The Ministry of Education, Government of India, invites research proposals under the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) Competitive Research Proposals Program 2026–2027.
This program supports original research on Indian Knowledge Systems. Researchers have to send their research proposals online before January 30th, 2026.
The IKS Competitive Research Proposals Program is designed to fund research studies that will contribute to the research mission of the IKS Division
The research projects will be provided a maximum funding support of 20 Lakhs per research project over two years.
Important Dates
| Proposal submission link opens | 15 January 2026 |
| Proposal submission deadline | 30 January 2026 |
| Announcement of awards | 27 February 2026 |
| Funding release | 15 April 2026 |
| Progress report submission | 1 July 2026 |
| Mid-term project review | 31 August 2026 |
| Annual progress report | 29 January 2027 |
| Final project report submission | 31 March 2028 |
Research Areas
This call for proposals has the following research priority areas:
- Vedic Philosophical and Cognitive Sciences
- Historical and Civilizational Sciences
- Contemporary Social / Cultural Sciences
- Mathematical, Physical and Astronomical Sciences
- Speech and Linguistics
- Political, Economic and Strategic sciences
- Medical and Health sciences
- Culinary, Nutritional and Pharmacological Sciences
- Agricultural Science, Veterinary & Animal Husbandry
- Performing Arts
- Mechanical & Digital Design & Engineering
- Civil and Architectural Sciences
- Fine Arts and Sculpture
- Chemical, Metallurgical & Material Sciences
- Fashion and Interior Design
- Edutainment Sciences
Eligibility Criteria
Faculty members working in any Government-recognized educational institutions (private/public) / labs / NGOs/Trusts/foundations, and holding at least 5 years are eligible to be the Principal Investigators.
Documents Required for Proposal Submission
A complete proposal includes the following documents:
- Document 1: Cover page
- Document 2: Proposal narrative
- Document 3: Budget page
- Document 4: PI and Co-PI resumes
- Document 5: PI signature and institutional approval pages
- Document 6: Plagiarism detection report and AI-generated content report
- Document 7: Organization Darpan certificate (NGO/Trust/Foundation, etc)
Proposal Submission link: https://iksindia.org/index.php
Download Official Notification: https://iksindia.org/images/2025/RFP07_Final.pdf
Note: The submission link will be made available from 15th Jan 2026 onwards
Is this open only for PHD scholars, or also open for college UG students.
Not for college students
Prof. Mohanti of IIIT Jabalpur had submitted such proposal about one and a half years ago. It was accepted, but the funds never came.
Can a school student apply for it ?
No
Can any master pass out apply for this research
No
iam a lecture from art Institut in Indonesia, could i apply for this research
This call is only for Indian researchers.
I am a sanskrit research scholar. Working as assistant professor (guest) at dharanidhar university, keonjhar, Odisha. Can i apply for this project?
You are not eligible for PI. However, for the CO-PI, Please read the Eligibility criteria guidelines from the Official PDF.
I have just joined the institute as assistant professor can I apply, As I read in eligibility “holding 5 year”
Yes, explore another opportunities: https://phdtalks.org/call-for-proposals
HI SIR , PH.D pursuing students can apply for 2026-2027 research grant.
No
Namaste, I have completed
M. A. (Performing Arts) from Centre for Performing Arts, Pune University in 1991 . Am I eligible to apply for PhD in Performing Arts under IKS.
Yes, please see the guidelines.
I am a guest lecturer in music Rabindrabharati university , kolkata. I have earned my m.phil and ph.d degree in music and was a research fellow of the Asiatic society, kolkata . I have completed “Indiology” course from RKM, golpark. Am I eligible to apply for the project ?
5 years of experience is required.