The Fellowship program has four inter-related objectives:
a. Opportunity for Fresh PhDs: the primary objectives is to create an opportunity for fresh PhDs to obtain academic experience and mentorship, for one year, in public or private universities, prior to their formal entry into the academic job market. Selection as an IPFP Fellow bestows an entitlement to compete for a research grant under the SRGP (Startup Research Grant Program) administered by the HEC Research Wing.
b. Opportunity for Universities: A related objective is to support universities in their recruitment processes, by enabling them both to introduce their campuses to emerging scholars and reducing their eventual search costs. The host universities are required to advertise regular BPS/TTS faculty positions during the placement period of the IPFP Fellows, in order to give the Fellows the opportunity to compete for the advertised positions.
c. Gap Assessment and Feedback: Third, the Fellowship is preceded by a gap assessment exercise both to identify optimal capacity building investments, and to provide feedback to universities on the strengths and weaknesses of their PhD programs.
d. Capacity Building: Finally, the Fellowship includes an intensive capacity building program designed to equip the Fellows with skills required to become effective teachers, researchers, or university administrators, and thus enhance the probability of future success in academic life.