Senior Research Fellow in Geospatial Forewarning Models for Crop Pests and Diseases (SAC SUFALAM Project), ICAR-IARI New Delhi
Job Description
ICAR-IARI’s Agricultural Knowledge Management Unit (AKMU) in New Delhi is recruiting a Senior Research Fellow for crop pest forewarning models, a computer-science post on a project that combines weather and satellite remote-sensing data, funded by the Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad, under SUFALAM Phase II.
At a glance
- Position: Senior Research Fellow (one post on this project)
- Where: AKMU, L.B.S. Building, ICAR-IARI, Pusa, New Delhi
- Pay: Rs 37,000 per month plus HRA as admissible
- Duration: up to 31 March 2027, likely to be extended until March 2028
- Apply by: 28 September 2026, by email and Google Form
The project is titled “Integrating Weather and Remote Sensing Data for Developing Geo-Spatial Forewarning Models for Crop Pests and Diseases”. Forewarning models use weather records and satellite indicators to predict when pest or disease pressure is likely to build up, so that farmers and extension services can act before damage spreads. The advertisement asks applicants to write to Dr Amrender Kumar, whose official IARI profile lists statistics, crop modelling and the effect of climate change on pests and diseases.
Why this role matters
Early warnings can cut unnecessary spraying and crop losses at the same time. For a computer-science graduate, the post is a route into geospatial data science and agricultural AI with a national research institute.
About the SRF crop pest forewarning post at IARI
- Build web-based systems, databases and AI tools that bring weather and remote-sensing data together, the experience the advertisement prefers
- Statistical modelling for pest and disease forewarning, the other desirable skill it names
The advertisement does not list duties; the points above follow from the project title and the desirable experience.
Eligibility
- The advertisement lists a B.Tech or bachelor’s degree in computer science, and a master’s degree in computer science, information technology, information security, information sciences, MCA or equivalent from a recognised university; read it for the exact combination
- Master’s holders need a four- or five-year bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject; those with a three-year bachelor’s degree need NET or an equivalent certificate
- At least two years of research experience, as defined in the ICAR and DST office memoranda the advertisement cites
- Desirable: experience developing web-based systems, databases and AI tools, and knowledge of statistical modelling
- Age: at most 35 (five years’ relaxation for SC/ST and women, three years for OBC); Indian nationals only
Only shortlisted candidates are contacted by email and invited to an in-person interview; no call letters are issued. Do not post hard copies. Incomplete applications are rejected, no TA/DA is paid, and the positions can be ended with one month’s notice. The same notification has a second SRF post on the Kisan Sarathi 2.0 project (funded by ICAR and DIC); see the advertisement for that post.
Pay and duration
- Rs 37,000 per month plus HRA as admissible
- Temporary up to 31 March 2027, likely to be extended until March 2028, or until the scheme ends, whichever is earlier
How to apply
Email the filled application proforma from the advertisement, with self-attested scans of your original documents as one PDF, to amrender.kumar@icar.org.in, and also fill in the Google Form linked in the advertisement, by 28 September 2026. Shortlisted candidates are invited by email to an in-person interview at AKMU, L.B.S. Building, ICAR-IARI, between 5 and 10 October 2026; bring a filled application, self-attested photocopies, all originals and two passport-size photographs.
Key dates
- Notification dated 31 August 2026
- Last date: 28 September 2026
- In-person interviews for shortlisted candidates: 5 to 10 October 2026
Please read the official ICAR-IARI notification (AKMU) before applying, and browse more Senior Research Fellow jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI)
Official advertisement: iari.res.in
How to prepare for this application
- Forewarning models: revise weather-based indices, regression and machine-learning approaches to predicting pest outbreaks, and how such models are validated.
- Remote sensing: know vegetation indices such as NDVI, land surface temperature and how satellite data is matched to field observations.
- Geospatial stack: show hands-on work with QGIS or GDAL, Google Earth Engine, or PostGIS, ideally in a small portfolio.
- Web and databases: be ready to describe a web application or database you built, including the framework and how users reached the data.
- Research experience: the post needs two years of research experience, so bring certificates that show dates and the nature of the work.
About ICAR-IARI
The ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), widely known as the Pusa Institute, is the flagship research and teaching institute of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), based on the Pusa campus in New Delhi. It is a deemed university whose Graduate School trains master's and PhD students, and its divisions cover crop improvement, plant protection, horticulture, natural resources and agricultural technology. Its breeding programmes have released many varieties of wheat, rice, pulses, vegetables and fruit. Project fellowships at IARI are a common first step into agricultural research and PhD programmes.
