Short Term Studentship

Short Term Studentship (STS) program is intended to encourage and support interested MBBS/BDS students in research. It is an initiative of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The program was initiated in 1979.

Objective

The main objective of this program is to provide an opportunity to undergraduate medical students to familiarize themselves with research methodology and techniques by being associated for a short duration with their seniors on ongoing research program or by undertaking independent projects. This serves as an incentive for them to take up research as a career in the future.

Benefits

The value of the studentship from the year 2023 is Rs. 25,000/- per month for two months’ duration (Rs. 50,000/- only) and is meant to be a stipend for the student. This is paid only after completion of research and approval of final report. Costs of research must be borne by Institution/ Medical College where research is conducted. An e-certificate will be issued to the student’s email ID within 2-3 months of the report result declaration as per exiting guidelines.

Eligibility

This program is only for MBBS/BDS students studying in Medical/Dental colleges recognized by MCI/DCI, before they appear in their final exams and therefore, interns/ PG students are not eligible to apply. Students of paramedical/non-medical courses may not apply.

The student must carry out the research in his/ her own medical/dental college under the guide who is employed in the medical/dental college as a full time regular faculty. Only permanent full time faculty members working in any of the Department of the Medical/Dental College where the student is enrolled can act as the guide. Part time consultants/visiting faculty/ residents/ Readers/Tutors/ Pool officers/ /Demonstrators/PG students/Surgeons cannot be the guide.

Only one student will be allowed to work under one guide. Two or more students are not permitted to work on same topic together. Proposals submitted on the same topic by different students are liable to be rejected outright. The student may have one Guide and other Co-Guides but may note that the ICMR does not recognize any Co-Guides for STS, so kindly do not send emails asking for the same. ICMR will recognize only ONE main Guide for STS.

Indian National students who are studying in recognised medical/dental colleges of India can apply. Students who are holding OCI cards/ PIO cards/ NRI’s studying in Indian medical/dental college can also apply and copy of the OCI/ PIO/ NRI card must be submitted. Students from foreign medical/dental colleges are not eligible for this program.

Process, including application

STS is a fully online program. No hard copies have to be submitted.

The student is required to register on ICMR website and then submit the application form and proposal online by end of January every year which will be evaluated by ICMR. Results will be announced by first week of April and list of selected students displayed on the ICMR STS website . If selected, the student is expected to complete the project in any two given months between April to September every year and submit the report in October. The student will be awarded stipend and e-certificate only if his/ her report is approved as per existing guidelines. 

Click here to see STS Program timelines.

The last date of registration & submission of proposal each year is end of January.

Guide must take overall responsibility for the conduct of the research project, preparation and submission of complete report & the required enclosures within the stipulated time period.

The selection of the candidates for award of research studentship will be done after technical evaluation of the research plan by a panel of experts. The decision of ICMR in regard to selection of students will be final. Requests for reconsideration will not be entertained and reasons for rejection of applications for award of studentship will not be provided.

Short Term Studentship (STS) Excellence Award

The ICMR-Calcutta National Medical College (CNMC) Short Term Studentship (STS) Excellence Award was instituted by CNMC Alumni Association, Kolkata in the year 2015. This award is conferred upon a medical/dental undergraduate student who has been awarded ICMR-STS in preceding three years and has published a paper on the awarded STS research work in an Journal Citation Report (JCR) indexed journal as the first/joint first author. This award aims to encourage undergraduate medical/dental students to take up bio-research as a career prospect too.

For more information, visit https://sts.icmr.org.in