Postdoctoral Fellow (PDF), All Departments at IIT Madras

About the position

IIT Madras invites applications for the Institute Post Doctoral Fellowship (IPDF), a scheme open across all departments of the institute. The fellowship aims to bridge doctoral research and faculty positions, with candidates working alongside a faculty mentor on a research proposal of their choosing. Tenure is for an initial 1 year, extendable up to a total of 2 to 3 years based on performance. The number of posts is not fixed and depends on departmental mentor availability and fund commitment.

Eligibility

Ph.D. degree holders are eligible to apply within five years of completion of Ph.D. Maximum age 32 years by date of joining, with relaxation of 5 years for SC/ST and women candidates and 3 years for OBC-NCL candidates. The applicant should have published a minimum of two (2) Q1 (top quartile) journal publications as primary contributor. The candidate must be nominated by a faculty mentor who signs a commitment of funds (Annexure I). Ph.D. scholars who have submitted their thesis are also eligible, subject to submitting the provisional/degree certificate within 6 months of appointment. IITM Ph.D. scholars are not encouraged to apply for the Institute PDF but may apply in exceptional cases to a department different from their parent department.

Fellowship / pay

Monthly Fellowship: Rs. 1,30,000/- consolidated (Base Rs. 70,000/- from Institute plus faculty top-up of minimum Rs. 60,000/- from project funds). Contingency Grant: Rs. 2,00,000/- per year for travel, contingency and consumables. Medical benefits/insurance as applicable to Ph.D. scholars. Leave with fellowship not exceeding 30 days a year. IPDFs are not eligible for Institute accommodation or HRA.

How to apply

1. Identify a potential faculty mentor in the relevant department by visiting department websites.
2. Submit the research proposal to the mentor and obtain their concurrence.
3. Apply only through the faculty mentor, with the Commitment of Funds (Annexure I) signed by the faculty, attached to the application.
4. Send the application by email to the respective mentor, with all documents not exceeding 25 MB total.
5. Submit separate applications for each department applied to.
6. Application format and details are hosted at https://www.iitm.ac.in/careers/post-doctoral-opportunities.
7. At the time of interview, submit a signed printed copy of the Institute PDF Application.