Prime Minister Professorship
A five-year ANRF programme that brings distinguished scientific experience into institutions seeking to strengthen their research and innovation ecosystem.
available on 8 September 2026.
Imagine spending decades building a scientific career — publishing research, guiding students, solving difficult problems and learning what makes successful research groups work. Retirement may mark the end of a conventional post, but it does not diminish the value of that accumulated experience.
India's Prime Minister Professorship, administered by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), is designed to use such experience to strengthen research and innovation in institutions where the research ecosystem has substantial room to grow.
The programme is therefore not simply another senior faculty appointment. Its central purpose is research leadership, mentoring and institution building.
What exactly is a Prime Minister Professor?
The programme connects experienced scientific leadership with institutions that need support in building stronger research cultures. A selected PM Professor is expected to work with faculty members, researchers and students and help raise the quality and impact of research at the host institution.
This can involve mentoring researchers, strengthening research proposals, encouraging interdisciplinary work, facilitating collaborations, supporting high-quality publications and patents, improving research practices and helping the institution compete more effectively for external research funding.
The central question is not only “What research will I personally conduct?” but also “How will the host institution become stronger because I was here?”
Who can apply?
The programme is aimed at highly experienced researchers and professionals. It is not an entry-level faculty recruitment scheme.
Retired academics & scientists
Superannuated or retired faculty and scientists from reputed Indian institutions, research laboratories and eligible private institutions can fall within the programme's applicant categories.
Overseas researchers
Eligible overseas scientists may include NRIs, Persons of Indian Origin and Overseas Citizens of India who are prepared to take up the position in India.
Industry & Professors of Practice
Experienced industry professionals and Professors of Practice with distinguished records of research and innovation may also be eligible.
Applicants are expected to demonstrate a strong record of research and innovation. Evidence can include high-impact publications, patents, technology transfer, awards and other significant research achievements.
- The applicant must be at least 55 years old on the date of application.
- ANRF specifies no upper age limit.
- University/institute faculty and laboratory scientists or researchers must be superannuated or retired on the date of application.
- The applicant should possess a distinguished research or innovation record.
- The position requires a full-time commitment.
- A selected PM Professor must relocate to an eligible host university/institute other than the institution where they have previously served.
The host institution is a crucial part of the application
The PM Professorship is not designed around unrestricted selection of any university. ANRF identifies eligible host institutions in relation to spoke institutions that applied under its Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research, or PAIR, programme.
Check the current host list before preparing a proposal
Applicants should consult the live PM Professorship page for the current eligible host-institution list before developing the full proposal.
For the current 2026 call, ANRF also states that an existing PM Professor is not eligible to apply and that an institution that has already hosted a PM Professor cannot nominate another candidate under this call.
The proposal must involve at least two departments whose areas are close to the mentor's expertise. This requirement reflects the programme's institution-building objective.
Is there an examination?
COMPETITIVE
EXAM
LISTED
The official selection process is proposal-based.
ANRF's published PM Professorship procedure describes proposal submission and evaluation by a designated selection committee. The official scheme information does not specify a written competitive examination or an examination syllabus.
The selection committee evaluates the applicant's academic and professional credentials, distinguished or exceptional contributions, and the quality of the proposed approach for improving the research ecosystem of the host institution.
ANRF also highlights the merit, novelty and innovativeness of the proposed approach. The recent performance of participating departments can also form part of the assessment, including publications, patents, awards, funded projects, consultancy, collaborations and research impact.
How should an applicant prepare?
Because the official process is proposal-based, preparation should focus on creating a credible answer to a much larger question: What measurable improvement can the applicant help create in this institution over five years?
Understand the host institution
Study its current research strengths, laboratories, faculty expertise, ongoing projects, collaborations and major gaps before proposing solutions.
Identify a real research-development gap
Explain what prevents the participating departments from reaching a stronger research level and where experienced mentoring can make a measurable difference.
