International Research Support Initiative Program 2026: Eligibility, Stipend & Application Guide

Quick answer: IRSIP is HEC's six-month research fellowship abroad for full-time PhD students in Pakistan and AJK. Batch 60 applications are open on scholarship.hec.gov.pk until 30 October 2026 for scholars who enrolled between Spring 2023 and Spring 2025 and hold an acceptance letter from a QS- or THE-ranked foreign host.

You've finished your coursework, your synopsis is through BASR, and a professor abroad has finally replied to your email. Now comes the practical question: who pays for six months in her lab? For most PhD scholars in Pakistan, the answer is the International Research Support Initiative Program.

This guide pulls together everything HEC spreads across nine separate web pages, adds the numbers it doesn't total for you, and flags the places where HEC's own pages disagree.

What is the International Research Support Initiative Program (IRSIP)?

The International Research Support Initiative Program (IRSIP) is a Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan fellowship that sends full-time PhD scholars from Pakistan and AJK to a top-ranked foreign university for six months of research. HEC pays return airfare up to USD 1,300, a monthly living allowance set by host country, and a capped bench fee.

In plain terms: your degree stays at your Pakistani university. IRSIP simply funds one research visit abroad in the middle of it, so you can use equipment, data or expertise you can't get at home, then come back and finish your thesis. You don't need admission to the foreign university, only an invitation from a supervisor there. HEC's own pages spell it "Programme"; it's the same scheme.

What IRSIP is for

HEC lists eight objectives on its IRSIP introduction page. They boil down to three:

• Raise the quality of PhD research done in Pakistan.
• Build working links between Pakistani and foreign labs.
• Put Pakistani researchers in front of international peers.

IRSIP at a glance

How competitive is IRSIP?

Competitive, and getting more so. For Batch 57, HEC received 674 applications and selected 187 scholars from 53 universities, according to HEC. That's roughly 28 in every 100 applicants. The batch before drew only 395 applications.

Batch 59 produced 186 fellowships, APP reported in October 2026, and the programme has now supported more than 6,900 scholars. (Sources disagree on the launch year, 2003 or 2006; either way, it's been running for about two decades.)

IRSIP vs other HEC fellowships

IRSIP is the main HEC route for a short research visit during a PhD, but it isn't the only one. The Quaid-e-Azam Memorial Fellowship is the one people confuse it with, because it uses the same eligibility rules, the same package and the same 30 October deadline.

HEC's pages don't say whether one scholar can apply to IRSIP and the Quaid-e-Azam fellowship at the same time, so ask before filing twice. If you want a full degree abroad instead of a visit, look at Commonwealth PhD scholarships for 2027/28 and our wider list of PhD scholarships for Pakistani students.

Examples: where IRSIP fellows go, and who qualifies

Recent university announcements give a sense of the range. The University of Turbat reported two scholars heading to the University of Minnesota and Imperial College London in 2025. At an Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan seminar, the speakers were former IRSIP fellows from the University of Bath and the University of Toronto. Destinations span the US, UK, Canada, Europe and Asia; what they share is a ranked department and a supervisor whose work matches the scholar's thesis.

The scenarios below are illustrative, not real people, but each follows HEC's rules for Batch 60:

Common mistakes, pro tips and when not to apply

Mistakes that sink IRSIP applications

• Leaving the form as "Saved". It's treated as incomplete, however good the file.
• A thin acceptance letter. No month-wise plan, no duration or no mention of facilities, when HEC's proforma asks for all three.
• Asking for a bench fee after selection. If it isn't in the letter at selection, HEC won't pay it.
• The wrong foreign supervisor. Someone who supervised your local supervisor, or the same host chosen by a labmate under the same local supervisor.
• Missing NOCs. Both the HEC officer's NOC (if you hold another HEC scholarship) and your employer's (if you work).
• A host outside the QS or THE lists. Check overall and subject rankings before you email anyone.

