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The Khorana Program for Scholars is a tripartite arrangement between the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt. of India, WINStep Forward, and the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF). The Program provides opportunities to Indian students to undertake research internships at premier U.S. Universities each summer for a period of 10-12 weeks.

• Providing an opportunity to Indian students to gain exposure and access to world class research facilities;
• Promoting research and capacity building in biotechnology and allied areas through Indo-U.S. cooperation;
• Encouraging post-graduate students to take up research as a career, and
• Paving the way for the next generation scientists and technologists from India to interact with their American counterparts towards building long-term sustainable R & D linkages and collaborations.

1. Only Indian students currently enrolled at a recognized Institution of Higher Education in India can apply for the Khorana Program.

2. Pre-final year students enrolled in B.Tech., M. Tech., B.Sc., MSc., B.E., M.E., M.S., Integrated B.S-M.S., B.V.Sc., M.V.Sc., B. Pharm., M. Pharm., MBBS., and Master in Medical Science and Technology (MMST) at recognized institutions of higher education in India in Biotechnology and allied areas (including agricultural, food, health, biomedical sciences and interdisciplinary areas like Computational Sciences, Big Data, Machine Learning etc.) are eligible to apply.

3. The applicant should have:

• Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 8.0 or higher, OR,
• Percentage: 80% and higher.
• Minimum 65% and higher if the applicant is an MBBS student.

4. Only those candidates who have a minimum of one year remaining for the completion of their course in India are eligible to apply [(for e.g. for the 2020 Call, Only those candidates who shall be completing their degree program in or after May 2021 are eligible to apply (preferably pre-final year students)]. 5. First Year, Final Year students and Ph.D. students are NOT eligible to apply.

• Please register on the IUSSTF Online Application Portal for Visitation Programs at http://49.50.81.218/visitation-program-for-indian-applicants.aspx
• Verify your account using the link sent to your registered email id. Please check your spam/junk folders in case you do not receive mails from support@iusstf.org
• Complete the online application and upload scanned copies of latest marksheet, No-Objection Certificate & Two Letters of Recommendation.
• Supporting documents should be provided strictly according to the check-list mentioned in the application form.
• Candidates are advised to go through all the program information/instructions carefully before submitting the application
• Hard copies of the application form/supporting documents ARE NOT required

The Khorana Program invites applications in Biotechnology and allied areas (including agricultural, food, health, biomedical sciences and interdisciplinary areas like Computational Sciences, Big Data, and Machine Learning etc.). Applications in subject-fields other than those specified in the advertisement will not be considered.

The eligible applications are further reviewed and shortlisted by subject experts based on the following criteria:

• Academic background and credentials; Research interests, possible project ideas and career goals;
• Research experience, technical background, other internships, courses, lab work;
• Proposed project idea(s);
• Need to conduct research in the U.S. and
• Publications, Poster presentations (if any).

No. Selections are purely on the basis of merit of the application based on the criteria mentioned in Point No. 6 above

No interviews will be conducted as a part of the selection process.

The entire selection process involving Pre-screening, Selections and Placements at US Universities approximately takes 4-5 months. Candidates are notified about their selections tentatively by mid-March.

The support provided to under the Khorana Program comprises of:

(i) Round-trip airfare

(ii) Stipend

(iii) Health insurance.

No. The Scholar would need to cover Accommodation costs, Visa Fees, and Tuition/Bench Fees on his/her own. The host institution (or the faculty host) may help cover the costs of housing for the duration of the fellowship and/or waive (or cover) any tuition or bench fees.

Scholars can undertake these internships for 10-12 weeks each summer tentatively from mid-May to end-July. Alterations/extensions in internship dates/period may be done in consultation with parent institution and host institution.

The international tickets by economy excursion class and shortest route (from student’s parent institution to U.S. Host Institution & back) will be booked by IUSSTF Travel Desk.

Successful applicants have to identify their own U.S. host based on matching research interests.

Please visit http://www.iusstf.org/program/khorana-program-for-scholars

• Candidates are required to submit two Recommendation letters - One from a teacher/tutor and the other from a supervisor under whose mentorship you completed a training/internship in any lab.
• The references should be provided on the official letter-heads of the Referees with their ink signature and stamp (if any).
• If Referees are comfortable sharing the letters with the candidate; it can be uploaded with the application form. If not, the referees may directly e-mail it to scholar@iusstf.org with the candidate’s name _department _institute/university clearly mentioned in the subject line, well before the submission deadline.

In case you are a master’s first year student and haven’t received your first semester results at the time of submitting your application, you may apply with your final year graduation marks.

Final year students or students who have completed Masters or currently pursuing PhD ARE NOT eligible to apply

Please upload only your latest marksheet. If you haven’t received the official one at the time of application, please upload an attested copy of the same.

Candidates not having passport at the time of application may choose the “Applied for” option in the passport details section of the Application form. They are advised to apply for a passport at the earliest.