete supporting documents/NOCs will be rejected. Post Doctoral Fellowship Program HEC Pakistan 2023
Documents Required (in ONE PDF file):
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- Your updated/accurate CV
- Research Proposal as per format. Applicants are required to submit a clearly written research proposal outlining how he/she intends to satisfy at least 2 of the 5 outcomes/deliverables identified below:
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- Production of Books/Manuscripts for Publication
- Production of Papers in Peer-Reviewed High Impact Factor Journals
- Creation of Funded Research Linkages and Collaborations
- Access to equipment and high impact research collaborators not available in Pakistan
- Creation and Introduction of New Programmes and Courses in Pakistan.​
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- Letter of Acceptance as Post Doc/ Visiting Research fellow (maximum two pages): The letter must be on the University letterhead (List of Universities available on the website). The proposed Research, its title, why is it beneficial for both parties etc must be slightly discussed in the body of the letter. If the official authorized to sign the letter is different from the Host Supervisor, then the name of Host Supervisor must be mentioned in the letter. The letter should confirm the Host University commitment and how much it will charge on account of Bench Fee/ Lab Experimentation Cost for the proposed project.
- Curriculum Vitae of the Host Supervisor:
The CVs should be in standard form (maximum two pages) and include the following information:
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- Full Name
- Position/Title
- Institution
- Professional Training/Education
- Chronological List of Positions
- List of up to five publications related to the proposed project, in standard citation format
- List of up to five activities related to the proposed project. These activities may include: current or previous grants; teaching; collaborations; leading workshops/conferences; community outreach or engagement; consulting; etc.
- NOC from current Employer clearly stating that applicant is a regular employee of the organization and leave with /without pay will be admissible to him/her in case of selection.
- HEC attested PhD Degree (for local PhD degree holders only)
- HEC Equivalence Certificate (for foreign PhD degree holders only)
- Foreign PhD Degree & Transcript with authentic translation (for foreign PhD Degree holders only)
- Duty Resumption Notification (Only for the applicants who have completed PhD during service after obtaining study leave)
- Experience Certificates (Only for foreign PhD degree holders in support of their claim of five years’ recognized work experience)
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NOC for HEC Scholarships/research projects (Completed/Ongoing, as PI or Co-PI).
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
​​The maximum Fellowship amount per scholar for total duration of Scholarship (Including Living Allowance, Health Insurance, Research/Lab Cost and Air Ticket).
| ​i | ​Living Allowance* | ​USD 1,600 per month |
| ​ii | ​Health Insurance** | ​USD 2,000 Once |
| ​iii | ​Research Lab/Experimentation Cost*** | ​USD 6,000 Once |
| ​iv | ​Air Ticket (Return)**** | ​PKR 250,000 Once |
SELECTION PROCESS & PROCEDURES
​Selection Process
Change of Host University/ Supervisor after Final Selection
The change can be allowed provided the new host university is at the same or higher ranking (QS world ranking of the same year) than the old university for which he/she was selected before the departure of the candidate.
If the offer from the host institution expires, the candidate can provide another invitation letter from the same or higher ranking foreign university (QS world ranking of the same year) within 60 days of the grant of permission. After the expiry of this period, the offer will stand withdrawn.
After departure, a change of university or supervisor will only be possible in case the supervisor has passed away or has moved to another institute. The ranking of the new host institution should not be lower than the original university in this case as well.
The new host university and supervisor will confirm that the same research will be carried out (the research title will be mentioned in the invitation letter). The new host supervisor will also explicitly confirm that he/she holds expertise in the proposed area of research. The parent organization will also provide a “No Objection Certificate” to change of host university/supervisor. Post Doctoral Fellowship Program HEC Pakistan 2023
“Please note that this policy is only applicable after selection in confirmed and not on submission of application only. It is clearly stated in the application form that change of host university after submission of application but before selection will tantamount to withdrawal of application.”
​For any query feel free to contact HEC Call Center UAN: 051-111-119-432 OR 0334-111-9432
Assistant Project Manager
​HRD Division
​Higher Education Commission, Pakistan
​H-9, Islamabad.
Email:  [email protected]​
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