Pro tips and best practices

• Start early. Windows open about twice a year, and good supervisors take weeks to reply. Begin your search about three months before a window opens; the CareersOz deadline calendar will remind you.
• Match a live project. A host whose current, funded work overlaps a chapter of your thesis writes a far more convincing month-by-month plan.
• Ask for a waiver. A waived bench fee removes a payment step and keeps your file simple.
• Budget for the gap. Set aside money for the visa fee and insurance, because HEC releases nothing before your visa.
• Polish your CV. Foreign supervisors read it first. Build a clean academic CV with our free CV maker, then run it through the CV Analyzer.

When IRSIP isn't the right move

Skip this batch if you're only months from submitting your thesis, if your research doesn't actually need facilities or expertise abroad, or if you can't get study leave from your employer. And if you're hoping to stay abroad after the six months, IRSIP is the wrong vehicle: the bond requires you to come back and finish your PhD in Pakistan.

Who is eligible for IRSIP in 2026?

You're eligible for IRSIP Batch 60 if you're a full-time PhD scholar who joined between Spring 2023 and Spring 2025, has finished coursework and synopsis approval, and holds an invitation from a ranked host. Here's the full checklist, based on HEC's eligibility page:

1. Pakistani or AJK national, enrolled as a full-time PhD student at an HEC-recognised university
2. At least 18 credit hours of PhD coursework completed
3. At least 18 months and no more than 3.5 years into the PhD
4. Passed the GAT Subject Test or your university's admission test when you joined the PhD
5. Research topic and synopsis approved by your university's Board or Directorate of Advanced Studies and Research (BASR/DASR) or equivalent body
6. An official acceptance or invitation letter from a foreign university, institute or lab ranked by QS or Times Higher Education (overall or in your subject)
7. A foreign supervisor who is full-time faculty at Assistant Professor level or above, and who never supervised your local supervisor

Check your enrolment window

For Batch 60, HEC applies a semester window: your PhD enrolment must fall between Spring 2023 and Spring 2025. A quick way to read it:

• Fall 2022 or earlier: outside the window for this batch.
• Spring 2023: inside the window, but you're close to the 3.5-year ceiling. Email irsip@hec.gov.pk to confirm before paying the fee.
• Fall 2023 to Spring 2025: inside the window, provided coursework and synopsis approval are done.
• Fall 2025 or later: too early. Use the time to line up a host for a later batch.

Which universities and supervisors qualify?

The host must appear among top-ranked institutions in the QS World University Rankings or the Times Higher Education rankings, either overall or in your subject. The subject route matters: a department can qualify on subject strength even if the university's overall rank is modest.

Two supervisor rules trip people up. Your foreign supervisor can't be someone who supervised your local supervisor's own PhD. And if two scholars share a local supervisor, HEC's terms require them to pick different foreign supervisors or different universities.

Warning: HEC's pages haven't always agreed. Versions of the eligibility page have shown a 3-year maximum instead of 3.5 years, a Spring 2023–Fall 2024 window instead of Spring 2025, and a "top 200" ranking limit instead of "top-ranked". HEC's document list still asks for a GRE result, while the eligibility page accepts the GAT Subject Test or a university admission test. This guide uses the Batch 60 rules reported when the window opened in October 2026. If your case sits on one of these edges, email irsip@hec.gov.pk and keep the reply.

Already on an HEC scholarship, or employed?

You can still apply. Scholars on another HEC scholarship need a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their HEC dealing officer. If you're employed or on study leave, add an NOC from your department or organisation.

How much does IRSIP pay?

IRSIP pays three things: a monthly living allowance that depends on the host country, one economy return ticket worth up to USD 1,300, and a bench fee up to a fixed cap when the host asks for one. All figures below come from HEC's package page; the six-month totals are our own arithmetic.

Monthly living allowance by country

Canada and Australia aren't named on HEC's list, so they fall under "rest of the world". Check the figure in your award letter.

Return airfare

HEC covers one economy return ticket up to USD 1,300. You don't buy it yourself: HEC arranges the booking and pays the travel agency directly.

Bench fee

A bench fee is what some labs charge visitors for space, consumables and supervision. HEC will cover it only if the amount is written into your acceptance letter at the time of selection. A fee requested after selection is refused.

