Assistant Professor Positions at IIT Madras (Rolling Advertisement 2026)
Job Description
IIT Madras is recruiting Assistant Professors in 18 departments through Rolling Advertisement No. IITM/R/1/2026 (dated 27 February 2026). About 40 posts are on offer, and the online portal takes applications until 15 October 2026. If you are an early-career researcher hoping for a first faculty job at a top Indian institute, this is one of the clearest openings this year.
At a glance
- Post: Assistant Professor (Grade II and Grade I)
- Vacancies: About 40, which may change; unfilled posts from earlier rounds may be added
- Departments: 18, including Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science & Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Biotechnology and Medical Sciences & Technology
- Age limit: Must not have completed 36 years on 31 December 2026 (relaxation for OBC, SC/ST, PwD and women candidates)
- Apply by: 15 October 2026, online only
Because this is a rolling advertisement, IIT Madras does not wait for a fixed closing date to look at applications. Selections are made from time to time, depending on how many people apply and what each department needs. Once a department has hired enough people in an area, it may stop recruiting there, so applying early is sensible.
Departments recruiting
- Engineering: Aerospace, Applied Mechanics & Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Metallurgical and Materials, Ocean, and Engineering Design
- Computing: Computer Science & Engineering, and Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
- Sciences: Biotechnology, Chemistry, Physics, and Medical Sciences & Technology
- Humanities & Social Sciences, Management Studies, and the School of Interdisciplinary Studies
The specific areas each department wants, and any extra qualifications, are listed in Annexure-1 on the IIT Madras faculty recruitment portal. The annexure is updated during the advertisement period, so check the latest version before you apply. The institute also says it may consider exceptional candidates in any area of a department.
Eligibility
- A Ph.D. with first class or equivalent in the preceding degree, and a consistently good academic record
- Assistant Professor (Grade II): less than three years of post-Ph.D. industrial, research or teaching experience
- Assistant Professor (Grade I): at least three years of post-Ph.D. industrial, research or teaching experience
- IIT Madras Ph.D. graduates must show independent research and at least three years of experience outside IIT Madras
- Permanent posts are open to Indian nationals and OCI card holders; foreign nationals may be appointed on contract
Reservation follows Ministry of Education rules (SC 15%, ST 7.5%, OBC-NCL 27%, EWS 10%, plus PwD). Women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. People working in government bodies, PSUs or universities must apply through their employer, or bring a No Objection Certificate to the interview.
Pay and duration
- Grade II: Pay Level 10, minimum basic pay Rs 70,900; total emoluments at the minimum are about Rs 1,71,300 a month including HRA (Rs 1,50,000 without)
- Grade I: Pay Level 12, minimum basic pay Rs 1,01,500; about Rs 2,29,400 a month including HRA (Rs 1,99,000 without)
- Initiation grant of Rs 5 lakh on joining, and a start-up research grant of up to Rs 50 lakh or more over three years
- Professional development allowance of Rs 3 lakh per three-year block, relocation support, and medical cover
How to apply
Fill in the online application through the IIT Madras 2026 rolling advertisement portal. One application covers several departments; you choose them in Section 8 of the form. You will upload a signed copy of the form and an academic profile containing your CV, a teaching plan, a research plan, reprints of your three best papers with a short note on each, and your publication, patent, supervision and project records. IIT Madras contacts your referees directly. Queries go to the Dean (Faculty) at deanfacultyoffice@iitm.ac.in.
Key dates
- Advertisement dated 27 February 2026
- Applications accepted all year until 15 October 2026
- Shortlisting and interviews happen in rounds, depending on department needs
Please read the official IIT Madras rolling advertisement (PDF) before applying, and browse more faculty jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Official advertisement: facapp.iitm.ac.in
How to prepare for this application
- Read Annexure-1 first: match your application to an area a department is actually seeking, and name it in your research plan.
- Teaching plan: pick real courses from the IIT Madras core course list and explain how you would teach them.
- Three best papers: for each one, explain why it matters, what you contributed, and your role if it was a collaboration.
- Show output in the last three years: the form asks for totals and recent numbers for papers, patents, supervision and projects.
- Line up referees: the institute writes to them directly, so warn them in advance.
- Apply early: areas can be closed once they are filled, well before 15 October.
About IIT Madras
IIT Madras, set up in 1959 in Chennai, is one of India's Institutes of National Importance. Its campus hosts the IIT Madras Research Park and a large start-up incubation ecosystem, and faculty are encouraged to work with industry and to consult.
