ANRF Funding Guide · International Travel Support
The ANRF International Travel Support (ITS) Scheme, commonly searched as the ANRF travel grant, helps eligible researchers based in India meet specified costs of attending international scientific events outside the country. It is tied to a defined scientific purpose and operates on a reimbursement basis.
Important: There is no single annual deadline. The eligible event-date window moves continuously. Review the eligibility, funding, document and application rules in this guide first; the single official ANRF reference link is provided at the end for final verification.
1ANRF Travel Grant (ITS) at a Glance
| Funding agency | Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) |
|---|---|
| Scheme | International Travel Support (ITS) |
| Main purpose | Participation in eligible international scientific events abroad |
| Core applicant | Active Indian researcher engaged in R&D at a recognised academic institution or research laboratory in India |
| Minimum qualification | Master’s degree in Science or Bachelor’s degree in a professional course from a recognised university |
| Main eligible roles | Original research-paper presentation, session chair or keynote speaker |
| Additional provision | Eligible workshops, short-term training and scientific schools for researchers below 35 |
| Maximum training duration | 21 days |
| Airfare | Return economy-class airfare by the shortest route |
| Visa fee | Eligible subject to scheme conditions |
| Airport tax | Eligible |
| Registration fee | Actual primary registration fee or ₹50,000, whichever is lower, for eligible researchers below 35 |
| Application timing | 60–90 days before the event starts |
| Funding method | Reimbursement |
| Repeat ITS funding | Previous ITS support must be at least three years apart under the scheme rule |
| Claim deadline | Within 90 days after the last day of the event |
| Last verified |
2What Exactly Does ANRF ITS Fund?
ANRF lists three core expenses for eligible applicants:
- return economy-class airfare by the shortest route;
- airport tax; and
- visa fees.
Under-35 registration provision: Researchers who are below 35 years of age on the event start date may also receive reimbursement of the primary registration fee. The amount is limited to the actual eligible fee or ₹50,000, whichever is lower.
This distinction matters. The ₹50,000 registration provision is not a general entitlement for every ITS applicant.
The scheme is reimbursement-based. Applicants should therefore plan for the possibility that they will need to meet expenses first and claim approved costs afterwards according to ANRF rules.
Looking for research-project funding instead? Compare CareerAidHub’s ANRF research funding opportunities. Researchers comparing broader fellowships, grants and funded academic routes can also use the CareerAidHub Scholarships hub.
3Who Is Genuinely Eligible?
The current ANRF guidance states that the applicant should be an active Indian researcher engaged in R&D work in a recognised academic institution or research laboratory in India.
The applicant must also have obtained either:
- a Master’s degree in Science; or
- a Bachelor’s degree in a professional course
from a recognised university by the time the application is submitted.
For a standard conference application, the applicant should have an invitation or acceptance connected with the presentation of an original scientific paper. ANRF’s stated scheme scope also includes researchers invited to chair a session or deliver a keynote address at an international scientific event.
Applicants should keep documentary evidence of the role for which support is being requested.
Additional eligibility for researchers below 35
The scheme gives additional access to researchers who are below 35 on the date the event begins.
They may seek support for eligible:
- workshops;
- short-term training programmes;
- scientific schools; and
- similar structured scientific programmes abroad.
The maximum duration is 21 days. The same age rule also determines eligibility for registration-fee reimbursement up to ₹50,000.
Previous ITS beneficiaries
An applicant who has already received ITS financial assistance must complete the required three-year interval before receiving support again.
ANRF calculates this from the start date of the previously supported conference to the start date of the proposed conference.
A separate portal restriction also prevents another proposal submission during the next 90 days from the first submission date.
Do not confuse the two timing rules: the three-year rule concerns repeat ITS financial support, while the 90-day rule concerns submission of another proposal after a proposal has been filed.
4What Does the Official ANRF Guidance Actually Allow?
The scheme is intended for a defined scientific purpose abroad.
