ASTRYC
2026
ASTRYC is India’s premier research mentorship programme for young scientists aged 16 to 21. Every applicant receives an expert review of their project by a specialist working in their field. The strongest researchers are selected to represent India at the London International Youth Science Forum, a 15-day residential at Imperial College London attended by over 500 scientists from more than 50 countries.
Your research,
held to a higher standard.
Most STEM programs reward the finished product. ASTRYC works on the project before it’s finished.
You fill in the application, submit your research at any stage, from a rough idea to something already underway, and if your project makes the cut, you get a focused session with a subject matter expert. Not a general reviewer. Someone who actually works in your field.
They’ll pressure-test the methodology, work through what’s weak, and push the project to a standard that holds up internationally. The researchers who come out strongest are selected for the Official Indian Delegation to LIYSF, a 15-day residential at Imperial College London.
The London International Youth Science Forum runs every summer at Imperial College London. It brings together about 500 young scientists from 50+ countries. Nobel laureates give lectures, there are visits to Oxford and Cambridge, and a Science Bazaar where every country presents. The Indian delegation comes through ASTRYC.
Ages 16–21
Students across all disciplines in India.
15 Days
Residential programme at Imperial College London.
50+ Countries
500+ peers at LIYSF each year.
Open Now
Applications close 10 May 2026.
Three steps.
That’s the whole process.
Submit Your Project
Fill in the application form and attach your research. It doesn’t need to be polished; early-stage work is welcome. Applications close 10 May. The registration fee is ₹5,900, inclusive of GST.
Mentorship Session
If your project is selected, you’re paired with an expert in your specific field for a dedicated session. The focus is the research itself: methodology, variables, evidence. You walk away with a sharper project.
London, If Selected
The strongest researchers from the mentorship round join India’s official delegation to LIYSF at Imperial College London. 15 days. Nobel laureates. Scientists and peers from 50+ countries. Payment of ₹5,50,000 due by 15 May.
What’s waiting
at the other end.
The London International Youth Science Forum has been running since 1959, making it one of the oldest international gatherings of young scientists in the world. It was started at a time when getting researchers from different countries in the same room was still a genuinely rare thing.
A typical day includes a morning lecture from a Nobel laureate or working researcher, an afternoon lab visit or excursion, and time at the Science Bazaar where each national delegation presents their country’s current research to the rest of the forum. By the end of two weeks, most participants have a clearer picture of what a research career looks like from the inside.
Imperial College London
15-day residential in South Kensington, a short walk from the Natural History Museum and the V&A.
Nobel Laureates
Lectures and Q&As with Nobel Prize winners. Working researchers in physics, genomics, climate science, and AI.
500+ Scientists
From 50+ countries at the Science Bazaar, where each delegation presents their nation’s research. Most participants stay connected long after.
Full Programme
Lab sessions, Oxford and Cambridge day visits, Bletchley Park, and London landmarks. Accommodation, meals, and the complete academic schedule covered.
Applications close
10 May 2026.
If your research is ready, or getting there, this is the window. Submit, get feedback from someone who actually works in your field, and find out if London is next.
Submit Your Project