How to Apply for HEC's IPFP: Rs 150,000 a Month for One Year for Fresh PhDs in Pakistan
HEC's IPFP pays fresh PhD holders Rs 150,000 a month for one year at a public university. See the age limit, publications rule, Rs 3,000 fee and steps.
Short answer: HEC's Interim Placement of Fresh PhDs (IPFP) pays a fresh PhD holder Rs 150,000 a month for 12 months while they teach and research at a public university or college in Pakistan. You apply on the HEC portal when a call opens, with a Rs 3,000 fee. No call was open when we checked on 12 October 2026.
A new PhD graduate has a thesis, two papers and no job. Public universities hire slowly. IPFP is HEC's bridge for that gap: one paid year inside a university, with mentoring.
We opened every page of the IPFP section on hec.gov.pk on 12 October 2026: introduction, eligibility, financial support, how to apply, placement and the current updates page. The newest notice we could see was about Batch-VI, with a deadline in April 2025. We found no new call.
IPFP pays Rs 150,000 a month for 12 months
HEC's Financial Support page fixes the remuneration at PKR 150,000 per month for IPFP Phase II. The pay runs for the placement period of one year from the date of joining. HEC says the amount may be adjusted later for cost of living.
HEC does not pay you directly. The money goes in two tranches to the head of the host institution. The first covers six months, paid in advance after you join. The second covers the remaining six months and is released after the host sends a satisfactory performance report.
The page also says HEC will help fellows join voluntary pension and health insurance schemes. It does not promise a regular job at the end of the year. The host may extend your affiliation under its own rules, with no cost to HEC.
Seven conditions decide who can apply
You must be a Pakistani or AJK national, no older than 40, with a PhD from a HEC recognised university finished within the two years before the advertisement. You need at least two research publications in recognised or indexed journals, and you must not have held IPFP before.
| Condition | What HEC's page says |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Pakistani or AJK |
| Age | Not over 40 when applying |
| Degree | PhD from a HEC recognised university, Pakistani or foreign, completed in the two years before the advertisement |
| Publications | At least two, in HEC recognised or indexed journals |
| Job status | Unemployed. Contract or irregular jobholders may apply and must resign if selected |
| Earlier IPFP | Not allowed to apply twice |
One exception is worth knowing. Non-gazetted employees below BPS-17 who want to keep their lien, the right to return to their job, are exempt from the unemployed rule. A foreign PhD needs HEC attestation or an equivalence certificate, which our guide on how to get HEC equivalence for a foreign degree explains.
The application is online first, then a hard copy
HEC's page says submissions go online on its portal, eportal.hec.gov.pk, then a hard copy follows by post to the address in the advertisement. You upload your CV, statement of purpose, publication list, thesis abstract, degrees, CNIC, three reference letters and a Rs 3,000 fee slip.
- Wait for the HEC advertisement. The page gives the portal and the postal address only when a call is open.
- Write a CV on HEC's standard format and a statement of purpose of no more than 150 words.
- List your publications with a working online link for each. The link is mandatory.
- Scan your PhD degree or equivalence certificate, your other degrees and your CNIC.
- Get three reference letters, one from your PhD supervisor. A foreign PhD needs at least one letter from an international referee.
- Pay the Rs 3,000 non-refundable fee as set in the advertisement and keep the deposit slip.
- Choose a test centre for the pre-assessment test and submit the form online.
- Post the printed form with a photograph, documents and the original fee slip.
HEC scholars also need an NOC from the HEC scholarship section. Late documents can end a file: in the last notice we saw, incomplete files had one week to send the missing papers by courier, or the candidature stood cancelled.
Selection ends with a test, training and a host placement
HEC scrutinises each form, holds a pre-assessment test for eligible applicants and publishes the result. Successful candidates take National Faculty Development Program (NFDP) training. Universities then send consent forms, and the fellow answers with willingness. Joining must happen within one month of the offer.
The placement page gives the order. HEC circulates the successful list to public and private universities and government postgraduate colleges. A host that wants a fellow sends consent. The fellow responds. NAHE conducts the NFDP training. HEC then issues the placement offer.
If you do not join within one month, the page says the offer cancels automatically. Changing the host later needs HEC's permission and the consent of both hosts. Payment starts only when HEC receives your original joining report.
What to do while you wait for the next call
Prepare the slow items now: equivalence for a foreign degree, working links to your papers, and a referee list. Read HEC's IPFP Current Updates page every week. Meanwhile look at funded research routes such as an HEC NRPU research grant, or the IRSIP research visit if you are still a PhD student.
Also make sure the university that awarded your degree is on HEC's list. Our guide on how to check a university is HEC recognised shows how.
Common questions
How much does IPFP pay?
HEC fixes the remuneration at PKR 150,000 per month for 12 months in IPFP Phase II. HEC may adjust it later for cost of living.
Is an IPFP call open now?
We saw no open call on 12 October 2026. The newest notice on HEC's page is about Batch-VI, with a deadline in April 2025.
How old can an IPFP applicant be?
Not over 40 at the time of applying. The PhD must be finished within the two years before the advertisement.
Can I apply if I have a job?
Only unemployed applicants are eligible, but contract or irregular jobholders may apply and must resign if selected. Non-gazetted staff below BPS-17 can keep their lien.
What is the IPFP application fee?
HEC's page lists a non-refundable fee of PKR 3,000, paid by bank deposit slip. Check the fee again in the new advertisement.
Does IPFP lead to a permanent job?
No promise is made. The host may extend your affiliation under its own recruitment rules, with no financial liability on HEC.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We read the IPFP pages at hec.gov.pk on 12 October 2026. We did not see a current advertisement, so the fee, address and dates may change. The policy PDF was not opened. HEC's page lists the contact email as ipfp@hec.gov.pk.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
