Program Outline
The India RISE (Research & Innovation STEMM Empowerment) Fellowship is a prestigious 12-month, flexible, part-time program designed to support early-career Indian women researchers in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine). Launched by the Gupta-Klinsky India Institute (GKII) at Johns Hopkins University and anchored under the U.S.-India Alliance for Women’s Economic Empowerment, the Fellowship seeks to accelerate research leadership in STEMM fields across India. Fellows continue in their institutional roles while engaging in a self-paced, structured online curriculum, live virtual learning, and two in-person convenings in India. The program combines advanced research training, leadership development, and personalized mentorship with global networking opportunities.
“Transforming research ecosystems means rethinking how institutions support women, not to enter but grow to the fullest potential and lead."
What makes the India RISE Fellowship Distinctive?
The India RISE Fellowship is a 12-month, in-role leadership and research development programme designed for early-career Indian women in STEMM at the critical five- to ten-year post-PhD stage, where attrition from the research pipeline is highest. What makes the fellowship distinctive is its integration of technical research training, behavioural leadership development, and personalised mentorship into one cohesive experience that is deeply contextualised to India’s research ecosystem. Guided by a comprehensive Theory of Change, India RISE addresses barriers to women’s participation at the individual, institutional, and societal levels while allowing fellows to remain embedded in their home institutions rather than stepping away from their research environments.
The program’s flexible, hybrid structure blends self-paced online modules, high-impact virtual workshops, and engaging in-person convenings. Through a project-based curriculum culminating in a Capstone research project, fellows apply their learning directly to real-world scientific challenges aligned with India’s national STEMM priorities. Participants gain access to a curated library of over 400 resources and opportunities, including grants, scholarships, career pathways, and premium learning courses, and may compete for a USD 50,000 research grant challenge that enables the transition from training to funded research.
A distinctive triad mentorship model, customised Individual Development Plans (IDPs), and travel support enhance each fellow’s professional trajectory, while a lifelong India RISE peer network strengthens community and collaboration. The fellowship is committed to continuous assessment and evaluation, generating insights that can inform systems-level change in Indian research institutions. As a programme of the Gupta-Klinsky India Institute at Johns Hopkins University, India RISE also sits within the broader U.S.–India research corridor, expanding opportunities for cross-border dialogue, visibility, and scientific exchange. Altogether, this holistic experience enables women scientists to strengthen technical expertise, build confidence and leadership capacity, and emerge as influential contributors to the future of STEMM in India and beyond.
"With India continuing to push the boundaries of scientific and technological advancement, it must ensure the full participation of women in this journey"
Our Theory of Change
Key Features
Structured Research Curriculum
Experts from Hopkins & India have designed curriculum in proposal development, project management, research ethics, grant writing, scientific communications & presentations. Fellows apply this learning directly through a year-long Capstone project aligned with national STEMM priorities.
Leadership Masterclass / Workshops
Experts from Hopkins and India provide engaging leadership panels, interactive workshops with integrated leadership curriculum to inspire and develop confidence in next generation of researchers.
Individual Development Plans
Each fellow creates an individual development plan (IDP) to chart personalized goals in research, leadership and career advancement. This IDP is a roadmap to track progress and outcomes.
StrengthsFinder Top 5 Assessment
The Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment by Gallup, a validated tool used to support self-awareness and leadership growth, explored throughout the fellowship’s dedicated module on Global Women in Leadership, revisited during the Capstone and IDPs to reflect on fellows’ personal development throughout the curriculum.
Supportive Peer Network
Fellows engage in regular peer learning sessions, cross-cohort collaborations, and network-building activities with researchers, mentors, and leaders across disciplines.
Personalised Capstone Projects
Fellows design and execute an individualised Capstone Project tailored to their personal interests, research focus, and career aspirations in STEMM and India. This culminating learning experience allows fellows to demonstrate advanced research and leadership competencies, leading to tangible impact on India’s research ecosystem.
Program Goal
Empower early-career women scientists in India to enhance their research output, leadership skills, and professional networks at a pivotal stage of their careers. Targeting women who have recently completed advanced degrees and begun independent research roles, the fellowship intervenes at the point many women otherwise exit the scientific workforce.
The India RISE Fellowship has formally announced its first cohort in December 2025. Fellow selection took place through an invitation-only partnership with leading academic and research institutions across India. We are not accepting unsolicited applications at this time.
In the meantime, we welcome prospective partners and collaborators to learn more about the fellowship’s vision and explore ways to engage.