Project Associate-I and Project Assistant in Covalent Inhibitor Discovery at IIT Kharagpur
Job Description
The School of Nano Science and Technology at IIT Kharagpur has two openings on a project on reaction-based screening for hit-to-lead discovery of covalent inhibitors: a Project Associate-I (for master’s graduates) and a Project Assistant (for bachelor’s graduates). Both suit chemists and biologists with lab experience, and both close on 23 September 2026.
At a glance
- Positions: Project Associate-I (1 post, Ref. IIT/SRIC/R/BLI_RS/2026/101) and Project Assistant (1 post, Ref. IIT/SRIC/R/BLI/2026/102)
- Project: Reaction Based Screening of Efficient Hit to Lead Discovery of Covalent Inhibitors
- Department: School of Nano Science and Technology (the PI is not named in the online advertisements)
- Pay (Project Associate-I): Rs 31,000 + HRA (NET/GATE or national exam), otherwise Rs 25,000 + HRA
- Upper age limit: 35 for both posts
- Apply by: 23 September 2026 (online, no fee)
Covalent inhibitors bind permanently to their protein target, usually through a reactive group that attacks a cysteine or other residue. Screening reactive fragments and then optimising the hits into lead compounds is a growing approach in drug discovery, and it needs both synthetic chemistry and biochemical testing.
What the roles involve
- Organic synthesis of candidate compounds for screening
- Biochemical assays to test inhibition
- Cell culture and gel electrophoresis experiments (listed in the Project Associate-I advertisement)
- Standard cellular biology techniques (listed in the Project Assistant advertisement)
Eligibility
- Project Associate-I: a master’s degree in natural or agricultural sciences or MVSc, or a bachelor’s degree in engineering, technology or medicine, from a recognised university. Preferred: experience with organic synthesis, biochemical assays, cell culture and gel electrophoresis
- Project Assistant: a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biology, biochemistry, pharmacy or nanoscience. Desired: practical experience in organic synthesis, basic biochemical assays or standard cell biology techniques
- Upper age limit: 35 for both posts
These are two separate advertisements, so apply to each post you want through its own page. The Project Assistant advertisement leaves the pay field blank. The Project Assistant ad is here.
Pay and duration
- Project Associate-I: Rs 31,000 per month + HRA for candidates selected through CSIR-UGC NET, GATE or a national-level exam; Rs 25,000 + HRA for others
- Project Assistant: pay not stated in the online advertisement
How to apply
Apply online through IIT Kharagpur’s SRIC staff recruitment portal, using the Apply Online button on the official advertisement. The advertisement lists no application fee. For the Project Assistant post, use the Apply Online button on its advertisement. Both close on 23 September 2026. Other current SRIC project openings are on the SRIC recruitment page.
Key dates
- Last date to apply (both posts): 23 September 2026
Please read the official IIT Kharagpur SRIC advertisement (Project Associate-I) before applying, and browse more life sciences jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Official advertisement: erp.iitkgp.ac.in
How to prepare for this application
- Show bench skills on both sides: list reactions you have run and purified, and any enzyme or cell assays you have done, with the techniques (TLC, column, NMR, SDS-PAGE, cell culture).
- Pick the right post: master's graduates should apply for Project Associate-I; bachelor's graduates fit the Project Assistant post.
- Fill the portal form carefully: SRIC screens applications on what you enter, so give exact marks, CGPA and dates, and upload the documents it asks for.
- Check the age limit and relaxations: the upper age limit is stated in the advertisement, and relaxation for reserved categories follows institute norms.
- Contact the PI's group if unsure: faculty email addresses are on IIT Kharagpur's department pages; keep any query short and specific.
About IIT Kharagpur and SRIC
IIT Kharagpur, founded in 1951, was the first of the Indian Institutes of Technology. Its Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy (SRIC) unit manages externally funded research projects and recruits the temporary staff, such as JRFs, SRFs, project associates and project assistants, who work on them. These are project-linked posts: they last for the tenure the advertisement gives, or until the project ends.