HEC Postdoctroal Fellowship Phase III

HEC invites application for post-doctoral fellowship in foreign universities. This project offers 1000 fellowships which will be awarded on open merit in different phases over 5 years. 70% of the fellowships will be awarded to faculty members of public sector universities and institutes, 15% will be awarded to employees from private universities, and 15% are reserved for public sector R&D organization.

Currently, the phase III of the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is open for applications. The eligible candidates are advised submit their application along with supporting document by 26th September 2021.

It is important to note that if closing date of current phase of HEC postdoctoral fellowship is too near to be prepared for and to be applied for, it is still advisable to read this article because HEC will announce the next phases of this project in the coming months. Therefore, it will help you understand the requirements and enable you to prepare yourself for upcoming phases in advance. Let’s start with the required documents to be attached with application, that the candidate must prepare in advance.

   The candidates are required to submit the following documents:

1. Research proposal as per format.
2. Invitation/acceptance letter (as post-doc or research fellow) from foreign university from top 200 QS ranked universities worldwide. The acceptance letter must be on University’s letter head, duly signed by the supervisor/authorized official of the host university and must be valid for six months.
3. Host supervisor’s CV
4. Updated CV of the applicant.
5. Updated Profile on HEC online portal i.e. personal profile, education, employment history, publications.
6. Five years' recognized experience in the online profile at HEC in case of foreign PhD.
7. 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).
8. Attested PhD Degree/ Foreign PhD degree & transcript with authentic translation
9. Equivalence Certificate (in case of foreign PhD)
10. Duty Resumption Notification (Only for the applicants who have completed PhD during service after obtaining study leave)
11. Experience Certificates (Only for foreign PhD degree holders in support of their claim of five years' recognized work experience)
12. NOC from employer/institutions. Note. In the case having problem in obtaining NOC, the applicants are allowed to submit application latest by September 20, 2021 without NOCs. However, they must forward NOCs (if any) via email to [email protected] as soon as possible but not later than October 5, 2021.

Please note that applications ONLY submitted on research.hec.gov.pk will be considered for further processing.

   Eligibility Criteria

The candidate must:

1. Have PhD degree from HEC recognized local or international university (in possession of HEC attested PhD degree or HEC Equivalence Certificate for foreign PhD).
2. Be a regular employee of public/private sector HEC recognized university/degree awarding institution or public sector R&D organization.
3. Not have availed any post-doctoral fellowship either funded or self-funded, local or foreign, before.
4. Not be more than 45 years of age (on the closing date of application submission).
5. Possess five years' recognized work experience in Pakistan after completion of foreign PhD.
6. Have a placement letter in top 200 QS World Ranking Universities/research institutes from a relevant supervisor along with his CV.
7. Have acquired requisite qualification on or before closing date.

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 ONE PDF file and submit the application before deadline.

Applicants have to deposit/online transfer Rs.1000/- (non-refundable), as application processing fee in favour of Director General Finance, HEC in A/C No. 1742-79001334-01 Habib Bank limited.

Only SUBMITTED applications will be processed. SAVED applications will not be considered.

   Financial Support

The maximum Fellowship amount per scholar for total duration of Scholarship (Including Living Allowance, Health Insurance, Research/Lab Cost and Air Ticket).

   The following documents must combined in one PDF file for submission:

1. Updated and accurate CV of the applicant
2. Research Proposal as per format
3. 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.
4. CV of the Host Supervisor in a stand form bearing the following information:
• 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.
5. NOC from current Employer/Institution
6. HEC attested PhD Degree for local PhD degree holders only.
7. HEC Equivalence Certificate for foreign PhD degree holders only.
8. Foreign PhD Degree & Transcript with authentic translation (for foreign PhD Degree holders only).
9. Duty Resumption Notification (Only for the applicants who have completed PhD during service after obtaining study-leave from the respective institution)
10. Experience Certificates (Only for foreign PhD degree holders in support of their claim of five years' recognized work experience)
11. NOC for HEC Scholarships/research projects (Completed/Ongoing, as PI or Co-PI)

This article is for the candidate searching postdoc fellowship position so that they can understand the process and required and be able to prepare themselves for postdoc competitions. The candidate may visit HEC’s site for more information.