Hec Pakistan Post Doctoral Fellowship Program Phase-III

Deadline: June 30th 2023

Hec Pakistan Post Doctoral Fellowship Program Phase-III

The project offers 1000 fellowships over a span of 5 years. These fellowships are offered on open merit at the national level. Seventy percent slots are reserved for faculty members of public sector universities and institutes, private universities are given 15 percent slots and 15 percent of these slots are kept for public sector R&D organizations (recognized by Pakistan Council of Science and Technology).

Announcement:

Applications are open for intake. Eligible candidates are encouraged to apply through online portal along with following documents​.

  • ​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.  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.
  • 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 pdfp.hec.gov.pk​​​ will be considered for further processing.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

​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.).
  • 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 undertaken after Ph.D. and spans more than 3 months is considered postdoctorate).
  • Not be more than 45 years of age on the date mentioned in the advertisement.
  • Possess five years’ recognized work experience in Pakistan after completion of foreign Ph.D.
  • 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. For the list of Universities/research institutes please clickhere. ​
  • 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.)

HOW TO APPLY – Hec Pakistan Post Doctoral Fellowship Program Phase-III

​​​​Applications can be submitted in response to an advertisement. Submission must be made to the HEC online portal (pdfp.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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Documents Required (in ONE PDF file):

    1. Your updated/accurate CV
    2. 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:
        • 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.​​
    3. Letter of Acceptance as Post Doc/ Visiting Research fellow (maximum two pages): The letter must be on the University letterhead. 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. Curriculum Vitae of the Host Supervisor:

The CVs should be in standard form (maximum two pages) and include 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.
  1. 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.
  2. HEC attested PhD Degree (for local PhD degree holders only)
  3. HEC Equivalence Certificate (for foreign PhD degree holders only)
  4. Foreign PhD Degree & Transcript with authentic translation (for foreign PhD Degree holders only)
  5. Duty Resumption Notification (Only for the applicants who have completed PhD during service after obtaining study leave)
  6. Experience Certificates (Only for foreign PhD degree holders in support of their claim of five years’ recognized work experience)
  7. 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
* The stipend to the scholars will be paid according to the host country. The list for stipend rate for various countries is given at Annexure-3(A)​.
**Health Insurance will be paid upon providing documentary evidence/receipt of payment.
***Average Research/Lab Experimentation Cost has been estimated @ US$6000. However, this will be paid as per need on the basis of research/lab work experimentation/procurement of data/survey etc. mentioned in the research proposal submitted at the time of application. This has been estimated for 60% of the fellowships.
****Actual economy class air ticket will be paid. National airline will be preferred on the routes where they operate.