If you are a full-time PhD scholar in Pakistan dreaming of a research stint abroad, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has just opened the door again. Batch 60 of the International Research Support Initiative Program (IRSIP) is now accepting applications, and the window is short: the portal opened on October 1, 2026 and closes on October 30, 2026. Here is everything you need to know to put together a competitive application before the deadline.

What IRSIP Actually Offers

IRSIP is one of HEC's flagship PhD support schemes. It sends Pakistani and Azad Jammu & Kashmir PhD scholars, who are already enrolled at HEC-recognised universities in Pakistan, abroad for a six-month research placement at a partner institution. The host university must be in a developed country and must carry a strong ranking in either the Times Higher Education or QS World University Rankings. Scholars who are placed in the United States can receive funding of up to $1,500 per month to cover living costs, in addition to return air travel and other allowances typically bundled into HEC's scholar support package. Crucially, selected scholars are required to sign a bond committing them to return to Pakistan and complete their PhD after the fellowship ends, since IRSIP is designed to strengthen research capacity at home, not to fund permanent migration.

Who Can Apply for Batch 60

Eligibility is specific, so check every box before you start compiling documents:

• You must be a Pakistani or AJK national enrolled as a full-time PhD student at an HEC-recognised Pakistani university.
• You need at least 18 credit hours of PhD coursework completed.
• You must have been enrolled in your PhD for at least 18 months, but not more than 3.5 years, at the time of application.
• For this specific batch, HEC is accepting scholars who were admitted to their PhD programme between Spring 2023 and Spring 2025.
• You must have already passed the GAT Subject Test, or the admission test conducted by your own university, as part of your PhD entry requirements.
• Your PhD research topic and synopsis must already be formally approved by your university's Board of Advanced Studies and Research (BASR) or Departmental Board of Studies (DASR).

Documents You Will Need Ready

Because the review window is short, the biggest risk to applicants is running out of time assembling paperwork, not failing to qualify. Based on HEC's published application requirements, you should start gathering the following well before the deadline:

• An official acceptance letter from the foreign host university, on its official letterhead, confirming it will host you for the six-month period.
• HEC's own proforma, filled in and signed by your proposed foreign supervisor.
• The CV of your foreign supervisor, who must hold the rank of Assistant Professor or above.
• Your BASR/DASR approval document showing your PhD research topic and synopsis have been formally approved.
• A copy of your approved PhD thesis synopsis.
• A recommendation letter from your local (Pakistani) PhD supervisor, along with their CV.
• A No Objection Certificate (NOC) from HEC if you are already receiving any other HEC scholarship or funding.
• An NOC from your department or employer if you are employed or currently on study leave.
• Your own updated CV, a valid passport copy, and complete academic transcripts starting from your Bachelor's degree onward.
• A copy of your GAT Subject Test result or your university's own admission test result.

How to Apply

All applications go through HEC's online scholarship portal at scholarship.hec.gov.pk. This is the only official channel for Batch 60 — be wary of third-party "consultants" who claim to guarantee placement for a fee. One detail trips up a surprising number of otherwise-eligible applicants every cycle: HEC only reviews applications that show a final status of "Submitted" on the portal. If your application is left sitting in "Saved" status when the portal closes on October 30, it will not be considered, no matter how complete your documents are. Submit early enough to fix any upload errors, rather than finishing at the last hour.

A Few Practical Tips

Start by contacting potential foreign supervisors well before you touch the HEC portal — the acceptance letter and the foreign supervisor's proforma are usually the slowest documents to obtain, since they depend on someone else's calendar in another time zone. Since the host institution must meet a ranking threshold, check the current THE or QS rankings for your target university before you reach out, so you do not waste weeks corresponding with a supervisor at an institution that will later be disqualified on a technicality. Finally, loop in your local supervisor and your university's BASR/DASR office early, since getting your research synopsis formally approved can itself take several weeks if it has not already happened.

For Pakistani PhD scholars who have been considering an international research exposure, Batch 60 is a real, funded opportunity — but with a four-week application window, the scholars who succeed will be the ones who started preparing their paperwork the day applications opened, not the day before they closed.