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Post-Doctoral Fellowships at IIA
The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) invites applications for Post-Doctoral Fellowships under all categories listed on this page. Applications are considered in three cycles each year: January, May, and September. The online application portal opens in the first week of these months and remains open for approximately one month.
Current Application Cycle: IIA is inviting applications with a deadline of 8th October 2025.
Fellowship Categories
Post-Doctoral Researcher
Post-Doctoral Researcher(PDR) positions are for candidates who have submitted their Ph.D thesis and are awaiting the award of the degree/thesis defense in Physical Sciences from a recognized University / Institute. The duration of the fellowship is only for a maximum of one year. Candidates should preferably be below the age of 36 years.
Emoluments: IIA offers a fellowship of Rs 46,000/- per month for a period of one year. House rent and medical facilities are offered in accordance with the prevailing rules of the institute. PDRs need to make their own arrangement for their accommodation.
Regular Post-Doctoral Fellowships
The regular post-doctoral fellowships are open to researchers with a Ph.D degree in Physical Sciences from a recognized University / Institute. The candidate's research experience should have a significant overlap with the current research activities at IIA. The candidate should have a Ph.D. degree or should have completed the thesis defense at the time of application. The duration of the fellowship is normally for two years, with a possible extension for another year. Candidates should preferably be below the age of 36 years.
Selected candidates, as post-doctoral fellows (PDFs), are expected to work in close collaboration with members of the research groups at the institute and are also encouraged to carry out independent research.
Emoluments: IIA offers a fellowship of Rs 58,000/- per month for a fresh Ph.D. A fellowship of Rs. 61,000/- per month will be offered for those with a minimum of 1 - 2 years of post-doctoral experience. A fellowship of Rs. 67,000/- per month will be offered for those with more experience. Other allowances, such as house rent, book grant (Rs 10,000/year), and medical facilities, are offered in accordance with the prevailing rules of the institute. PDFs need to make their own arrangement for their accommodation.
Chandrasekhar Post-Doctoral Fellowship
The Chandrasekhar Post-Doctoral fellowship is for exceptionally bright candidates with outstanding academic credentials. Chandra Fellows may choose their own research topics or collaborate with groups or individuals in the institute. This fellowship is for a period of two years, with a possibility of an extension for one more year. Candidates should be ordinarily below the age of 32 years.
Emoluments: The monthly stipend is Rs. 75,000/- per month for candidates with up to 2 years of post-doctoral experience and Rs. 80,000/- per month for those with more than 2 years of experience. Chandra Fellows would be entitled to an annual contingency grant of Rs . 2,00,000/-, as well as to housing (subject to availability), medical and other benefits in accordance with the prevailing rules of the institute. Travel support by economy airfare will be available at the time of taking up the assignment.
How to apply
The application can be made online post-doc application portal.
Application Requirements (All Categories)
To apply, applicants must submit the following documents through the online application portal:
- Curriculum Vitae – including a full list of publications.
- Research Proposal – maximum of four pages (please adhere to the page limit).
- Three Best Peer-Reviewed Publications
- Three Recommendation Letters – to be sent directly by referees (see instructions below).
- Support Letter from an IIA Faculty Member – see instructions below.
Applications without all the required documents and letters will be considered incomplete.
Instructions for the Support Letter (IIA Faculty Mentor)
- All applicants must identify one IIA faculty member as a potential mentor with whom they intend to conduct research in close collaboration.
- Before submitting the application, the applicant must discuss the proposed research with the chosen mentor and prepare a plan of activities to be undertaken at IIA.
- The mentor is required to provide a support letter for the applicant.
- Applications without a support letter will be considered incomplete.
- The support letter must be sent by the proposed mentor directly to pdf@iiap.res.in before the application deadline, with the subject line: Support letter for applicant’s name
Instructions for Recommendation Letters
- All applicants must arrange for three recommendation letters from referees familiar with their work.
- All three letters must be sent directly by the referees to pdf@iiap.res.in before the application deadline, with the subject line: Recommendation letter for applicant’s name
- Applications without all three recommendation letters will be considered incomplete.
Important Notes
- Only complete applications (including recommendation letters and the support letter from an IIA faculty) submitted by the deadline of each cycle will be considered.
- Applicants are encouraged to contact potential mentors well in advance of the deadline.
Externally funded Post Doctoral Fellows
National PDFs, INSPIRE Fellows, and PDFs funded by other Government bodies, who wish to be hosted at IIA, may directly write to the Dean (dean@iiap.res.in) along with all the relevant documents for consideration and review at least one month in advance.
Selected candidates will be provided with the necessary infrastructure by the institute, such as office space, furniture, a desktop computer, access to the institute's computing facilities, and the Library. Candidates' research grants will be used for domestic travel, laptops, books, minor equipment (in case of experiments), and any other research-related expenses.