Create a realistic five-year research plan
ANRF asks applicants to provide a projected five-year research plan. Connect specific activities with realistic and measurable outcomes.
Build meaningful collaboration between departments
At least two departments close to the mentor's expertise must participate. Their roles should be scientifically meaningful rather than merely administrative.
Think beyond publication numbers
Strong outcomes can include publications, patents, prototypes, collaborations, stronger research proposals, trained students, technology translation and a more sustainable research culture.
Show what will remain after five years
A convincing proposal should explain how the institution can continue benefiting from stronger people, research practices and collaborations after the formal Professorship ends.
What could make a proposal compelling?
The mentor
Does the applicant have a distinguished professional record and sustained contributions to research or innovation?
The institution
Are the participating departments capable of benefiting meaningfully from the proposed mentoring and research-development programme?
The approach
Is the proposed five-year approach scientifically meaningful, innovative, credible and suited to the needs of the institution?
The expected impact
Can the programme reasonably improve research quality, collaboration, innovation capability and the long-term research ecosystem?
What does the award provide?
The PM Professor receives a consolidated fellowship of ₹2,50,000 per month, equivalent to ₹30 lakh per year.
The programme also provides a research grant of ₹24 lakh per year. The current ANRF information states that this grant can support research personnel, consumables, domestic and international travel, contingencies, minor equipment and other research-related expenses permitted under the scheme.
A fixed ₹1 lakh per year institutional overhead is also provided.
Fellowship and research grant are different
The ₹30 lakh annual fellowship is the professor's consolidated fellowship. The ₹24 lakh research grant supports research activities and should not be interpreted as additional personal salary.
What does a PM Professor actually do?
The role centres on mentoring and strengthening research capacity. This can include guiding faculty members, PhD scholars, postdoctoral researchers and Master's students; strengthening research projects; promoting frontier and translational work; facilitating collaborations; and supporting the institution in developing a stronger innovation ecosystem.
The position is full-time and non-transferable. A selected PM Professor is expected to relocate to the approved host institution and cannot change the host institution during implementation of the programme.
Under the current programme conditions, the PM Professor cannot simultaneously receive another regular salary, fellowship or honorarium from another organisation and should not hold administrative roles or functions.
The five-year tenure includes a performance review after three years.
How to apply
Applications are submitted online through the ANRF portal. Applicants should first verify both their own eligibility and the eligibility of the proposed host institution.
- Register or log in to the ANRF online portal.
- Navigate to the relevant proposal-submission section and select the Prime Minister Professorship scheme.
- Identify an eligible host institution and develop the proposed programme with the participating departments.
- Prepare the activity title, objectives, keywords, expected outputs/outcomes and projected five-year research plan.
- Prepare the Technical Document and supporting documents using the current ANRF templates and instructions.
- Upload the required material and complete the online submission before 15 October 2026 at 5:00 PM IST.
What should applicants prepare?
The current official PM Professorship information identifies supporting documents including:
The online application also asks for information including the activity title, projected five-year research plan, keywords, objectives and expected outputs/outcomes. Other proposal details are submitted through the prescribed Technical Document.
Applicants should use the templates and file-size requirements shown on the live ANRF portal at the time of submission rather than relying on an older downloaded copy.
“I am a PhD student or young researcher. Why should I care?”
You may not be eligible for the PM Professorship today — but the programme offers an unusually clear picture of what a mature scientific career can become.
Research leadership at this level is not judged only through an individual's publication count. Mentoring, collaborations, patents, technology development, research funding, institution building and the ability to create opportunities for other scientists can become equally important.
For a young researcher, the long-term lesson is simple: build expertise, but also learn how to build people, research groups and scientific ecosystems.
The Prime Minister Professorship asks an unusual question of an accomplished scientist: after decades spent building your own scientific career, can that experience now help build an entire research ecosystem? That is what makes this programme different from an ordinary academic appointment.
Official sources & application
Programme details can change. MATTERQUEST strongly recommends checking the live ANRF pages before applying or making an institutional decision.