India RISE

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JOHNS HOPKINS Logo

RISE Curriculum

The India RISE Fellowship offers a year-long, integrated learning experience that supports early-career women researchers through advanced research training, culturally grounded leadership development, and personalised mentorship. The curriculum is designed using Competency-Based Education and Backward Design, ensuring every module aligns with clear learning outcomes and allows fellows to progress by demonstrating mastery. Through a blend of technical skill-building, leadership competencies, scaffolded learning activities, and real-world application, the programme equips fellows to become confident researchers, resilient leaders, and future mentors within India’s STEMM ecosystem.

Instructional Design Approach

The India RISE Fellowship is built upon a thoughtfully constructed instructional design framework, ensuring a highimpact and effective learning journey for all fellows.

Grounded in Learning Science

Our curriculum integrates evidence-based pedagogical research and cognitive science principles (e.g., Social Learning, Constructivist, Transformative, Self Determination, and Experiential Learning) to optimize knowledge retention, skill acquisition, and critical thinking for adult learners in STEMM fields.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Principles

Our framework aligns with UDL principles to provide flexible learning pathways, encourage learner agency, and foster selfefficacy, ensuring all fellows can access and engage with the curriculum in ways that best suit their needs and strengths.

High-Quality Online Learning Standards

Designed to meet rigorous international online education standards, the fellowship leverages interactive learning platforms, multimedia resources, and collaborative tools for an engaging and an accessible virtual learning experience.

Progressive Competency-Based Curriculum

The program features a progressive, competency-based approach, allowing fellows to build skills incrementally and demonstrate mastery, tailored to their individual development plans, personal experiences, and career aspirations.

Robust Evaluation & Assessment

Continuous and formative assessments, coupled with summative evaluations, track fellow progress, provide targeted feedback; direct authentic assessments ensure mastery of competencies, fostering a growth-oriented learning environment.

The India RISE Fellowship offers a year-long, integrated learning experience that supports early-career women researchers through advanced research training, culturally grounded leadership development, and personalised mentorship. The curriculum is designed using Competency-Based Education and Backward Design, ensuring every module aligns with clear learning outcomes and allows fellows to progress by demonstrating mastery. Through a blend of technical skill-building, leadership competencies, scaffolded learning activities, and real-world application, the programme equips fellows to become confident researchers, resilient leaders, and future mentors within India’s STEMM ecosystem.

Instructional Design Approach

The India RISE Fellowship is built upon a thoughtfully constructed instructional design framework, ensuring a highimpact and effective learning journey for all fellows.

Grounded in Learning Science

Our curriculum integrates evidence-based pedagogical research and cognitive science principles (e.g., Social Learning, Constructivist, Transformative, Self Determination, and Experiential Learning) to optimize knowledge retention, skill acquisition, and critical thinking for adult learners in STEMM fields.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Principles

Our framework aligns with UDL principles to provide flexible learning pathways, encourage learner agency, and foster selfefficacy, ensuring all fellows can access and engage with the curriculum in ways that best suit their needs and strengths.

High-Quality Online Learning Standards

Designed to meet rigorous international online education standards, the fellowship leverages interactive learning platforms, multimedia resources, and collaborative tools for an engaging and an accessible virtual learning experience.

Progressive Competency-Based Curriculum

The program features a progressive, competency-based approach, allowing fellows to build skills incrementally and demonstrate mastery, tailored to their individual development plans, personal experiences, and career aspirations.

Robust Evaluation & Assessment

Continuous and formative assessments, coupled with summative evaluations, track fellow progress, provide targeted feedback; direct authentic assessments ensure mastery of competencies, fostering a growth-oriented learning environment.

Program Format & Structure

Self-Paced Online Learning

Self-Paced Online Learning

Flexible self-paced online learning content on JHU's Canvas online learning platform, featuring engaging multimedia content, collaborative discussions, practical activities, assignments, quizzes, and knowledge checks. Authentic direct assessments demonstrate real-world application of learning and impact.
Live Virtual Workshops

Live Virtual Workshops

Interactive virtual training sessions with JHU faculty and expert facilitators. These immersive workshops focus on real-world application, skill practice, and direct assessments through small group breakouts and peer feedback opportunities.
In-Person Immersive Events

In-Person Immersive Events

Two immersive events per cohort, including industry site visits, leadership development workshops, networking receptions, and guest speaker engagements. Culminates in an annual Capstone Symposium where fellows present their research to global stakeholders.

2 - 4

Required Hours/Week

Self-paced online learning modules, virtual training workshops, group mentorship sessions

1 - 3

Optional Hours/Week

Enrichment resources, online communities of practice, webinars, coaching

18+

Faculty & SMEs

JHU faculty and India subject matter experts

8

Online Learning Modules

Flexible learning content

Learning Pathways

Research Pathway

Building Scientific Excellence
Fellows engage in structured curriculum progressively guiding advanced research skill-building including ethics training, proposal development, grant writing, project management, scientific writing, participatory research, stakeholder engagement, scientific communications and translational research. The personalized India RISE Capstone Project serves as a scholarly contribution and leadership demonstration to a global audience of diverse stakeholders which displays the India RISE Fellowship’s impact to advancing India’s research ecosystem.

Leadership Pathway

Empowering Women in STEMM
Leadership development is integrated throughout the fellowship curriculum through validated self-awareness tools (e.g., Gallup Clifton Strengths, Reflective Best Self Exercise), inclusive and adaptive leadership workshops, strategic leadership planning, resilient leadership practices, STEMM advocacy events, and personalized mentorship. Fellows create Individual Development Plans (IDPs) to customize each cohort’s leadership development experience and engage in structured peer coaching and networking to elevate their confidence as emerging leaders and future mentors within their institutions.

Mentorship Pathway

Strengthening Relationships
Mentorship is fully embedded into the India RISE Fellowship as a core learning strategy. Fellows engage in a triad mentorship model combining guidance from a Research Advisor, Program Mentor, and peer mentorship group to support both research and leadership development. Sessions are aligned with the curriculum and tied to each fellow’s Individual Development Plan (IDP), ensuring mentorship is personalized, goal-oriented, and reflective. This structured yet flexible approach fosters trusted relationships, professional growth, and a strong sense of community throughout the fellowship.

Program Competencies

The fellowship’s curriculum is contextualized to India to localize the content for cultural relevance and impact.
Equip early-career women STEMM researchers with the technical expertise to design, conduct, and communicate high-impact research, manage projects efficiently, and secure competitive funding through robust proposal development and grant writing.
Enhance scientific communication, presentation skills, and multidisciplinary collaboration, ensuring fellows can disseminate research findings to diverse audiences, build professional networks, and produce innovative research that advances India's STEMM landscape, positioning India as a global leader in scientific and technological innovation.
Foster authentic, inclusive, and strategic leadership skills, empowering fellows to take on leadership roles, drive change within their teams and institutions, and serve as role models and mentors for the next generation of Indian women STEMM scientists.

Impact & Future Opportunities

Empowering the next generation of women STEMM research leaders in India

Verified credential recognizing advanced research and leadership competencies.

Lifelong connections with fellow researchers worldwide and ongoing career support resources for career advancement.

Competitive post-fellowship funding opportunity for high impact research projects.

The JHU GKII India RISE Fellowship prepares fellows to advance their research careers with confidence to create lasting impact within India’s research ecosystem.

Download the Fellows’ Quick Guide to the Capstone Project

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