PhD Admission January 2027 in Biological Sciences, NISER Bhubaneswar
Job Description
PhD admission at NISER Bhubaneswar for January 2027 is open in the School of Biological Sciences. This is the Winter Session of 2026-27. The last date for all schools is 1 November 2026, and there is no application fee.
At a glance
- Programme: PhD in the School of Biological Sciences, starting January 2027
- Where: NISER, Jatni, Khurda, Odisha
- Application fee: none
- Test or interview: 14 and 15 December 2026 (tentative)
- Apply by: 1 November 2026
The school’s current work runs from cell biology and translation to cancer biology, eye disease and bacterial pathogens. Pharmacy, veterinary and computational backgrounds are accepted, and so are physics, chemistry and mathematics graduates who want to move into biology.
Eligibility for the School of Biological Sciences
- 55% or equivalent GPA in a master’s degree, MTech or MPharm in any branch of agricultural sciences, biology, life sciences, pharmacy, veterinary sciences, computer sciences, bioinformatics or biotechnology
- A master’s in physics, chemistry or mathematics is also welcome if you want a career in biology
- Or a four-year, eight-semester bachelor’s degree with at least 75% marks in aggregate or an equivalent grade
- Candidates with a GPA may need a conversion note from their institution if the mark sheet does not give a percentage
National examination required
Candidates must have qualified at least one of CSIR-UGC-NET, GATE, GPAT, DBT-BET, ICMR or JGEEBILS-2025, valid for the academic year 2026-2027.
One rule that catches people out
The advertisement is explicit: a candidate holding the INSPIRE Doctoral Fellowship only, without having qualified one of the national written examinations listed above, will not be considered for PhD admission at NISER. Several institutes accept INSPIRE on its own. NISER does not. Check this before you spend time on the form.
The cut-off marks for GATE, JEST, JGEEBILS, CSIR-UGC-NET and the rest are set by each school for its own subject area, so a pass alone may not be enough.
Research areas
- Organelle biogenesis and cellular trafficking
- Dynamics between the gastric cancer microenvironment and the extracellular matrix
- Extracellular vesicles in gastric cancer progression, and EV-based biomarker identification
- Genomic and epigenomic regulators in Fuchs corneal endothelial dystrophy
- Biomarkers for pseudoexfoliation glaucoma
- Antimicrobial resistance and persistence in Gram-negative bacterial pathogens
- Molecular mechanisms of non-AUG start codon selection in eukaryotic translation initiation
- Structure and function of dengue virus replication complex proteins
- Phage-encoded anti-defence proteins that neutralise bacterial immune systems
The full list is on the school’s faculty page.
How to apply
Apply online on the NISER online application portal. The portal opened on 1 October 2026. NISER charges no application fee for the PhD programme. If you want more than one school, fill a separate form for each one with its own documents. Keep ready a passport photo and signature as JPEG files, a birth certificate or class 10 certificate, and your qualifying degree certificates and mark sheets.
Candidates still sitting their final examination may apply. They must give an undertaking that the degree certificate will be submitted by the time of admission. If your mark sheet shows a GPA without a conversion note, get one from your institution.
Selection
Each school’s selection committee shortlists from the applications received by the deadline. Meeting the minimum qualification does not guarantee a shortlist, and schools may add their own criteria. Shortlisted candidates face an interview, with a written test as well if the school wants one. Everyone called for the test or interview is reimbursed return travel at second-sleeper class railway fare by the shortest route, against valid documents.
Read the official NISER advertisement (PDF) in full before applying. Browse more PhD positions on ResearchJobs.in, or search our Find a supervisor page.
Key dates
- Portal opened: 1 October 2026
- Last date: 1 November 2026
- Shortlist published on the NISER website: 10 November 2026
- Test or interview: 14 and 15 December 2026 (tentative)
- First-semester registration: 1 January 2027
Hiring institution: National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar
Official advertisement: www.niser.ac.in
How to prepare for this application
- Check your national exam is valid for 2026-27. The advertisement asks for a score valid for this academic year.
- Do not rely on INSPIRE alone. NISER will not consider an INSPIRE-only candidate who has not cleared one of the listed written examinations.
- Read the faculty pages for the school. Naming the group you want to join is the strongest thing on your form.
- One form per school. Applying to two schools means two complete applications with their own documents.
- Keep your travel documents. Return rail fare at second-sleeper class is reimbursed if you are called for the interview.
About NISER
The National Institute of Science Education and Research was set up in 2007 at Jatni near Bhubaneswar, under the Department of Atomic Energy. It teaches and researches the basic sciences, and its degrees are awarded through the Homi Bhabha National Institute. The PhD programme admits twice a year, in a summer session starting in July and a winter session starting in January.