The current scope covers financial assistance for:
- presenting original research at an international scientific event;
- chairing a scientific session;
- delivering a keynote address; and
- for eligible researchers below 35, attending qualifying workshops, short courses, scientific schools or training programmes.
Core test: The scientific event must be international in character and must take place outside India.
Simply receiving an invitation to visit a foreign laboratory does not make a trip eligible.
5What Is Not Covered?
Several exclusions can make an otherwise academically useful trip unsuitable for ITS.
ITS is not intended to fund:
- postdoctoral research visits;
- internships;
- observerships;
- informal training;
- personal laboratory visits;
- extended research stays before or after a conference; or
- conferences and workshops held within India.
This distinction is especially important for researchers seeking international laboratory experience. If the main purpose is a collaborative research visit rather than participation in an eligible scientific event, ITS may not be the correct programme. Depending on discipline and destination, a scheme such as the EMBO Scientific Exchange Grants may fit that purpose more closely. Researchers seeking longer research appointments can instead browse CareerAidHub’s current postdoctoral fellowships.
Expenses that should not be assumed to be reimbursable
ANRF’s current FAQ also excludes or restricts several travel-related expenses. These include:
- taxi fares;
- excess baggage charges;
- airline cancellation or rescheduling charges;
- extra charges for priority or express visa processing;
- premium visa appointment or lounge charges;
- abstract-submission charges;
- gala or reception dinners;
- tours;
- accommodation included as an additional registration component; and
- registration for an additional event that was not the event approved by ANRF.
ANRF states that the reimbursable registration component for an eligible young researcher is the primary registration fee, subject to the ₹50,000 ceiling.
Applicants should not assume that accommodation, daily allowance or other living expenses are covered simply because they are necessary for attending the event.
6What Is the Current Deadline?
There is no fixed annual ITS deadline.
The online system accepts an application only when the proposed event falls inside the scheme’s 60–90-day advance submission window.
Verified 3 October 2026: ANRF continues to list International Travel Support (ITS) as an ongoing, year-round scheme. The portal accepts applications only when the event start date falls within the scheme’s moving 60–90 day advance window; applicants should use the live portal to confirm the currently eligible event dates.
This window changes with the date. A conference scheduled outside the portal’s current event-date range cannot simply be submitted early. ANRF specifically states that the system will not accept applications submitted too early or too late.
Practical way to calculate your application window
Take the official event start date, then work backwards:
- earliest application point: approximately 90 days before the event;
- latest application point: approximately 60 days before the event.
The portal remains the final check because it displays the event dates currently eligible for submission.
7What Should an Applicant Prepare Before Applying?
Do not begin with the online form. First make sure the core eligibility evidence is available.
ANRF currently lists the following application-stage documents:
- Institutional endorsement signed and stamped by the competent authority
- Applicant certificate covering the expected benefits of attending the event
- Applicant bio-data
- Acceptance letter from the organiser
- Abstract of the paper being presented
- Event details
- Date-of-birth certificate
- Information on the expected benefits of the event
- Details of financial assistance obtained or expected from other sources
The abstract should clearly show the title, authors and institutional affiliations.
The bio-data should contain the applicant’s scientific or technical publications and patents, where applicable.
Under-35 applicants: Give particular attention to date-of-birth evidence because age is assessed on the event start date.
8ANRF ITS Login and How to Apply
ANRF ITS applications are submitted through the Foundation’s online system. Applicants should register or sign in, complete or update their profile, then open Proposal Submission → Form Submission and select the International Travel Support scheme. The direct official portal link is intentionally provided only once, in the Official ANRF Reference section at the end of this guide.
- Register on the ANRF online system or log in to an existing account.
- Complete or update the applicant profile.
- Open Proposal Submission → Form Submission.
- Select the International Travel Support scheme.
- Enter the actual scientific-event dates.
- Provide the proposed visit and travel information separately where requested.
- Upload the required application documents.
- Declare financial support received or expected from other sources.
