Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Tuesday invited applications from eligible PhD scholars for the Mukhyamantri Research Fellowship (MRF) 2026-27 under the Mukhyamantri Research Incentive Programme (MRIP), aimed at providing financial support to doctoral researchers pursuing higher studies in the state.
The Higher Education Department issued a notification inviting applications from registered PhD scholars of State Public Universities under the department, as well as those under other government departments, through the Student Academic Management System (SAMS) portal.
The online application process will begin on July 7, 2026, at 4 pm, and eligible candidates can submit their applications until July 30, 2026, at 11.45 pm. Applicants will also be allowed to edit their submitted application forms on July 31 between 11 am and 11.45 pm, if required.
The details of the applicants will be forwarded to the Odisha State Higher Education Council (OSHEC) on August 5 at 11 am. The schedule for document verification of eligible candidates will be announced later through the SAMS portal.
As per the revised guidelines issued by OSHEC, applicants must be permanent residents of Odisha and should have registered for PhD programmes between April 1, 2024, and July 19, 2026, under an approved research guide.
The department stated that scholars applying for the fellowship must fulfil all the eligibility criteria mentioned in the revised guidelines. Research scholars selected under MRIP-2025 for fellowship benefits, who are not registered through SAMS, will not be eligible to apply again.
The Higher Education Department has advised candidates to carefully review the revised guidelines available on the SAMS portal before filling out the Common Application Form (CAF).
Any changes regarding the application schedule or other important updates will be communicated through newspapers and the official website, the department said.
