SINDH HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION

Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program (International)

INTRODUCTION
Sindh Higher Education Commission is offering International Fellowship strictly based on an open
merit-based process for regular faculty members (BPS / TTS) of the province of Sindh. 60 percent
fellowships slots are reserved for faculty members of public sector universities and HEIs in Sindh,
private universities are given 25 percent slots, and 15 percent slots are allocated for research
officers of the public sector R&D organizations of Sindh (recognized by Pakistan Council of Science
and Technology).

PREFERRED AREAS:
a. Human nutrition
b. Biomedical and Health Sciences
c. Pharmaceutical
d. Food processing and value addition
e. Precision agriculture
f. Solid waste management
g. Urban planning
h. Digital transformation
i. Cybersecurity
j. Infection prevention and treatment
k. Conservation of cultural heritage
l. AI Applications in various fields of national needs
m. Energy devices

# Projects in the other areas/fields of studies will also be considered

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
The Applicant must:
i. Hold Ph. D. degree from HEC recognized local or foreign university (in possession of an
attested Ph.D. degree or HEC Equivalence Certificate for a foreign Ph.D.).
ii. Be a regular employee of public/private sector universities/ HEIs/ R&D institutions.
iii. Not over 45 years of age on the last date of submission.
iv. Possess five years recognized work experience in Sindh, Pakistan, after completing Ph.D.
v. A placement letter (on the host university letterhead) from the top 200 QS World Ranking
Universities/ 200 QS World Subject ranking research institutes will be preferred. In case of
placement in top 500 QS World Ranking Universities, strong standing of host supervisor will
be extensively reviewed.
vi. Female researchers are encouraged to apply.

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Applicants not Eligible:

i. Applicants who have already availed or are already availing any other Post-Doctoral Fellowship
of Sindh HEC/ HEC Pakistan / other related organizations.
ii. Applicants who are not regular faculty members (BPS/TTS) in public/private sector
universities/ HEIs/ or not regular employees of R&D institutions.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
i. Selected scholars will have to ensure that entire research is carried out in the designated host
foreign institution. They have to be physically present in the same University/department for
which approval is granted.
ii. The maximum duration for stay abroad is nine (09) months. The selected scholar cannot
return back to Pakistan during fellowship period, except with prior permission from the
SHEC.
iii. In case the scholar returns back to Pakistan without completing nine months of the
postdoctoral fellowship at host university/institute, and without obtaining prior permission
from SHEC, the foreign stipend will not be admissible. SINDH HEC reserves the right to
adjust/recover any advance payment or entire amount, and to initiate legal proceedings, as
the case may be.
iv. The person availing the fellowship would be required to sign a surety bond, co-signed by a
guarantor requiring him/her to return to parent institution in Sindh, Pakistan, on completion
of post-doctoral fellowship and serve in the university/institution/organization in Sindh,
Pakistan, for a period of three (03) years.
v. Post-Doctoral Fellowship applications are processed on the basis of online information/data
provided by the applicants and in case of any error/omission and misrepresentation, the
SINDH HEC reserves the right to reject the application at any stage or recover full amount
with/without penalty (as the case may be) after award of the fellowship. However, the
SINDH HEC will provide full justification of its decision.
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED IN HARD AND SOFT FORMAT:
1. Updated/accurate CV
2. Applicants are required to submit a clearly written research proposal in required format
(Refer to the section “Outcome and deliverable”).
3. Letter of Acceptance as Post Doc/ Visiting Research fellow: The letter must be on the
University/ institutional letterhead. The proposed research study, its title, why is it beneficial
for both parties, etc. must be clearly 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 the Host
Supervisor must be mentioned in the letter. The letter should confirm the Host University's
commitment, and how much it will charge on account of Bench Fee/ Lab Experimentation
Cost (if any) for the proposed project. Applications with bench fee waiver will be preferred.
4. Curriculum Vitae of the Host Supervisor.
5. HEC attested Ph.D. degree (for local Ph.D. degree holders only).
6. HEC Equivalence Certificate (for foreign Ph.D. degree holders only).

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 7. Foreign Ph.D. Degree & Transcript with authentic translation (for foreign Ph.D. Degree
holders only).
8. Duty Resumption Notification (Only for the applicants who have completed Ph.D. during
service after obtaining study leave).
9. Experience Certificates (Only for foreign Ph.D. degree holders in support of their claim of five
years recognized work experience).

10. NOC from the relevant government department/university authorities. (Required when
applicant is shortlisted by the SINDH HEC for further processing).
11. Appointment/regularization letter as a TTS/BPS faculty member /research officers in
public/private sector university/ HEIs/ R&D Institutions.
12. NOC for HEC/Sindh HEC Scholarships/research projects (Completed/Ongoing, as PI or Co-
PI).
13. A checklist
14. All above documents in ONE PDF file.

Note:
 All the above documents should be tape bind and in the same order as mentioned above.
 Incomplete applications or applications with missing documents will be rejected.

OUTCOME AND EVALUATION

The research proposals shall clearly outline how applicant intends to satisfy at least 3 of the 7
outcomes/deliverable identified below:
 Access to equipment and high-impact research collaborators, not available in Pakistan
 Learn new advancement / areas which can benefit the Parent institution and Pakistan.
 Research proposal focusing on priority areas, mentioned in page 1.
 Creation of externally funded research linkages and collaborations.
 Creation and introduction of new programs and courses in Pakistan.
 Manuscripts in Peer-Reviewed High Impact Factor Journals/ International Patents.
 Production of Books/ Book Chapters/ Conference Proceedings (applies to Social Sciences,
Arts, and Humanities only)
The SINDH HEC expert evaluation committee will review the quarterly and final progress
reports in the light of above KPIs, and deliverables / outcomes mentioned in the research
proposal.
PROGRESS REPORT SUBMISSION

The selected candidates required to submit a quarterly progress report to the SINDH HEC and to
their HODs. These reports need to be duly endorsed by the host supervisors. Only After satisfactory
6-month report candidates will be allowed to continue their studies abroad for remaining period.
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FINANCIAL SUPPORT
The maximum fellowship amount per scholar for total duration of Scholarship (Including Living
Allowance, Health Insurance, Research/Lab Cost and Air Ticket (economy class).

SN Item Unit Cost (PKR)

1 Living Allowance* USD 1500 per month (Maximum)
2 Health Insurance** USD 2000 Once
3 Research Lab/Experimentation Cost***
USD 6000 Once
(Bench fee)
4 Air Ticket (Return)**** Rupees 350,000/- Once

* The stipend to the scholars will be paid according to the PPP (Purchasing Power Parity) of host
country. The list for stipend rate for various countries is given at Annexure-I.
**Health Insurance will be paid upon providing the 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. Applications with bench fee waiver will be preferred.
****Actual economy class air ticket (most direct/cheapest) will be paid.

Application, complete in all respect, must reach the Sindh Higher Education Commission
office, at F-60/1 Shahrah-e-Attar, near Abdullah Shah Ghazi Shrine, Block 4 Clifton, Karachi
on or before 20th May, 2024 through registered post and Email the same at
[email protected]. The application submitted by hand will not be entertained.

Contact Details:
Assistant Director (Quality Assurance)
Sindh Higher Education Commission
Karachi.
Email: [email protected]
www.sindhhec.gov.pk