ICRISAT Global call for applications 2025-26

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is a pioneering International Organization committed to developing and improving dryland farming and agri-food systems to address the challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and environmental degradation affecting the 2.1 billion people residing in the drylands of Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and beyond. 

ICRISAT invites applications from eligible candidates globally for its 2025-26 academic year for a Study-cum Research Program under the following categories:

Internship Program – Duration: 6 weeks to 3 months Master’s 

Research Program – Duration: 3 months to 6 months Doctoral 

Research Program – Duration: 6 months to 3 years

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Eligibility Criteria

• Candidates should have been enrolled in a recognized academic Institute/university for Master’s (MSc-level research), Doctoral (PhD-level research), and BSc (for internship) programs. Student research/internship should be a part of their academic requirements.

• Candidates should have completed all required coursework and should be free from classroom attendance during the period of study at ICRISAT.

 • In addition, recent graduates (Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD) seeking to enhance their skills for further studies, employment, or market readiness are also eligible to apply.

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Other Requirements

Applicants must submit their applications online and pay a non-refundable application fee inclusive of GST: USD 20 for international applicants (applying from outside India). ₹ 1,500 for Indian students (applying from within India).

• It is mandatory for all applicants to procure and maintain self-acquired travel, accident, and health insurance for the duration of their stay at ICRISAT.

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Application Process

• Applications are accepted year-round but will be reviewed and processed three times a year – in June, September, and March.

• Applicants must submit their application at least 45 days before their intended start date.

• All applications must be submitted online via the link provided below.

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Selection Criteria

Students will be selected based on the following criteria: 
 • Alignment with the requirements of ICRISAT scientists or ongoing research programs (refer to the table below). 
 • Academic performance and qualifications. 
 • Personal interview (Optional).

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Bench Fee*#

 ICRISAT charges a nominal bench fee to cover the cost of office space, database access, library usage, and incidental research expenses such as chemicals, glassware, safety gear, and facilitation services.

• Internships (up to three months): USD 100 for the f irst three months, plus USD 25 for each additional month or part thereof.

• Master’s Research Students (up to 6 months): USD 100 for the first six months, plus USD 50 for every additional 6-month period or part thereof. 

 • Doctoral Research Students (up to 12 months): USD 150 for the first 12 months, plus USD 50 for every additional 6-month period or part thereof. 

Note: A limited number of scholarships/fellowships are also available, which will be given to deserving candidates. 

* Bench fee does not cover students’ food, stay, and travel expenses.

# Students from low-income countries (as classified by the FAO) are eligible for a 50% concession. 

USD amounts may be converted into equivalent local currency at the time of payment.

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Location-wise estimated vacancies, 2025-26

Location	Internships	MSc	PhD
ICRISAT-Patancheru Campus at Hyderabad, India	93	38	24
African Regional locations	20	4	7

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Study-cum-Research Programs will be offered in the following areas/discipline, by location:

Africa Locations: East & Southern Africa and West and Central Africa

S.No	Location	Research Area	Eligible PG/PhD Disciplines	MSc	PhD
1.	Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	Agrometeorology/Agronomy.	Agronomy, Agroforestry, Crop/Plant Physiology, Environmental Science, Horticulture, Soil Science& Agri Chemistry, Soil & Water Conservation Engineering.	1
2.	Bamako, Mali	Climate change and land degradation.	Agronomy, Soil Science; Agricultural Economics/Environmental Economics.		2
3.	Kano, Nigera	Genetics & Crop Breeding, Seed System Development.	Genetics and Plant Breeding, Biotechnology.	1
4.	Nairobi, Kenya	Genomics, Pre-breeding and Bioinformatics, breeding.	Genetics and Plant Breeding, Biotechnology.	3	4
Grand Total				4	7

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ICRISAT Headquarters at Patancheru (Hyderabad), Telangana, India

S.No	Research Area	Eligible PG/PhD Disciplines	MSc	PhD
1.	Natural Resource Management, Watershed Management, Soil & Water Conservation, Climate Change Adaptation Studies, Regenerative Agriculture, Soil Compaction Studies, Hydrology, Water Budgeting, Landscape Resource Conservation, Hydrological modelling, Soil Microbiology.	Agronomy, Agroforestry, Crop/Plant Physiology, Environmental Science, Horticulture, Soil Science& Agri Chemistry, Soil & Water Conservation Engineering.	10	5
2.	Digital Soil Mapping, Remote Sensing/Geospatial Sciences, Big Data, Hydrological Modelling, Soil Spectroscopy.	Agronomy, Agroforestry, Environmental Science, Soil Science& Agri Chemistry, Soil & Water Conservation Engineering, Civil Engineering, Geography, Cartography.	4	1
3.	Digital Agriculture, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Applications in Agriculture, Digital Agriculture/Data Science, Data Engineering & Analytics.	Agri. Extension, Agri.Statistics, Farm Machinery Power Engineering, Masters in IT/Computer Science/ECE, MCA.	2	0
4.	Gender Equality and Social Inclusion	Agri. Extension, Agricultural Economics, Home Science, Master of Social Work and MA Sociology.
5.	Crop Breeding and Genetics, Genetic resources conservation, Cell & Molecular Biology and Trait Engineering, Genomics, Pre-breeding and Bioinformatics, Sequencing and Genomics Services, Legume Breeding.	Genetics and Plant Breeding, Biotechnology.	10	12
6.	Climate Risk, Value Chain and Sustainability assessments, Technology Adoption & Impact assessment, Monitoring & Evaluation, Agricultural Policy, Ecosystem Services, Econometric Analysis & Modelling, Water Governance.	Agricultural Economics/Economics, Environmental Economics; Agribusiness Management.	6	1
7.	Climate Change, Biotic Stress Management, Legume Pathology, Plant Quarantine, Plant Health Management.	Botany, Economic Botany, Agri/Plant Entomology, Zoology, Plant Pathology.	5	5
8.	Intellectual Property Rights.	Master’s in Law.	1
Grand Total			38	24

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