Data Collection Abroad

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Under this Scheme, the ICSSR provides financial assistance to Indian Social Science Scholars who intend to visit abroad for the purposes of Data Collection or consulting Archival Material in connection with their research work.

1.2 It is aimed at providing financial assistance to ICSSR scholars who have proposed field work abroad in their original approved fellowship or project proposal and made substantial progress in their research or any other independent scholar where data collection abroad is academically justified for research undertaken and are at an advance stage of their research.

1.3 The broad disciplines within the domain of social sciences, are:

(i) Sociology and Social Anthropology;
(ii) Political Science / Public Administration;
(iii) Economics;
(iv) International Studies;
(v) Social Geography and Population Studies;
(vi) Commerce and Management;
(vii) Social Psychology;
(viii) Education;
(ix) Social Linguistics / Socio-Cultural Studies
(x) Law / International Law
(xi) National Security & Strategic Studies;
(xii) Other allied Social Science disciplines (Library Science, Social Work, Media Studies, Modern Social History, Health Studies, Gender Studies and Environmental Studies, Energy Studies, Diaspora Studies, Area Studies, Sanskrit-Society & Culture, etc.) to promote interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research.

2. ELIGIBILITY

2.1 Faculty members in ICSSR research institute/institutions of national importance as defined by the HRD Ministry/university/deemed university/college recognized by the UGC having a Ph.D are eligible to apply.

2.2 Ph.D/PDF scholars are also eligible to apply.

2.3 Only those applications will be considered for assistance under the scheme who have –

  1. Letter from the libraries/archives/institutions, etc. in India stating non-availability of desired data;
  2. Letter from the libraries/archives/institutions, etc. from abroad stating availability of the desired data and permission to access it;
  3. Finalized schedules of primary/secondary data to be collected and appointment with the desired faculty/experts from the mentioned institutions.
  4. Academic justification for the field visit especially when primary sources and data are available online.

2.4 The applications, which were not approved, will not be reconsidered.

3. HOW TO APPLY

3.1 Applications are received online throughout the year.

3.2 After submitting online application, a hard copy of the same, along with all enclosures, must be sent to: In-charge, IC Division, Indian Council of Social Science Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067.

3.3 Application and reports should either be in English or Hindi.

4. PROCEDURE FOR AWARD

4.1 Applications are initially scrutinised by the ICSSR Secretariat.

4.2 Thereafter an Expert Committee will select the meritorious proposals.

4.2 The merit of the proposal and justification for foreign visit for field work would be the sole criteria for evaluation by the Expert Committee.

4.3 The recommendations of the Expert Committee are then placed before the Research Committee/Council for its final approval.

5. DURATION AND VALUE

5.1 The visit under this Scheme should not be for more than one month duration.

5.2 The total expenditure on the foreign visit including economy class airfare, visa fee, travel insurance, local conveyance and maintenance, etc. should not normally exceed to Rs.3 lakhs.

6. RELEASE OF GRANT

6.1 The sanctioned amount towards maintenance will be released before commencement of the visit on submission of the copy of passport, visa procured, ticket and an undertaking. In case of a scholar receiving air fare from any other source, 75 % of the maintenance grant would be given in advance and remaining 25 % after satisfactory submission of the relevant documents including Statement of Expenditure.

6.2 The expenditure will be reimbursed on submission of the statement of expenditure indicating air tickets costs, Visa fees, Insurance Charges, Hotel Bills, Purchase of Foreign Currency Bill, local airport transfers, along with photocopy of passport, immigration stamped paper, original boarding pass and detailed report on the work done related to your research.

6.3 The air tickets (economy class) should be purchased only from the three Authorized Travel Agents viz: M/s Ashoka Travels and Tours (ATT), M/s Balmer Lawrie & Company Ltd (BLCL), Indian Railways Catering & Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC).

7. MONITORING

7.1 The ICSSR may ask for a copy of the tickets booked and visa obtained before departure.

8. CONDITIONS

8.1 Any unspent balance must be refunded to the ICSSR.

8.2 If any publications either through Monographs/Book brought out from the material collected under ICSSR support for data collection, the ICSSR’s funding should be duly acknowledged and a copy of the publication should be sent to the ICSSR.

8.3 Application for the second time will be considered only after a gap of three years. However, a scholar can avail the award only twice in his/her lifetime.

8.4 ICSSR follows Government of India Rules & Directives with regard to SC, ST and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities categories.

8.5 Preference will be given to applicants having proficiency in the native language of the country of visit.

8.6 The Council reserves the right to reject any application without assigning any reason. It is also not responsible for any postal delays/loss.

8.7 Incomplete applications and those not duly forwarded (except independent scholars) will not be considered.

8.8 The final authority related to the interpretation of the guidelines or any issue left is vested with the ICSSR.

9. COMPLETION

On completion of the visit, the scholar should submit the following:

9.1 A detailed report on the research work done during the visit should be submitted at the time of claiming reimbursement of travel/maintenance. In case of students, the report should be duly forwarded by the Supervisor. A copy of collected data should also be submitted along with the report to the ICSSR.

9.2 Copies of air ticket, visa, original boarding pass, attendance certificate etc.

9.3 In addition to the above, faculties/scholars are required to submit a copy of their final thesis/report/book, etc. with due acknowledgement of the ICSSR.