Google offers Rs 47 lakh for PhD fellowship programme, apply by April 30

Google opened applications for its PhD Fellowship 2026, and India is among the regions included. Indian universities can nominate early-stage and late-stage PhD students for funding tied to research, travel and academic work. The fellowship offers a stipend up to Rs 47 lakh.

In Short

• Indian PhD students can receive up to US $50,000 under Google fellowship
• Universities, not students, must submit nominations for India
• Applications close on April 30, 2026, with three nominations per university

Google has opened applications for its PhD Fellowship programme for the 2026 cycle, with India among the supported regions with a stipend up to Rs 47.4 lakh.

The fellowship is designed for outstanding PhD students and is meant to recognise innovative research in computer science and related fields. For Indian scholars, the award can provide major support for research, travel and academic growth.

For India, the programme is especially significant because it is not a direct student application. Instead, universities must nominate candidates, and only a limited number of students can be put forward.

The application opened on March 5, 2026, and will close on April 30, 2026 at 11:59:59 pm UTC.

Decisions are expected by August 31, 2026, while new recipients will be announced publicly by October 31, 2026.

WHO CAN APPLY

• Incoming or early-stage PhD students from India can be nominated by their university.
• The award is only valid if the student registers for a full-time PhD programme in computer science or an adjacent field within the award year.
• The fellowship does not itself guarantee admission to a PhD programme.
• The university must be an accredited research institution.
• Students must remain enroled full-time for the duration of the fellowship.

HOW TO APPLY

• The university must nominate the student; direct applications from students are not accepted.
• Applications must be submitted by an official representative of the university during the application window.
• The India-specific application must include the student’s transcripts from the first year or semester of a bachelor’s degree to date, 2 to 3 letters of recommendation, and a one-page CV of the primary PhD programme advisor.
• All materials must be submitted in English and uploaded as a single flat PDF.

FELLOWSHIP MONEY AND ROLE OF THE FELLOW

For Indian students, Google offers two support levels. Early-stage PhD students can receive USD 50,000 (Rs 47.42 lakh) for up to four years to cover stipend, research activities and travel, including overseas travel.

Late-stage PhD students can receive USD 10,000 (Rs 9.48 lakh) for one year to recognise research contributions and cover similar expenses.

The fellowship’s role is research-focused. Fellows may work in areas such as computer architecture, algorithms and optimisation, health research, human-computer interaction, machine learning, machine perception, natural language processing, and privacy, safety and security.

The proposals are judged on research impact, academic achievement and leadership potential.

WHY IT MATTERS FOR INDIA

The fellowship supports Indian PhD researchers who are working in accredited universities that award research degrees in computer science or an adjacent field.

Google’s official notification states that India is one of the regions where fellowships are offered, and each university in India may nominate up to three eligible students.

- Ends