Ph. D. Advertisement Varsha 2026 (CSIR/UGC JRF - Category I)

Applications are invited from highly motivated students having qualified in CSIR/UGC JRF (only Category I is eligible) , for admission to the Ph. D. programs of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM) in the School of Biology for the session starting from October 2026, i.e., Varsha 2026, semester. Candidates are required to apply through the online portal only. The online application portal will be open from 25th September 2026 at (https://phdadmission.iisertvm.ac.in/index.php/applicant/register/22)

General Eligibility Criteria

(For School- or Centre-specific eligibility criteria, see the tables below)

1. 6.5 CGPA on a 10-point scale (or first-class equivalent) or first class in Master's program in a relevant discipline as declared by the respective university for General/OBC-NCL candidates and a minimum of 50% marks (or a CGPA of 5.5 in the 10-point scale) for SC/ST and PwD candidates.
2. The candidate must have qualified in at least one of the following examinations: CSIR/UGC JRF (only Category I is eligible), or other national-level examinations as specified in the document, with validity as on 1st November 2026.
   (See below the Eligibility Criteria for other national-level examinations for the selection).

Research Areas

• Biophysics and Biochemistry
  • Dr Ramanathan Natesh (https://faculty.iisertvm.ac.in/natesh/)
  • Dr Sanu Shameer (https://www.iisertvm.ac.in/faculty/sshameer)
• Cell and Molecular Biology
  • Prof S Murty Srinivasula (https://licbgit.github.io/licb-website/index.html)
  • Prof Tapas K. Manna (https://www.iisertvm.ac.in/faculty/tmanna)
  • Dr Nishana Mayilaadumveettil (https://nishanalab8.wixsite.com/nishanalab)
  • Dr V Stalin Raj (https://www.virology-scientific-research-laboratory-iisertvm.com)
• Ecology & Evolution
  • Prof Hema Somanathan (https://faculty.iisertvm.ac.in/beelab/)
  • Prof Ullasa Kodandaramaiah (https://www.vanasiri.in/)
• Genetics and Development
  • Dr Nishana Mayilaadumveettil (https://nishanalab8.wixsite.com/nishanalab)
  • Dr Satish Khurana (https://stemcelldevlab.wixsite.com/khuranalab)
• Infection and Immunity
  • Dr Kamalakannan Vijayan (https://kamalakannanvijaya.wixsite.com/laboratory-of-parasi)
  • Dr V Stalin Raj (https://www.virology-scientific-research-laboratory-iisertvm.com)
• Host-Pathogen Interaction
  • Dr V Stalin Raj (https://www.virology-scientific-research-laboratory-iisertvm.com)
  • Dr Kamalakannan Vijayan (https://kamalakannanvijaya.wixsite.com/laboratory-of-parasi)
• Neurobiology
  • Dr Poonam Thakur (https://sites.google.com/view/thakurlab/home)
• Plant Biology
  • Dr Sanu Shameer (https://www.iisertvm.ac.in/faculty/sshameer)
  • Dr Nitin Kamble (https://www.iisertvm.ac.in/faculty/nitinkamble)
• Theoretical & Computational Biology
  • Dr Ramanathan Natesh (https://faculty.iisertvm.ac.in/natesh/)
  • Dr Sanu Shameer (https://www.iisertvm.ac.in/faculty/sshameer)

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  Selection Procedure

  The shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend interviews, which will be conducted in online mode.

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  Important Dates

  Online application portal open from	25th September, 2026
  Last date for receipt of online applications	5th October, 2026
  Tentative Interview Date	9th October, 2026

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  General Information and Application Procedure

  1. Applicants should complete the online application form at the url: ( https://phdadmission.iisertvm.ac.in/index.php/applicant/register/22 ).
  2. Only applications complete in all respects would be considered. Do not forget to click the “Submit” button after completing your application.
  3. Applicants will also be prompted to upload all the supporting documents online.
  4. Applicants should provide Name/Affiliation/Contact number and Email addresses of two referees in the application form.
  5. Applicants belonging to GEN/OBC and SC/ST/PH categories are required to make a payment of Rs. 500/- and Rs. 250/-, respectively, as a processing fee online through the application portal.
  6. On submission of the online application form, the applicants will receive an acknowledgement email with a unique application number.
  7. Applicants are NOT required to post a hard copy of the application to IISER TVM.
  8. In case of any application-related queries, please contact the Ph.D. coordinator by email at: phdprogramme@iisertvm.ac.in. Any other mode of communication will not be entertained.
  9. Mere fulfilment of the eligibility criteria does not entitle a candidate to be called for the interview.
  10. Relaxation for reserved categories to the eligibility criteria will be applicable as per Government of India rules.