Research Associate-I, Deep Learning Streamflow Forecasting at IIT Roorkee
Job Description
IIT Roorkee’s Department of Hydrology is hiring a Research Associate-I to build deep-learning streamflow forecasts from NCMRWF weather forecasts, under Prof. Ashutosh Sharma. The project is sponsored by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, under Monsoon Mission III.
At a glance
- Position: Research Associate-I (1 post)
- Project: Leveraging NCMRWF Weather Forecasts for Enhanced Streamflow Forecasting with Deep Learning
- Sponsor: IITM Pune, under Monsoon Mission III
- Pay: Rs 58,000 per month plus HRA (as applicable)
- Duration: Until the project ends (May 2028, tentative)
- Interview: 23 September 2026, 5:00 PM
Streamflow forecasts tell reservoir operators and disaster managers how much water rivers will carry in the coming days. Feeding numerical weather forecasts, such as those from the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), into data-driven hydrological models is an active research area, because deep-learning models can learn catchment behaviour that is hard to capture with conventional models.
About the streamflow forecasting role
- Use NCMRWF weather forecasts for streamflow forecasting through data-driven hydrological modelling
- Apply machine learning, hydrological modelling, statistical analysis and GIS to the project’s catchment data
- Write technical documents such as reports and research papers
The advertisement expects a good understanding of hydrology, hydrological modelling, statistical analysis, machine learning and GIS, hands-on experience with these, and proficiency in programming, particularly Python or MATLAB, which it calls essential. On the notice, the printed line for a last date and a note about PhD admission are struck out, so selection is by interview on the date below.
Eligibility
- Ph.D. in Hydrology, Water Resources Engineering or Civil Engineering, with a thesis focused on hydrology or climate change
- An engineering background at Master’s (M.Tech or M.E.) and undergraduate level
- At least three papers in Q1 or Q2 journals as first author on relevant topics
Open to Indian nationals only. Among equally qualified candidates, SC/ST candidates will be preferred. No TA/DA is paid for attending the interview.
Pay and duration
- Rs 58,000 per month plus HRA (as applicable)
- Until the completion of the project (May 2028, tentative)
How to apply
Submit an application on plain paper with a detailed CV (listing your degrees and certificates in chronological order) and your research, industrial or other experience, together with attested copies of your degree and experience certificates, to the Principal Investigator’s office: by email to ashutosh.sharma@hy.iitr.ac.in, by post, or in person at the interview. Bring your original certificates to the interview for verification.
Key dates
- Interview: 23 September 2026, 5:00 PM, Committee Room, Department of Hydrology, IIT Roorkee
Please read the official IIT Roorkee advertisement (PDF) before applying, and browse more Research Associate jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
Official advertisement: iitr.ac.in
How to prepare for this application
- Sequence models: be ready to explain how you would use LSTMs or similar models for multi-day streamflow forecasts, and how you avoid overfitting.
- Forecast verification: revise skill scores such as NSE and KGE and how skill changes with lead time.
- Using weather forecasts: think about bias correction and downscaling of numerical forecasts before they drive a hydrological model.
- GIS and data: catchment delineation, gridded rainfall and gauge data, and how you would assemble a training dataset.
- Your first-author papers: prepare a short talk on the one most relevant to forecasting.
About IIT Roorkee
IIT Roorkee traces its roots to Roorkee College, set up in 1847 and renamed the Thomason College of Civil Engineering in 1854. It became the country's first technical university in 1948, as the University of Roorkee, and was converted into an Indian Institute of Technology on 21 September 2001, when it was recognised as an Institution of National Importance. Much of its research, like this post, runs through externally sponsored projects.
