National Renewable Energy Fellowship Scheme
National Scholarship Portal (NSP)
Application deadline
31 Oct 2026
Calculating…
Overview
The National Renewable Energy Fellowship Scheme (NREF) is run by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India, under its Human Resource Development Programme. It supports students and researchers who want to study or do research in renewable energy fields such as solar, wind, bio-energy, and green hydrogen.
It is a merit-based scheme. Recognised institutes identify meritorious candidates who meet MNRE's rules, and MNRE then awards the fellowship to those candidates. You apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) at scholarships.gov.in.
The fellowship supports several levels. As per the official MNRE figures: M.Tech and M.Sc students get about ₹12,400 per month; Junior Research Fellows (JRF) get ₹31,000 per month; Senior Research Fellows (SRF) get ₹35,000 per month; and Research Associates / Post-Doctoral Fellows (RA/PDF) get between ₹47,000 and ₹54,000 per month. Research categories also receive a yearly contingency grant and HRA as per government rules. Money is paid monthly to your bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
For the 2026-27 cycle, applications on NSP are open from 1 June 2026, with 31 October 2026 as the last date to apply. Always confirm your exact eligibility (including GATE/NET and academic requirements) and the latest dates on the official MNRE and NSP pages before applying.
At a glance
| Who can apply | PG, PhD |
|---|---|
| Streams | Engineering, Science |
| Category | All |
| Age | — |
| Income limit | — |
| Gender | — |
| States | — |
| Benefit / amount | M.Tech/M.Sc ≈ ₹12,400/month; JRF ₹31,000/month; SRF ₹35,000/month; RA/PDF ₹47,000–₹54,000/month, plus yearly contingency grant and HRA |
| Duration | 2–3 years depending on category (e.g., JRF 2 years, SRF 3 years, RA/PDF 3 years) |
| Renewable | Yes |
| Last date | 31 Oct 2026 |
| Opened | — |
How you're selected
Merit-based. Recognised institutes identify meritorious candidates who meet MNRE eligibility; MNRE then awards the fellowship. Research posts follow CSIR/DST/UGC norms and M.Tech follows AICTE guidelines.
FAQs
Who can apply? Students and researchers in renewable energy at M.Tech, M.Sc, PhD (JRF/SRF) and post-doctoral (RA/PDF) levels. Selection is merit-based and routed through recognised institutes. The exact GATE/NET and academic requirements are not fully listed on the portal, so check the official MNRE guidelines.
How much money do I get? As per MNRE: M.Tech/M.Sc about ₹12,400 per month; JRF ₹31,000 per month; SRF ₹35,000 per month; RA/PDF ₹47,000–₹54,000 per month, plus a yearly contingency grant and HRA for research categories.
What is the last date to apply? For 2026-27, the NSP portal shows applications open from 1 June 2026 and the last date to apply is 31 October 2026. Confirm on scholarships.gov.in.
How do I apply? Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in). Register or log in, fill the form, upload the required documents, and submit. Your institute then verifies your application.
Is there an income limit? The official portal does not state an income ceiling for this merit-based scheme. Check the official MNRE notification for any conditions.
Can I renew it? Fellowships run for a fixed period (for example JRF for 2 years, SRF for 3 years) and continue subject to satisfactory progress, following MNRE/CSIR-DST-UGC norms.