The Inlaks Fellowship For Social Engagement 2025

Application Instructions & Process

The application process is designed to facilitate an easy understanding of your candidature and to assess whether your vision is aligned with the fellowship. Click on the ‘Apply Now’ button on the website to access our Online Application System (OAS). 

Click HERE to access the video on how to fill an application form on our online application system. 

Please answer all the questions on the OAS by following the guidelines below:

1. Enter your Name, address, latest contact information and other details correctly.

2. For the Date of Birth field, you may scroll through the calendar or manually enter the same as per the proof of age and citizenship that you upload.

3. For the field ‘Topic of your project’, please describe your fellowship activity in a few lines. Eg: Documenting the effects of mining on indigenous populations or research on the socio-economic status of De-notified Tribes etc. Please make sure this correctly represents the nature of your project.

4. For your statement of purpose and work plan, please click HERE to download the format. Fill it and upload it as a PDF format only by following the guidelines below:

a. Your Statement of purpose and work plan must not exceed 1000 words each.

 i. Your statement of purpose must outline the following:

• Your own personal and professional trajectory very briefly.  
•  Also outline the motivation to take up the project and how it contributes to social change.

b. Your work plan which must include: 

•  A title of the proposed work along with a concise description of the work or research you plan to undertake during the fellowship period. 
•  The expected outcomes of the work or research.
•  Please mention in detail the manner in which you will undertake this project. 

5. About Mentor endorsement letter and Recommendation letter:

Your application requires two letters to support your application 

 i. Mentor endorsement letter

 ii. Recommendation letter.

Letter of endorsement from the mentor must include: 

· A brief description of the mentor’s work experience.

· Mentor’s contact details (email and official address). 

· A statement by the mentor as to why they endorse the applicant’s work plan. 

· The mentor must also state that they agree to supervise the applicant’s work during the fellowship period, as well as indicate their willingness to review and comment upon the applicant’s quarterly and annual progress reports.

Once the applicant enters the Mentor’s email address in the appropriate field of the application form and submits the application, a link will be shared with the Mentor on their email address along with the format to upload their Letter of Endorsement. 

Note: The subtext in the field will show “Enter the email address of the person you’d like to serve as a reference” by default even in the Mentor Endorsement section. The applicant must ensure to enter their Mentor’s email address. 

Letter of Recommendation must include:

· Nature of engagement with the applicant where they must elaborate in what capacity they have engaged with the applicant.

· The reason why they would like to recommend the applicant and their work plan to be supported under the Inlaks Fellowship for Social Engagement

Once the applicant enters the Referee’s email address in the appropriate field of the application form and submit the application, a link will be shared with their Referee on their email address along with the format to upload their Letter of Recommendation.

Note: This letter must be from a person who has supervised the applicant’s work for at least 6 months. This cannot be the same person as your mentor. For fresh graduates, an academic letter of recommendation is acceptable. 

The mentor or referee also cannot be someone who is currently an Inlaks Fellow or currently being supported by Inlaks under any other opportunity.

6. At the end you will need to agree to the following to be able to submit your application

Declaration and Privacy policy 

You consent to your data being used by ISF in a manner conducive with administering and facilitating this fellowship, which may include

Privacy policy

1. Your data will be utilized for the purposes of administering this opportunity and then be retained with the Foundation.

2.  In these circumstances, your personal details like name, country, year of award, opportunity outline, brief biography of your work (if applicable), photo will be published in an online register.

3.  The information you provide will be used:

a. To support and process the study/research/training/practice/project during the award tenure including but not exclusively:

b. To retain necessary records and, to support your practice, including to seek feedback and results of your progress.

c. To provide you with means of financial support during the award period.

4.  To support alumni engagement strategy or to facilitate opportunities, including but not exclusively:

a. To send you email communications and briefings.

b. To invite you to webinars, lectures, events, and conferences post completion of the award tenure.

c. To feature you or your work output (if applicable and with prior consent and attribution) on the Inlaks Foundation website and social media channels or print publications as needed

Data recipients

Your data may be shared with partners, e.g. institutions; the body that nominated you for an award; suppliers such as travel agents and printers; and partners such as providers of online application, email marketing, and project management systems and where necessary their internet providers. No personal data other than your name, country, brief biography of your work (if applicable), and type of study/research/training/practice/project will be shared.

Data transfers

Your personal data will not be sold to any third parties or used for commercial purposes. Third parties with which we share your personal data are required not to sell it

Declaration

Please note that by submitting the application you undertake and declare that all information provided by you is true to the best of your knowledge and belief and nothing therein has been concealed or fabricated. 

That you have no criminal conviction, have not been found guilty in any disciplinary or enquiry proceedings and that none of the same are pending against you. That you are liable to be terminated from the fellowship, without payment, if any information provided by you is false.

I do hereby declare that the information given above and in the enclosed documents including the application is true to the best of my knowledge and belief and nothing has been concealed therein. I am aware of the fact that the information given by me if proved false / not true at any point of time, my scholarship/award/fellowship/internship/grant may be withdrawn.