- Review the event date, age, role and eligibility information carefully.
- Submit the application online while the event falls within the permitted 60–90-day window.
Applications submitted through another mode are not considered under the current procedure.
9Air-Ticket Rules Can Affect Reimbursement
Ticket booking is not simply a matter of finding any inexpensive flight.
ANRF currently requires economy-class travel at the lowest available fare on the booking date. Tickets must be purchased through one of the government-authorised agents identified in the official guidance:
- Balmer Lawrie & Company Limited;
- Ashoka Travels and Tours; or
- Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
Reimbursement risk: ANRF states that bookings made through other agencies will not be considered for reimbursement.
Applicants using Balmer Lawrie or Ashoka Travels should obtain the required lowest/best available fare certificate. For IRCTC bookings, ANRF currently requires the prescribed supporting evidence, including the relevant webpage screenshot.
ANRF also advises applicants to book air tickets only after the visa has been issued and to make sure the visa is valid on the date of boarding.
10How Long Can You Stay?
Enter the actual event dates when completing the application. Travel dates are entered separately.
Under the current FAQ, the permitted visit period is limited to two days before and two days after the event.
This does not convert ITS into support for a longer foreign research visit. Extended pre-conference or post-conference laboratory stays are outside the scheme’s normal scope.
Likewise, adding another programme in a different city does not mean ANRF will reimburse the additional sector. The approved support remains tied to the event and route sanctioned under ITS.
11Reimbursement After the Event
Approval is only the first part of the process. Reimbursement depends on completing the claim requirements.
ANRF currently lists documents including:
- Online claim form
- Bank-account details
- Air, rail, bus or other eligible tickets
- Air-ticket payment receipt
- Original boarding passes
- Visa-fee receipt
- Registration-fee receipt
- Participation certificate
- Certificates showing financial assistance received from other sources, where applicable
- Best Available Fare Certificate from the authorised agent
Applicants should keep the original boarding passes and financial records rather than relying only on digital copies.
Claim deadline: The claim and required supporting documents must be submitted within 90 days of the last day of the event.
The official guidance also states that specified original documents and the online claim sheet have to be submitted in hard copy as prescribed by ANRF.
12How Does ANRF Assess Applications?
Eligibility alone does not guarantee funding.
ANRF states that its assessment considers several factors. Among the most important are:
- the applicant’s academic record;
- publications during the preceding five years;
- the importance of the scientific conference; and
- available programme resources.
The committee also seeks representation across institutions and applicant categories.
Practical implication: Do not treat the form as a travel-booking request. Make the research output, event relevance and your academic contribution easy to understand.
ANRF also indicates that applications seeking only visa or registration reimbursement are not encouraged. Travel support is the primary purpose of ITS, with other eligible expenses attached to that support according to entitlement.
13What Has Changed from the Earlier SERB-Era Scheme?
The current programme is administered under ANRF, while the official material still refers in several places to ANRF (formerly SERB).
A comparison with earlier official SERB material shows no verified material change in the core support structure relevant to this guide. Earlier SERB guidance also included economy airfare by the shortest route, airport tax, visa fees and registration support for eligible young researchers.
The important current changes for applicants are therefore operational rather than a new annual funding round:
- the programme is now presented through ANRF;
- the portal displays a live event-date eligibility window; and
- applicants should use the current ANRF portal rather than relying on old SERB-era dates appearing in historical examples.
Some FAQs on the official site still use conferences dated 2023 or 2024 as examples. Those dates illustrate the rule; they are not current application deadlines.
14CareerAidHub’s Practical Interpretation
Three points are easy to miss when reading the scheme page quickly.
1. The 60–90-day rule is a real window
60–90 days means a submission window, not a recommendation to apply anytime during the year. An application outside that period cannot simply be filed in advance.
2. Two timing restrictions apply
Previous beneficiaries face the three-year ITS support interval, while a person who has just submitted a proposal faces a separate 90-day restriction on another proposal submission.
