N.S. Ramaswamy Pre-doctoral Fellowship (NSR Pre-doc)
Overview

The N. S. Ramaswamy Pre-doctoral Fellowship (NSR Pre-doc), launched in 2018, is a one-of-its-kind programme, which helps participants prepare for a prestigious doctoral degree.
The programme is specially designed around the needs of doctoral-level students and helps them navigate the process of applying for a doctoral degree. Once they have successfully completed the programme at IIMB, they are equipped to take tests and interviews in prestigious universities where their research areas match.
Mission
NSR Pre-doc, with a focus on inclusion, has been instituted with the aim of increasing the social diversity of management academia in India. The one-year apprenticeship programme is designed to help pre-doctoral fellows successfully apply to doctoral programmes in management and allied disciplines.

What’s in it for you
Mentoring by internationally acclaimed faculty, the opportunity to engage with both current and former Ph. D scholars, expert guidance in writing research proposals, 100 percent financial support and the experience of student life in a Pritzker-prize winning campus are among the reasons you should choose the programme.
The programme will help you develop a research topic, understand data collection methods and plan a viable proposal for your doctorate, explore key skills required for doctoral study, become familiar with key terminology, develop your written and spoken critical thinking, and understand your subject specialization.
Programme Requirements
Each fellow is assigned a mentor who is a full-time faculty member at IIMB.
- Fellows need to attend the Ph. D preparatory programme
- Each fellow has to complete at least two doctoral or MBA-level three-credit courses in their areas of interest and approved by the faculty mentor
- Fellows need to work for a minimum of 40 hours per week under the supervision of the faculty mentor
- A math clinic (one and a half hours per week) and a writing workshop (one and a half hours per week) are required, except when waived by the faculty mentor and approved by the Pre-doctoral faculty committee
Areas
The 2025-26 N. S. Ramaswamy Pre-doctoral Fellowship is available in the following disciplinary areas within management scholarship and research:
- Decision Sciences
- Economics
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance & Accounting
- Information Systems
- Marketing
- Organizational Behaviour & Human Resources Management
- Production & Operations Management
- Public Policy
- Strategy
Certificate of Completion
Upon successful completion of the programme requirements, a Certificate of Completion is issued to the students.
First Batch of the Programme
During the year 2018-2019, seven students enrolled for the programme – one each in the areas of Economics & Social Sciences, Entrepreneurship, Finance & Accounting, Information Systems, Marketing, Organizational Behaviour & Human Resources Management, and Public Policy. The first batch of seven students, a group of five male and two female participants with work experience in different sectors and in diverse profiles including that of Principal Researcher, Data Entry Operator, Implementation Executive, and Business Development Manager, completed the programme and received their certificates on 27 March 2019.

How to Apply
The online application form for admission to NSR-Predoc 2025-26 is available at
https://campus.iimb.ac.in/psp/cssisprd/?cmd=login&languageCd=ENG&
The deadline for submission of fully completed applications is 7 February 2025 (5:00 p.m.). Please note that candidates can apply to a maximum of two areas of specialization.
Admission Process and Eligibility Criteria
Click here for details: Pre-Doc-admission-process-2025.pdf
For queries, email: predocadm@iimb.ac.in, Tel: +91 80 26993013/3017
Information Session Registration
Contact
Admissions Office
Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
Bannerghatta Road
Bengaluru - 560 076
+91- 80 - 26993013 / 3017
predocadm@iimb.ac.in
Doctoral Programme Office
Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
Bannerghatta Road
Bengaluru - 560 076
+91- 80 - 26993056
phdadm[at]iimb[dot]ac[dot]in