Deadline: 14-Jan-2026
The Maitri Fellowships Program is inviting applications for its 2025–26 round, offering a unique opportunity to strengthen academic and policy research links between Australia and India.
Designed to support leading policy researchers, the program enables secondments with prominent organisations in both countries, fostering deeper institutional ties and building long-term research capacity while enhancing public discourse on bilateral, economic, and geostrategic issues.
The program offers three fellowship streams tailored to promote collaboration. Inward Fellowships support Indian researchers—including Research Fellows, Senior Research Fellows, Associate Professors, or Principal Research Fellows—to undertake up to 12 months of research in Australia. Outward Fellowships offer Australian researchers at the same career levels the opportunity to spend up to 12 months conducting research in India. Additionally, Two-way Fellowships provide a unique platform for an Australian and an Indian Fellow to engage in a joint research exchange for up to two years, hosted by their respective home institutions.
Up to $600,000 has been allocated for the Maitri Fellowships Program in the 2025–26 financial year. Applicants may request funding ranging from a minimum of $40,000 to a maximum of $300,000, with the grant period extending up to four years. These flexible funding arrangements aim to support impactful and sustained research collaborations.
Applications are open exclusively to Australian organisations with demonstrated experience in the Australia-India bilateral relationship. They must meet the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) due diligence requirements, including ABN registration, a clean sanctions record, and passing criminal and reputational checks. Fellows themselves must also meet eligibility criteria: inbound fellows must be Indian citizens without permanent Australian residency, while outbound fellows must be Australian citizens without permanent residency in India. All fellows must maintain valid visas and actively participate in events and activities organised by the Centre, DFAT, and their host organisations.
Through these fellowships, the program seeks to deepen mutual understanding, drive collaborative research, and contribute to the future of Australia-India relations.
For more information, visit Centre for Australia-India Relations.