Anything above the cap is yours to pay. HEC's pages describe payment two ways: the package page says you pay and HEC reimburses you against a paid invoice (showing your name, purpose, duration and the university's details), while the FAQs say HEC pays the university directly against its invoice. Ask HEC which route applies when you're selected. And if your host can waive the fee, HEC says it will appreciate that.

Is IRSIP fully funded?

Not quite. It's well funded, but HEC's FAQs are clear that it doesn't pay visa fees or health insurance. No money is released until your visa is endorsed, so you'll cover the visa stage from your own pocket. After that, the full six-month stipend arrives in advance as a single cross cheque.

Worked example: a scholar placed in the US whose host charges a USD 3,500 bench fee could receive up to USD 13,800 in total: USD 9,000 in allowance, up to USD 1,300 in airfare and USD 3,500 in bench fee. A UK placement tops out at GBP 4,500 in allowance plus the ticket and up to GBP 1,750 in bench fee.

Documents required for IRSIP

HEC's How to Apply page lists 13 documents. Scan each one as a clear, separately named PDF before you open the portal.

• Foreign acceptance letter(s), in order of preference
• HEC proforma, filled and signed by your foreign supervisor
• CV of your proposed foreign supervisor(s)
• BASR/DASR approval of your PhD topic and synopsis
• Complete PhD synopsis
• Recommendation letter from your local supervisor, signed and stamped
• CV of your local supervisor
• Your own CV
• Passport copy (or the token slip if your passport is in process)
• Academic documents, including the PhD coursework transcript showing credit hours and grades
• Admission test result (the list says GRE from ETS/NTS; upload the GAT Subject or university test you actually passed)
• NOC from your HEC officer, if you hold another HEC scholarship
• NOC from your department or employer, if employed or on study leave

Hard copies are only requested from selected candidates.

How to apply for IRSIP: step by step

You apply online at scholarship.hec.gov.pk, and only a file showing "Submitted" is considered. The order below saves time because every later document depends on the acceptance letter.

1. Confirm eligibility against the checklist and your enrolment semester.
2. Secure the acceptance letter from a ranked host, with the bench fee (or waiver) stated.
3. Send your host the HEC proforma and ask for a current CV.
4. Collect the university paperwork: BASR/DASR approval, full synopsis, your local supervisor's signed and stamped letter and CV.
5. Gather personal documents: your CV, passport or token slip, transcripts, test result and any NOCs.
6. Fill in the online form at scholarship.hec.gov.pk, upload everything and pay the Rs 3,000 processing fee.
7. Check the status line. It must read "Submitted". A form left as "Saved" counts as incomplete and is discarded.

Pro tip: once the status shows "Submitted", take a screenshot and save the fee receipt. If anything goes wrong later, that's your proof. And don't leave it to the final evening: busy portals often slow down near a deadline, and HEC names no closing hour.

If you'd like someone to sit with you through the form, CareersOz's Application Assistance team can help you complete it over WhatsApp. We help with the form only; nobody outside HEC can influence selection.

What happens after you apply?

Expect three to six months from submission to result, then about a month of paperwork before your award letter. Here's the sequence HEC describes in its FAQs and terms:

1. Selection committee. HEC officials, former vice-chancellors and senior researchers review files at meetings held quarterly.
2. Result. Processing and results take about three to six months.
3. Post-selection documents. You usually get about one month to submit a surety bond, the bench-fee invoice and the foreign university's account details.
4. Award letter. HEC issues it once your documents are in. It's the supporting document for your visa; HEC doesn't handle visas.
5. Visa. You apply and pay for it yourself.
6. Funds. After visa endorsement, the stipend and ticket take two to three weeks; the bench fee takes four to five.
7. Departure. You must start the fellowship within six months of the award letter's date.

Your obligations

• Progress reports on HEC's proforma, every two or three months or at the end, as HEC specifies.
• A final report on the six months' work, sent through your foreign supervisor with copies of any papers produced.
• The bond. You sign a bond to return and complete your PhD at your parent university. Its witnesses must attach CNIC copies and official seals.
• Once only. No PhD student can avail IRSIP a second time.
• Honesty. HEC can cancel an award at any stage if a document turns out to be false.