You are eligible for consideration if you meet all the following criteria: 

• You identify as a woman. 
• You are a mid- to senior-career professional with a minimum of eight (8) years of experience in STEM and/or Public Health fields (Completed PhDs and advanced degrees such as post-docs will be counted as work experience). 
• You are a founder/co-founder/CEO of a registered STEM and/or public health startup or enterprise in India.  
• You are an Indian national and currently reside and work within India. 
• You possess ease in written and verbal communication in English. 
• You live in the India Standard Time (IST) time zone for at least 75 percent of the programme, as time zone compatibility is essential to engage effectively with peers within and outside of the touchpoints. 

Access our Application FAQ here.

If accepted, you will be required to attend each virtual and in-person learning residency as detailed in the programme calendar and to complete the deliverables associated with the STEM and Public Health Leadership Project. The JourneyPLUS sessions are optional to attend. 

The time commitment for the programme (all virtual touchpoints and inter-session activities) ranges from four to eight hours each month, plus the in-person residencies. This estimate does not include the time required for the design, planning, and implementation phases of your STEM and Public Health Leadership Project, so please consider that in your decision to participate in the programme.   

There is no cost to participate if you are selected. All programme costs, including travel and lodging, are covered.  

Please ensure you have access to a computer and the Internet to attend the virtual touchpoints. Sessions will be conducted in English.  

You will also be asked to complete a “Benchmarks 360 Assessment” and other leadership style assessments, which will inform your understanding of your leadership strengths and growth areas. The Benchmarks 360 Assessment will involve soliciting feedback from your supervisor, peers, direct reports, and others.   

While these are not technical requirements, our hope is that you will bring your drive, passion, and commitment to the programme, engage actively with your peers, mentors, and coaches, and take full advantage of the resources provided. As our approach involves human-centered design, we will ask you to evaluate your experience and contribute ideas for how to enhance the programme for future cohorts. One of the most important takeaways of this programme are the relationships you form during this year. As many of our Global Fellows would say, “Behind every successful woman is an amazing group chat.” 

Download our Application FAQ here. 

Your STEM and Public Health Leadership Project proposal is a critical element of your application, and an opportunity for you to design and lead an effort that taps into your expertise, network, passion, and creativity. It should aim to improve STEM and/or public health outcomes in India and give you the opportunity to apply new leadership skills to advance gender-informed STEM and public health impact. Please note that implementation of your project does not have to be completed by the end of the programme and will likely continue beyond it. Read the Health Leadership Projects of the 2024 Women Leadership in STEM cohort to learn more.

Please read this STEM and Public Health Leadership Project brochure for the guidelines and expectations of a STEM and Public Health Leadership Project. 

The programme actively supports each participant by connecting them with highly experienced mentors, coaches, and subject-matter experts within the ecosystem. In addition, peers serve as valuable sources of insight and collaboration to further strengthen each participant’s project. However, please note that funding for the project is unavailable at the current stage.

Open Application Period: TBD

Notification Period: We will notify applicants about their acceptance, waitlist, or rejection status by March 2026

Acceptance and Pre-Orientation Period: The accepted candidates will be asked to confirm their participation within one week of receiving their acceptance letters, after which we will begin pre-Journey onboarding.

Leadership Journey Launch: Orientation commences April 2026

We’ve noticed an increase in the use of AI tools in recent applications. Your application responses should be specific, contextualized, rooted in your work or interests, and include clear, realistic goals. If your submission includes vague ideas and reads the same as multiple other submissions this might result in a poor rating and lower the probability of your selection in a highly competitive process. We live in a world shaped by AI, and we welcome thoughtful, transparent use of these tools. But your application should showcase your own thinking, experience, and goals, not what a chatbot can generate.

1. Click here to access the application portal for this programme. To submit your application, follow the following steps:
   1. Visit https://www.birac.nic.inand click on the ‘Women’s Leadership in STEM’ application Link
   2. Create an account to access the application page.
   3. If you are already a registered user, enter your login credentials at the below link to submit your application:
   4. Once you login into https://birac.nic.in by using login credentials, then kindly click on “Women’s Leadership in STEM” on the dashboard to submit the application.
   5. Applicants are advised to fill‐up and submit their applications early without waiting for the last date to avoid any last-minute contingencies. The system stops accepting applications automatically after 4:00 PM IST of the last date of submission.
2. Applicants are advised to provide sufficient details in their applications to allow for an informed and fair evaluation of their application.
3. Requests for changes in the applications once submitted will not be entertained.
4. Please read through the application in its entirety and ensure that your details match the required eligibility criteria. Applicants are advised to read the guidelines for clear instruction and other details for comprehensive preparation of their applications. Given the high number of applications received, we will only reach out to shortlisted applicants.

Application Timeline and Key Dates