Junior Research Fellow in AI/ML Algorithms for Sensor Systems, IIT Madras (Advt. 187/2026)
Job Description
This JRF position in machine learning at IIT Madras is for one Junior Research Fellow who will develop, simulate and validate AI/ML algorithms for sensor systems, in a project run jointly between the Department of Physics and the Department of Electrical Engineering (Advt. 187/2026).
At a glance
- Position: Junior Research Fellow (01 vacancy)
- Where: Department of Physics, IIT Madras, Chennai
- Pay: Rs 37,000 a month plus 24% House Rent Allowance
- Duration: One year
- Apply by: 1 October 2026
The coordinators are Prof. Bhallamudi Vidya Praveen of the Department of Physics and Dr Sudharshan Srinivasan of the Department of Electrical Engineering. The advertisement is dated 17 September 2026 and is issued by the Office of Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research.
What the JRF in machine learning will do
- Develop algorithms for object identification and classification
- Prepare and curate training datasets, and validate them against real-time data
- Analyse sensor data, including signal conditioning, noise characterisation and noise reduction
- Work with a multi-disciplinary R&D team and document the technical findings
Why this role matters
Most machine learning fellowships hand you a clean dataset. This one does not: the same person prepares the data, characterises the noise in the sensor that produced it, and then has to show the algorithm still works on a live feed. That loop — physics of the sensor at one end, validated model at the other — is the part employers in instrumentation and defence electronics cannot easily teach, and it is unusual to get it at JRF level with a physics group and an electrical engineering group both involved.
Eligibility
- B.E. or B.Tech. in AI, AI/ML, CSE, ECE, EEE, Mechanical or a related discipline
- Strong proficiency in Python and/or AI/ML-related software tools
- Hands-on experience in algorithm development, simulation, testing and preparing training datasets for diverse objects, with validation against real-time data
- Exposure to signal conditioning, data acquisition, noise analysis and algorithm development for precise sensor data interpretation
- Demonstrated expertise in developing and validating object-identification routines for macroscopic or large-scale sensor systems
- A valid GATE score is mandatory for the JRF position
- Age below 32 years
The post is on a purely contract basis and confers no right to extension or regularisation at the Institute.
Pay and duration
- Rs 37,000 a month plus 24% House Rent Allowance
- One year
- One vacancy
How to apply
Apply online only, through the IIT Madras ICSR current openings page, selecting advertisement number Advt. 187/2026. The last date for submission of the online application is 1 October 2026. A separate application is needed for each post, and the form cannot be edited once submitted. Hard copies are not to be sent to the Institute; a printout is required later at document verification. The full notice is listed on the ICSR careers page.
Key dates
- Advertisement dated 17 September 2026
- Last date for the online application: 1 October 2026
See more Junior Research Fellow posts, or browse all research jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Official advertisement: icandsr.iitm.ac.in
How to prepare for this application
- Have your GATE score card and its validity dates ready; the advertisement calls a valid GATE score mandatory, so an otherwise strong application without one will not be considered
- Bring one worked example of an object-identification pipeline you built end to end, and be ready to say what its failure modes were on real data rather than on a held-out split
- Revise the basics of signal conditioning and noise: shot versus thermal noise, filtering choices, and how you measured the noise floor of a sensor you actually used
- Show Python that a group can maintain — version-controlled code, a readme, a reproducible training script — rather than notebooks alone
- Read a little on the host group's sensing work before any interview; the post sits between physics and electrical engineering, and knowing which sensor modality is involved will let you ask better questions
About IIT Madras
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras is a public technical institute in Chennai, established in 1959, with departments across engineering, the sciences, humanities and management. Sponsored and consultancy project staff are recruited through its Office of Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (ICSR), which publishes each advertisement with its own number and takes applications through a single online portal.
