Junior Research Fellow in Sodium-Ion Battery Cathodes, IIT Indore (Ministry of Education Project)
Job Description
This JRF in sodium-ion batteries at IIT Indore makes and tests new layered oxide cathodes. It is in the Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science. Send your application by email before 30 October 2026.
At a glance
- Post: Junior Research Fellow (JRF), one post
- Where: Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, IIT Indore
- Funded by: Ministry of Education
- Fellowship: ₹37,000 a month, consolidated, + HRA if applicable
- Duration: Until 28 May 2027
- Age limit: 28 years
- Apply by: Before 30 October 2026, by email
- Interview: 9 November 2026, for shortlisted candidates
The advertisement is IITI/SK/PRJ/2026-27/001, dated 1 October 2026. The project is titled “Development of Mixed Phase Layered Oxide Cathodes for Sodium-Ion Batteries”.
About the sodium-ion battery JRF at IIT Indore
- Make new sodium layered oxides by sol-gel, solid-state or co-precipitation routes
- Test them as cathodes for sodium-ion batteries
- Build coin cells and run electrochemical tests
- Analyse the results and write reports
Why this role matters
Sodium is cheap and plentiful in India, unlike lithium. Better cathodes are the main step to making sodium-ion cells a real option for grid storage and two-wheelers. A JRF here gives hands-on battery skills that industry wants.
Eligibility
- M.Sc. or M.Tech. in Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, Nanotechnology, Ceramics Engineering, Polymer Science or Solid State Physics
- Preferred: a NET or GATE qualification
- Wanted: synthesis of inorganic materials
- Wanted: structure and microstructure work with powder XRD, SEM, TEM or Raman spectroscopy
- Wanted: basic electrochemical testing
- Age: at most 28 years
Only shortlisted candidates are called for the interview. Selected candidates are told by email. No TA/DA is paid for attending the interview.
Pay and duration
- ₹37,000 a month, consolidated, plus HRA if applicable
- The post runs until 28 May 2027
How to apply
Email one PDF with a detailed CV, degree certificates, mark sheets, your GATE certificate and proof of date of birth to sunil@iiti.ac.in. Use the subject line “Application for JRF – [Your Name]”. Send it before 30 October 2026. Read the IIT Indore advertisement (PDF) first. It is listed on the IIT Indore JRF/SRF careers page.
Key dates
- Advertisement dated: 1 October 2026
- Apply before: 30 October 2026
- Interview: 9 November 2026
Please read the official IIT Indore advertisement before applying, and browse more Junior Research Fellow jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: Indian Institute of Technology Indore
Official advertisement: www.iiti.ac.in
How to prepare for this application
- Know the layered oxide family: O3 and P2 structures, and why a mixed phase might help capacity and stability.
- Explain a synthesis you ran: sol-gel, solid-state or co-precipitation, and how you controlled the phase.
- Read an XRD pattern aloud: be ready to index peaks and spot an impurity phase.
- Revise cell testing: coin-cell assembly in a glovebox, galvanostatic cycling, CV and rate tests.
- Compare labs: sodium-ion work is growing across India. Use our Find a supervisor page to look at battery groups.
About IIT Indore
IIT Indore is one of the Indian Institutes of Technology set up by the Government of India in 2009. Its campus is at Simrol, on Khandwa Road near Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Project staff are hired on externally funded research grants run by its faculty, and the institute posts these ads on its careers page.
