Scientist ‘B’ in Mechanical Design and Prototyping of Grassroots Innovations at NIF
Job Description
NIF Gandhinagar is recruiting a Scientist ‘B’ (post code PC-07) to design, prototype and test engineering products that start as grassroots inventions. A Ph.D. in the agricultural sciences or a first-class master’s degree in mechanical engineering qualifies. The desirable skills are 2D and 3D CAD, simulation, design for manufacture and assembly, and field validation with innovators and fabricators. It is a regular post at pay Level 10.
At a glance
- Post: Scientist ‘B’ (PC-07), 1 post, Advertisement No. Adv/02/2026
- Focus: Design, prototyping, testing and field validation of engineering products from grassroots innovators
- Pay: 7th CPC pay matrix Level 10 (Rs 56,100 – 1,77,500 basic per month)
- Upper age limit: 35 years on the closing date, with relaxations as per Government of India rules
- Where: NIF campus, Grambharti, Amrapur, Gandhinagar, Gujarat
- Apply by: online; closes 30 days after the Employment News notice (earliest 28 September 2026)
Rural innovators often build a working machine without drawings or analysis. Documenting it properly, improving the design and testing it are what make it possible to manufacture and license.
What the post involves
- Design, development, prototyping, testing and performance evaluation of engineering products
- Computer-aided design and engineering analysis: 2D and 3D CAD, engineering drawings, simulation tools, and design for manufacture and assembly
- Intellectual property and regulatory frameworks for engineering innovations
- Field validation and work with grassroots innovators, farmers, artisans and fabricators
NIF’s advertisement lists essential and desirable qualifications rather than duties; the points above follow its desirable qualifications.
Eligibility
- Ph.D. in the agricultural sciences or an equivalent discipline, or a first-class master’s degree in mechanical engineering or an equivalent discipline
- At least two original research papers of high standard in national or international journals
- Indian citizens only; upper age limit 35 years on the closing date
NIF’s screening committee may shortlist candidates for a written test and/or interview, so meeting the minimum qualifications does not guarantee a call. Experience counts only after the essential qualification and not while studying full time. Age and eligibility are judged on the closing date, with relaxations as per Government of India rules. Candidates already working in government, PSUs, autonomous bodies or universities must apply through proper channel or upload a no-objection certificate (or an undertaking to produce it at the interview). The number of posts may change, and a reserve panel stays valid for one year.
Pay and duration
- 7th CPC pay matrix Level 10: Rs 56,100 – 1,77,500 basic pay per month
- A regular post filled by direct recruitment through open, all-India competition
How to apply
Apply online only, through the NIF recruitment portal (jobs.nifindia.org): register with a valid email address and mobile number, complete your profile, then choose the post code and submit. Upload self-attested copies of your date-of-birth proof, degrees, experience certificates (showing designation, dates, duties and pay level), category or PwBD certificates if they apply, a list of publications, and Ph.D. registration and award certificates. UR, OBC and EWS candidates pay a non-refundable fee of Rs 1,000 online; SC, ST, PwBD and women candidates are exempt. Apply for only one post under this advertisement: if you apply for more, NIF considers just one. Queries go to jobs@nifindia.org. NIF’s portal stays open for 30 days from the day the advertisement appears in Employment News/Rozgar Samachar (until 23:59 hrs). NIF’s notice does not give that date, so the earliest it can close is 28 September 2026; apply before then to be safe.
Key dates
- Advertisement No. Adv/02/2026, dated 29 August 2026; online applications opened on 29 August 2026
- Closing: 30 days from publication in Employment News/Rozgar Samachar, 23:59 hrs (earliest possible date 28 September 2026)
Please read the official NIF advertisement No. Adv/02/2026 before applying, and browse more scientist jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: National Innovation Foundation – India
Official advertisement: nif.org.in
How to prepare for this application
- Bring a design portfolio: drawings, CAD models and test results for products you worked on.
- Name your tools: list the CAD and simulation packages you use.
- Show testing: performance evaluation and field trials are part of the job.
- IP awareness helps: any patent or design registration work is worth mentioning.
- Master's route: a first-class M.E./M.Tech. in mechanical engineering qualifies, with two publications.
About the National Innovation Foundation – India
NIF is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, at Grambharti on the Gandhinagar–Mahudi road in Gujarat. It finds and documents grassroots innovations and traditional knowledge from across India, from farm machines built by rural innovators to remedies used by communities, then helps test them scientifically, protect them with intellectual property and take them to wider use. It also runs the INSPIRE-MANAK scheme for school students' ideas.