Guidelines for Applicants
IIA Interns, February 2025
Why be an IIA intern?
Are you curious about the cosmos and passionate about Astronomy and Astrophysics?
The Visiting Students Program (VSP) at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, offers an excellent opportunity to gain first-hand research experience at one of India's leading research institutes in astronomy and astrophysics. You will have the opportunity to work with IIA scientists on research projects, attend seminars and colloquiums in different fields, and interact with national and international experts visiting the institute.
Who can Apply?
The Visiting Students Program (VSP) is open to students and early-career researchers from Indian universities, colleges, and research institutes who are interested in astronomy, astrophysics, space physics, or closely related disciplines. To ensure that research opportunities are well aligned with applicants' academic backgrounds and goals, candidates are grouped into the following categories:
Category A: Non-Thesis Internships
- For students currently pursuing, or who have recently completed, undergraduate degrees (UG, Category A1) or postgraduate degrees (PG, Category A2)
- Purpose: Gain hands-on research experience or prepare for further studies through either a short-term internship (typically during summer/winter breaks) or a longer research engagement (up to 12 months).
Category B: Thesis Internships
- For final-year UG or PG students undertaking a project as part of the degree requirements of their home university or institute.
- Purpose: To provide final-year students the opportunity to work (up to 12 months) on a project for research exposure, as part of their degree requirements.
Category C: Research Internships
- For Ph.D. scholars at other universities or institutes (Category C1), or Ph.D. candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting their defense (Category C2)
- Purpose: Collaborative research with an IIA faculty member (up to 12 months)
Note: The initial offer under any category (A, B, and C) is for up to 3 months. Requests for internships shorter than one month will not be considered. Depending on the progress of work, the duration may be extended beyond 3 months as per the Institute's norms.
How to Apply
Step 1: Identify a Supervisor
Browse the list of IIA scientists, engineers, DST-INSPIRE, and Ramanujan Fellows and identify a prospective supervisor whose research interests align with yours. Visit their profile pages and review their recent publications to understand their work.
Step 2: Contact the Prospective Supervisor
Send a brief email expressing your interest in working with the prospective supervisor. Attach the following documents as a single PDF file:
- Your updated CV
- A research statement (approximately two pages) addressing the following:
- Why you wish to intern at IIA
- The VSP category under which you are applying
- How your research interests align with those of the supervisor, referring to one or more recent publications
- Whether you require financial support (stipend)
- Your preferred internship period
- Details of your earlier internship at IIA, if any
The supervisor will review the application and may request additional information if required. If the application is found suitable and a VSP position is available, the supervisor will seek the necessary institutional approvals. Selected candidates will be informed by the supervisor and/or the BGS Office and will work under their guidance during the internship.
Accommodation is usually not available for VSP students at the IIA Bengaluru campus. However, accommodation may be provided for students undertaking internships at IIA field stations, subject to availability.
For queries regarding a specific internship application, applicants should first contact the prospective supervisor.