Maitri Fellowships Program 26-27

The 2026-27 Maitri Fellowships Program will fund Australian Organisations to engage a Fellow to work on geostrategic or geoeconomic policy issues. Funding will be provided under the following streams: 1. Inward Fellowship for a period of up to 2 years for Indian Research Fellows, Senior Research Fellows, Associate Professors or Principal Research Fellows (experience equivalent to Levels B to D ) to come to Australia 2. Outward Fellowship for a period of up to 2 years for Australian Research Fellows, Senior Research Fellows, Associate Professors or Principal Research Fellows (experience equivalent to Levels B to D) to go to India 3. Two-way Fellowship for a period up to 2 years for an Australian and an Indian Fellow in an exchange arrangement through their respective Australian and Indian Organisations. The minimum period for Inward, Outward, and Two-way Fellowships is six months. All Maitri Fellows will join a Fellowship community, managed by the Centre. The Maitri Fellowships Program objectives are to: deepen mutual understanding between Australia and India, including on each country’s strategic context, and on other issues of national and bilateral significance, promote mature policy dialogue and public discourse on contemporary India by elevating research and policy discussion on Australia-India matters, enhance Australia and India’s cooperation, networking and cultural connections through research academics and institutions, and generate research collaboration and foster innovative thinking that can inform Government policy development. The intended outcomes of the grant opportunity are: greater coverage of Australian and Indian perspectives in each other’s mainstream media and policy communities, more informed public debate and community views about both countries and the relationship, and a wider range of ideas and policy options on significant issues facing both countries.