3. Under 35 changes more than the registration amount
The under-35 provision also expands the types of activities that may qualify to include specified short training programmes, workshops and schools.
Before preparing the full application, check these four items in order:
If any one of these does not fit the ITS rules, preparing the remaining paperwork may be unnecessary.
15Final Pre-Submission Checklist
Before pressing submit, confirm that:
- Your activity is an eligible international scientific event
- Your role fits the ITS scope
- You meet the minimum qualification requirement
- Your institution or laboratory meets the affiliation requirement
- You have the required acceptance or invitation
- Any under-35 benefit has been checked against your age on the event start date
- The event currently falls inside the portal’s 60–90-day submission window
- Any earlier ITS support satisfies the three-year rule
- The institutional endorsement is complete
- Other financial support has been declared
- The travel plan complies with the authorised-agent rules
- You understand that reimbursement requires documentation after the event
16Frequently Asked Questions About ANRF ITS
These answers address the application points most likely to cause confusion. For any event-specific decision, the live ANRF portal and current official guidance remain the final reference.
Is there a fixed annual deadline for ANRF International Travel Support?
No. ANRF ITS operates on a rolling event-date basis. The application must fall within the permitted 60–90-day period before the event start date. The eligible event-date range therefore changes continuously.
Who is eligible to apply for ANRF ITS?
The current guidance requires an active Indian researcher engaged in R&D at a recognised academic institution or research laboratory in India. The applicant must also hold a Master’s degree in Science or a Bachelor’s degree in a professional course from a recognised university by the application date, and the proposed activity must fit the scheme’s eligible scientific purpose.
Does ANRF ITS reimburse the conference registration fee for every applicant?
No. The registration-fee provision applies to eligible researchers who are below 35 years of age on the event start date. Reimbursement is limited to the actual eligible primary registration fee or ₹50,000, whichever is lower.
Can ANRF ITS be used for a postdoctoral visit, internship or research stay abroad?
No. ITS is tied to an eligible international scientific event or, for qualifying researchers below 35, specified workshops, short-term training programmes and scientific schools. Postdoctoral research visits, internships, observerships, informal laboratory visits and extended research stays are outside the scheme’s normal scope.
Can I book the cheapest flight through any travel website or travel agent?
No. The current ANRF guidance requires economy-class travel at the lowest available fare on the booking date and specifies government-authorised booking channels. The article lists Balmer Lawrie & Company Limited, Ashoka Travels and Tours, and IRCTC. Booking outside the prescribed route can affect reimbursement eligibility.
How many extra days can I stay abroad before or after the event?
Under the current official FAQ, the permitted visit period is limited to two days before and two days after the event. This does not make a longer pre-conference or post-conference research visit eligible for ITS reimbursement.
Can a previous ANRF ITS beneficiary apply again?
Yes, subject to the scheme’s repeat-support rule. Previous ITS financial assistance must be separated by the required three-year interval, calculated from the start date of the previously supported conference to the start date of the proposed conference. A separate portal rule also prevents another ITS proposal during the next 90 days after a proposal submission.
Where is the ANRF ITS login and official application portal?
Applicants should use ANRF’s own online system to register or sign in, update the applicant profile and open Proposal Submission → Form Submission to access the International Travel Support application. To avoid sending readers to multiple external pages, the direct official ANRF reference is provided once at the end of this guide.
When must the reimbursement claim be submitted after the event?
The claim and required supporting documents must be submitted within 90 days of the last day of the event. Applicants should retain the required tickets, receipts, boarding passes, participation evidence and other prescribed documentation because reimbursement depends on the post-event claim process.
Official ANRF Reference and Verification
Official programme: ANRF International Travel Support (ITS)
Last verified by CareerAidHub:
Status at verification: Applications were being accepted for events starting from 11 November to 11 December 2026, inclusive.
The event-date window changes continuously. After reviewing the eligibility, funding, documents and application process above, use the official ANRF portal below as the final reference before submitting an application or purchasing travel.
