HEC IRSIP Batch 60: 6-Month Overseas Research Fellowship for Pakistani PhD Scholars

Your PhD research could take you to a world-class laboratory this winter, and the Higher Education Commission is willing to pay for it. The HEC IRSIP Batch 60 fellowship offers a 6-month research stay abroad with up to $1,300 airfare and $1,500 monthly support for scholars placed in the USA. Applications opened on 1 October and will close on 30 October 2026, so the window is short and every single day counts.

The International Research Support Initiative Program, better known as IRSIP, is one of HEC's oldest and most respected schemes. Every batch sends Pakistani PhD scholars to top-ranked universities in developed countries, where they conduct a part of their thesis research under an international supervisor. It does not replace your Pakistani degree. You go abroad for six months, carry out your research, and return to finish your PhD at your parent university.

HEC IRSIP Batch 60: Who Can Apply

This fellowship is not open to everyone, and HEC has drawn the eligibility lines very clearly. You must be a Pakistani or AJK national enrolled as a full-time PhD student at an HEC-recognized university. Part-time students and those studying outside Pakistan cannot apply.

Your coursework must be mostly behind you. HEC requires at least 18 credit hours of completed PhD coursework before you apply. You must also have spent between 18 months and 3.5 years in your PhD program at the time of application. For Batch 60, this translates to students who enrolled between Spring 2023 and Spring 2025. If you started earlier or later, this batch is simply not for you.

Two more academic conditions apply. You must have passed the GAT Subject test or your university's own admission test when you joined the PhD, and your research topic and synopsis must already be approved by your university's research board, such as the BASR or DASR. Scholars who are already benefiting from another HEC scholarship are not automatically disqualified, but they must submit an NOC from their HEC dealing officer.

What You Get: Airfare, Monthly Stipend and Bench Fee

Let us talk about the money, because this is where IRSIP stands out from most local programs. Every selected scholar gets an economy-class return air ticket worth up to $1,300. That single benefit removes the biggest upfront cost of going abroad.

The monthly living allowance depends on your destination. Scholars placed in the United States receive up to $1,500 per month, which is the highest rate in the program. Those heading to the United Kingdom get up to 750 pounds per month. For Austria, Germany and the Netherlands the rate is 975 euros, while the rest of Europe pays 900 euros. Korea, China and Malaysia come with $800 per month, and every other destination offers $1,200 per month.

There is also a bench fee provision, which many applicants miss. If the foreign lab charges a fee for using its facilities, HEC will reimburse it up to $3,500 (or the equivalent in pounds, euros, Canadian or Australian dollars). But there is a catch worth underlining: the fee must already be written in your acceptance letter at the time of selection. You pay it first, and HEC reimburses you after you submit the paid invoice.

One obligation comes with all this support. Selected scholars must sign a bond with HEC agreeing to return and complete their PhD at their parent university in Pakistan. The program builds researchers for Pakistan, and HEC takes that commitment seriously.

The Foreign Host: Invitation Letter and Supervisor Rules

The single hardest part of the IRSIP application is not the form. It is the acceptance letter. You must secure an official acceptance or invitation letter from a foreign university, research institute or laboratory before you apply, and the host must meet HEC's standards.

The institution has to be in a developed country and ranked among the top universities, either overall or in your subject, in the THE or QS World University Rankings. This rule exists to guarantee that you land in a genuinely advanced research environment, not just any lab that happens to reply to your email.

The foreign supervisor matters just as much. They must be a full-time faculty member at the level of Assistant Professor or above. HEC also applies an anti-conflict rule: the proposed foreign supervisor must not be the former supervisor of your local PhD supervisor. Two applicants who share the same local supervisor must choose different foreign supervisors or different universities, so do not both email the same professor with identical plans.

The practical advice is simple. Identify research groups that match your thesis topic, write polite and specific emails to professors, and start now. Supervisors receive dozens of such requests every week, and the good ones reply to scholars who show they have actually read their work.

How to Apply in 7 Steps Before 30 October

The portal stays open from 1 to 30 October 2026, and here is the exact sequence to follow.

Step 1: Confirm your eligibility against every criterion above, including your intake dates, credit hours and test scores. Do not apply on hope.

Step 2: Get your research topic and synopsis formally approved by your university's research board if it is not approved already.

Step 3: Shortlist foreign research groups aligned with your thesis and email potential supervisors with a sharp, personalized message.

Step 4: Secure the official acceptance or invitation letter, and make sure any bench fee is stated in it.

Step 5: Collect your documents: the approved synopsis, the foreign supervisor's HEC proforma and CV, the acceptance letter, and a recommendation letter from your local PhD supervisor.

Step 6: Complete the online application at scholarship.hec.gov.pk, uploading every required document.

Step 7: Press submit and confirm your application status shows "Submitted." Applications left in "Saved" status are treated as incomplete and will not be processed.

Hard copies are not required with the initial online submission, though HEC may ask selected candidates for them later. And do not leave this to the final day. Portals slow down, supervisors go quiet, and documents go missing exactly when the deadline pressure peaks.

FAQs

What is the deadline for HEC IRSIP Batch 60?

The application portal is open from 1 October to 30 October 2026. You must submit your complete online application at scholarship.hec.gov.pk before the deadline, and your status must show "Submitted," since applications left in "Saved" status will not be considered.

Who is eligible for the IRSIP fellowship?

Pakistani or AJK nationals enrolled full-time in a PhD at an HEC-recognized university can apply. You need at least 18 credit hours of completed coursework, between 18 months and 3.5 years of PhD study (Spring 2023 to Spring 2025 intakes for this batch), a valid GAT Subject or university admission test, and an approved research topic and synopsis.

How much funding do IRSIP scholars receive?

Every scholar gets an economy return air ticket worth up to $1,300, plus a monthly living allowance that depends on the destination. The USA pays up to $1,500 per month and the UK up to 750 pounds per month, with set rates for Europe, Korea, China, Malaysia and the rest of the world. A bench fee can also be reimbursed up to $3,500 if it is stated in your acceptance letter.

What must the foreign host university and supervisor be like?

The host must be a university, research institute or laboratory in a developed country, ranked in the THE or QS World University Rankings overall or by subject. Your foreign supervisor must be a full-time faculty member at Assistant Professor level or above, and must not be the former supervisor of your local PhD supervisor.

Do scholars have to return to Pakistan after the fellowship?

Yes. Selected candidates sign a bond with HEC under which they agree to return and complete their PhD studies at their parent university. The six-month stay abroad is meant to strengthen your thesis research with international exposure, not to transfer your degree overseas.