Post-Doctoral Fellowship for Women with a Career Break at IIT Madras
Job Description
IIT Madras offers a post-doctoral fellowship for women with a Ph.D. who have had a break in their careers, to help them return to high-quality academic research. It is open in most engineering and science departments, has no upper age limit, and accepts applications throughout the year.
At a glance
- Scheme: Post Doctoral Fellowship for Women with Break in Career
- Where: IIT Madras, Chennai
- Pay: Rs 58,000 per month (consolidated)
- Duration: 2 to 6 months over 2 or 3 visits of at least two months each; extendable to a maximum of one year in total
- Age limit: None
- Apply by: Applications are received throughout the year
Many women leave research after a Ph.D. for family or other reasons and find it hard to return. Short, flexible fellowships that fund a few months in an active department are designed to rebuild research links and confidence, and can lead to longer positions.
Departments covered
- Engineering: Aerospace, Applied Mechanics, Biotechnology, Chemical, Civil, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical, Engineering Design, Mechanical, Metallurgical and Materials, and Ocean Engineering
- Sciences and other departments: Chemistry, Humanities and Social Sciences, Management Studies, Mathematics and Physics
The scheme is meant to sustain and nurture the research involvement of women with a Ph.D. who could not pursue research for personal or professional reasons; it is not intended for career advancement of people who have other research avenues open to them.
Eligibility
- A Ph.D. in the appropriate discipline
- A break of at least two years after the Ph.D. was awarded
- No upper age limit
- Candidates who are already employed are not eligible
Married fellows who are not given campus accommodation receive HRA as per Central Government norms. The fellowship also covers a return II AC train fare from your place of residence in India to IIT Madras, and suitable accommodation is offered, if requested and available. Rolling programme: there is no closing date. ResearchJobs.in will re-check this listing on 12 October 2026.
Pay and duration
- Rs 58,000 per month (consolidated)
- HRA for married fellows without campus accommodation
- Return II AC train fare within India
How to apply
Download the application form (prescribed format only) from the IIT Madras post-doctoral opportunities page, fill it in, and email the soft copy with relevant documents in PDF to resipdf@smail.iitm.ac.in. Departments will inform candidates about availability.
Key dates
- Applications are received throughout the year
Please read the official IIT Madras guidelines (PDF) before applying, and browse more postdoctoral fellowships on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Official advertisement: www.iitm.ac.in
How to prepare for this application
- Explain your break: a short, factual note is enough; the scheme is designed for career breaks.
- Choose a department and host: look at faculty pages and suggest a project you could start in a two-month visit.
- Plan the visits: think about how you would split 2 or 3 visits and what you would deliver in each.
- Refresh your field: read recent reviews in your area before interviews.
- Documents: use only the prescribed form, and send everything as PDFs.
About IIT Madras
IIT Madras, founded in 1959, is one of India's oldest Indian Institutes of Technology, with a large campus in Chennai. It recruits project staff through its Office of Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (IC&SR) and runs institute-funded postdoctoral schemes through its Academic Section.
