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 Chemistry 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 26th September 2026 at (https://phdadmission.iisertvm.ac.in/index.php/applicant/register/26)

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 on 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

• Organic Synthesis and Catalysis, Cross-Coupling Reactions; Machine learning and AI in organic reactions – Cheminformatics
• Organic Synthesis - Catalysis for Asymmetric Synthesis and Developing New Synthetic Methods
• Organic Synthesis - Metal Catalysis, Photocatalysis and Molecular Editing
• Radical Chemistry in Organic Synthesis
• Total synthesis of natural products and drug molecules, Asymmetric synthesis & catalysis and Medicinal chemistry
• Organic chemistry, Supramolecular chemistry
• Supramolecular chemistry, DNA nanotechnology and cancer therapy
• Supramolecular Chemistry: Molecular Switches, host-guest chemistry and foldamer chemistry
• Coordination and Bioinorganic Chemistry
• d-block Organometallic Chemistry, Small molecule activation, development of molecular catalysts for hydrogenation and cross-coupling reactions
• Main Group Catalysis
• Main Group Chemistry
• Inorganic and Materials Chemistry for Energy Applications
• Quantum cluster and Metal-Organic Framework
• Functional Macrocycles: pi-Conjugated Materials and ion-sensors for optoelectronic applications
• Self-Assembly in Bio/Molecular Systems, Soft-Materials & Interfaces
• Self healing Polymers, And Biomaterials
• Metabolic chemistry, Organic chemistry, Mass spectrometry
• Medicinal chemistry, Organic synthesis, Computational drug discovery
• Theoretical and Computational Chemistry
• Theoretical and Computational: Physical Chemistry, Systems Chemistry, Biological Physics
• Theoretical Chemistry; Computational Materials Science
• Electrocatalysis for energy conversion, storage and biomass valorisation
• NMR Spectroscopy and Biophysical Chemistry
• Physical Organic Chemistry, Photochemistry and Photophysics, Molecular Spectroscopy
• Planetary atmospheric chemistry, Combustion and astrochemistry, Gas phase and cryogenic spectroscopy, Mass spectrometry, Thermocatalysis, Reaction dynamics
• Ultrafast Spectroscopy, Excited-State Structural Dynamics

Selection Procedure

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

Important Dates

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/26 ).
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.