India and UK Launch “Ramanujan” Research Fellowship for Young Scientists
New Delhi / London, October 21 2025
In a landmark collaboration promoting international scientific talent, India and the United Kingdom have jointly launched the Ramanujan Junior Researchers Programme, a new research fellowship scheme aimed at nurturing early-career Indian physicists and mathematicians through access to UK research institutions. (
🎓 Programme Overview
- The initiative is backed by India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) and is carried out in partnership with the London Institute for Mathematical Sciences (LIMS) in the United Kingdom.
- It is named in honour of the legendary Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, whose pioneering collaboration with British mathematician G.H. Hardy in the early 20th century symbolised cross-border scientific exchange.
- Phase 1 – “Ramanujan Junior Visitors”: Up to six PhD students (initially from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research – JNCASR) will spend several months at LIMS in London’s Mayfair, attending lectures and collaborating with researchers there.
- Phase 2 – “Ramanujan Junior Fellows”: Early-career researchers from across India (post-PhD) will be eligible for three-year research positions at LIMS to work alongside UK scientists.
✨ Significance & Benefits
- The programme aims to bridge India and the UK as science superpowers, fostering talent exchange, joint research and cross-border mentorship. As Dr Thomas Fink (Director, LIMS) noted: “Our Ramanujan Junior Researchers programme will act as a bridge for the exchange of talents between two science superpowers.” (
- It draws from the historical narrative of Ramanujan and Hardy to emphasise the value of dialogue, collaboration and international mobility in advancing scientific discovery. Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami said: “The story of Hardy and Ramanujan reminds us that science advances not through isolation, but through friendship and dialogue.”
- Young Indian researchers will gain exposure to a world-class research environment at LIMS (based in the iconic Royal Institution in London) — broadening their networks, enhancing research skills, and promoting global collaboration.
- For India, the initiative supports the government’s push to strengthen international research collaboration, talent development and scientific excellence. For the UK, it enables synergy with Indian research communities and access to emerging talent.
🔍 What to Expect Going Forward
- The first cohort will be drawn from JNCASR; over time the scheme will be expanded to include PhD candidates and early career scientists from institutions across India.
- The long-term vision includes creating a sustained pathway for Indian researchers to undertake substantive research in the UK and build enduring partnerships.
- Institutions in India and the UK will be expected to coordinate selection, mentorship, research collaboration and probably periodic review.
- The scheme may potentially cover not only theoretical mathematics and physics (the initial focus) but could be extended later to allied disciplines, depending on outcomes and funding.
This initiative is a major step towards deepening India-UK scientific ties and providing young Indian scientists with global research opportunities that were once rare. It stands as a testament to the belief that the next generation of scientific breakthroughs will come through collaboration, not isolation.
Official page on the London Institute for Mathematical Sciences (LIMS): https://www.lims.ac.uk/news/ramanujan-researchers/
