Information for Prospective SERB Students

The call for applications for the 2024 Overseas Visiting Doctoral Fellowship (OVDF) Program is now open for students wanting to start their research stays in Fall (September) 2024. The deadline to apply is January 2, 2024. You can access the application via this link.

How to apply

1. Please check the SERB OVDF webpage for details on the eligibility requirements and information about the fellowship.
2. If you are eligible and interested in applying, you will first need to find a professor at UAlberta who will agree to supervise your research here. It will be your responsibility to find a supervising professor, but here is some information that may assist you with this process.

• Review the list of UAlberta Departments that offer graduate programs. You will need to go to the website of the department you want to apply to and review the profiles of professors who are doing research in your field. You can then email the professor, inform them that you intend to apply for funding from SERB, and include the following documents:
  • CV
  • University transcripts (showing courses/grades)
  • Statement of Research Intent - this should explain what you have accomplished thus far in your PhD program, what you are researching, why you want to conduct research at UAlberta, and how your visit here will contribute to your PhD program.
• As per UAlberta's agreement with SERB, students coming to UAlberta with SERB funding will need to register as Visiting Graduate Student. The cost of tuition fees for the Research 900 registration will need to be covered by the UAlberta supervising professor.
  • It will be important that when you communicate with a professor, you will need to confirm with them if they are able to cover that cost if they supervise your research.

3. Request the following documents from your UAlberta professor:

• CV (SERB would like it to include information about Academic & Research Qualifications, Publications list, Patent list, Details of research projects being implemented/ completed/submitted, if any)
• A letter from the professor on department letterhead, explaining that they have agreed to supervise your research at UAlberta, have approved the research plan, start/end date (start date should be September 2024), and will cover the cost of research related expenses and the Research 900 instructional and non-instructional fees for the duration of your stay. Research 900 tuition/fees are approximately $4000 CAD/year. 

1. Work Methodology and Research plan
2. Ph.D. registration certificate
3. Bio-data of the Indian Supervisor (Including Academic & Research Qualifications, Publications list, Patent list, Details of research projects being implemented/ completed/ submitted, if any)
4. Bio-data (or CV) of UAlberta Supervising Professor
   (Including Academic & Research Qualifications, Publications list, Patent list, Details of research projects being implemented/completed/submitted, if any)
5. CV of student
6. Certificate from the applicant (See Template attached below)
7. Endorsement letter from the head of the Indian institution (See Template attached below)
8. Recommendation letter from the Indian supervisor
9. Letter of undertaking from Indian supervisor (See Template attached below)
10. Invitation letter on department letterhead, signed by the UAlberta supervising professor, explaining that they have agreed to supervise the student's research at UAlberta, have approved the research plan, and will cover the cost of research related expenses and the Research 900 instructional and non-instructional fees.
11. Masters transcripts (and PhD if available)

Templates

Endorsement Certificate to the Head of Institution

Letter of Undertaking

Certificate Template