NIF-India Internship Programme 2026 at IAPP Division

The National Innovation Foundation–India (NIF), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. NIF serves as India's national initiative to strengthen grassroots technological innovations and outstanding traditional knowledge. NIF actively scouts, supports and nurtures grassroots technological innovations developed by individual innovators and traditional knowledge holders across diverse technological domains. It ensures due recognition and rewards for their contributions by providing support for value addition, intellectual property rights (IPR) protection, business development assistance and dissemination through commercial and non-commercial channels, thereby creating incentives for innovators and other stakeholders across the value chain.

The Impact Assessment and Public Policy (IAPP) Division of NIF India undertake in- depth research on innovation ecosystems, evaluate the social, economic & environmental impact of grassroots innovations, identify policy gaps, challenges, and opportunities, and contribute to India’s evolution into a creative and knowledge-based society. By expanding the policy and institutional space for grassroots technological innovators, the Division aims to strengthen evidence-based policymaking and ensure that innovation translates into measurable developmental outcomes.

We are delighted to announce the NIF-India Internship Programme 2026 at IAPP Division:

Purpose

• Skill development through hands-on experience in research, evaluation, impact assessment and policy analysis.
• Capacity building in data collection, literature review, analytical writing, and drafting policy briefs.
• Contribution to projects by supporting impact evaluations, innovation ecosystem studies, and sustainable development initiatives.
• Talent pipeline for NIF-India, nurturing promising interns for potential future recruitment.

Broad Areas of Research

• Impact assessment of grassroots innovations, public policy interventions, and livelihood initiatives.
• Innovation ecosystems and institutional frameworks.
• Policy gap analysis and opportunities for systemic change.
• Sustainable development and rural livelihoods.
• GIS and spatial analysis for regional development.
• Environmental impact assessment of innovations and development programmes.

Eligibility

• Graduation (Ongoing) or Masters (Ongoing) in Science or Social Science disciplines (Economics/Agriculture/Development Studies/Rural Development/Public Policy/ Livelihoods/ Sustainable Development/ Geography or related areas) from a recognized university

Duration

Minimum: 1 month, Maximum: 6 months. The study includes working at NIF Gandhinagar, Gujarat and on-site engagements /field studies etc.

Benefits to Students

• Stipend: Rs. 8000/-Month (for UG Students) & Rs. 10,000/-Month (for PG Students) + (Travel, Food & Accommodation allowances provided exclusively for field days)
• Certificate of Internship issued upon successful completion.
• Networking opportunities with researchers, policymakers and innovators.
• Hands on exposure to work in the area of grassroots innovation and inclusive development in contributing to Government of India's vision of making India Viksit Bharat by 2047
• Hands-on exposure to advanced research tools, including NVivo/MAXQDA, SPSS AMOS, VosViewer for bibliometric analysis, Mental Modeler for Cognitive Modelling, and UCINET for Social Network Analysis