Farah Ishtiaq shares her experience on how age and success are linked in acquiring faculty positions in India
India has recently been portrayed as a land of abundant opportunity in academia, investing seriously in research and development to attract skilled scientists. The government has introduced several attractive funding opportunities, with the aim of bringing back scientists working abroad to establish a long-term career here, and improving the overall research infrastructure. Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance (WT/DBT) fellowships, for example, have no age or nationality restrictions, relying on qualifications, research experience, career trajectory and the candidate’s determination to establish their own independent research.
A Nature special issue in 2015 explored some of the unique opportunities – and the unique problems – of working as a scientist in India