india Health Policy & Systems
Research (IHPSR / HPSR)
Fellowship program

The India HPSR Fellowship Program, launched in 2020, is a flagship initiative designed to build the capacity of researchers and practitioners from diverse disciplinary backgrounds in Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR / IPHSR). It seeks to strengthen health systems in India by producing actionable evidence to influence health policy, which can lead to better health outcomes. The program also aims to establish a network of HPSR / IPHSR experts across academic, research, and policy settings both nationally and internationally.

OUR WORK

The fellowship is organized in collaboration with leading Indian and international institutions

The fellowship organized in collaboration with leading Indian and international institutions, including the Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru; Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences & Technology, Thiruvananthapuram; Christian Medical College, Vellore; The George Institute for Global Health; Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne, Australia; and the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp provides a comprehensive learning experience that integrates theoretical knowledge with practical research experience. The fellowship program selects twenty fellows every year, who undergo an 18-month blended training program that combines online learning, in-person modules, mentorship and the opportunity to conduct a real-world HPSR study. This program equips fellows with tools to analyse health systems, and in-depth knowledge of health policy processes, including agenda setting, stakeholder analysis and the identification of power dynamics that influence policymaking. Fellows are also exposed to varied HPSR research methods and proposal writing. Those fellows whose proposal is cleared by an international jury are awarded a fellowship to implement their research proposal, thereby gaining hands-on experience in generating evidence that can guide policy decisions.

Till date, 81 participants have been selected and 28 have completed the course.

Another 33 are in various stages of their fellowship. The 28 fellows have published 25 articles in international peer reviewed journals over the past 4 years, and many of them have been successful in raising grants from national and international institutions. The fellowship program has gained recognition for its impact, receiving the prestigious Melbourne School of Population and Global Health Teaching Excellence Award in 2023, highlighting its role in shaping the future of health policies and systems research in India.
Akanksha Sonal Asst Professor, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow
Anika Juneja PhD Fellow, Institute of public health Bengaluru, Karnataka
Ankita Mukherjee Qualitative Reseacher, George Institute for Global Health, India, Delhi
Antony Stanley Senior Research Officer, Regional Technical Resource Centre for HTA, AMCHSS, SCTIMST, Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies, SCTIMST, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Anuj Ghanekar Social Anthropologist, Independent Researcher, Gujarat
Deepak Kumar Behera Asst Professor, RMIT International University Vietnam
Deepshikha Chhetri Consultant, Samagra Transforming Governance, Mewat, Haryana
Gitismita Naik Assistant Professor, Community Medicine, AIIMS Kalyani, AIIMS Kalyani, West Bengal
Harsha Joshi Program Officer, Johns Hopkins India Private limited, Delhi 
Jithesh V Executive Director, State Health Systems Resource Centre Kerala
Mintu Moni Sarma Program In-charge, The Ant Org, Assam
Ponnambilly Chandy Asst Professor, Sathyabama College of Nursing, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Rekha M Ravindran Superintendent, DH Nedumangad,Trivandrum, Kerala 
Sabu K U Post-doctoral fellow IPH, Bangalore, Karnataka
Tanu Anand Scientist E, ICMR Headquarters Delhi

Latest Updates

Cohort 3

14 fellows of Cohort 3 have entered its implementation phase. The completion and submission of these research studies are expected by late 2025.

Cohort 4

Cohort 4 will hold a face-to-face orientation from Nov 4-6, 2024. This will be followed by online modules from Nov 2024 to June 2025. Jury reviews and contracting will take place in July 2025, with the implementation phase commencing in August 2025.