Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune
Contractual / Regular

IISER Pune Research Associate Recruitment 2026

Sourced from Official Government PDF
Sep. 30, 2026
Research Associate-IResearch Associate-IIResearch Associate-III

Required Qualification

Postgraduate284
Ph.D99
★
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Quick Recruitment Snapshot

Key recruitment parameters at a glance before you apply

Vacancies
3 Posts
Pay Scale
₹ 58,000 – ₹ 67,000/- pm + 30% HRA
Age Limit
Up to 35 - 37 Years
Job Location
Maharashtra60Pune10

Crucial Recruitment Dates

Official schedule & key deadlines

Published

Sep 29, 2026

2

Starts

Sep 29, 2026

3

Deadline

Oct 15, 2026

4

Exam Date

TBA

Application Window29 Sep – 15 Oct 2026
Exam / Test DateTo Be Announced

Eligibility Criteria & Educational Qualifications

Who is eligible to apply for this recruitment? Check essential educational qualifications, branch/stream criteria, and age limits.

Educational Qualification

Research Associate-I: Ph.D. in Physics or a closely relevant discipline. Candidates who have submitted their doctoral thesis awaiting defense are also eligible (appointed as SRF until provisional degree submission).
Research Associate-II: Ph.D. in Physics or a relevant discipline with at least 1 year of relevant post-doctoral research experience.
Research Associate-III: Ph.D. in Physics or a relevant discipline with at least 2 years of relevant post-doctoral research experience.
Desirable/Preference: Strong track record in quantum chaos, quantum algorithms, quantum reservoir computing, PDE solvers, quantum many-body systems, quantum computing frameworks (e.g. Qiskit/PennyLane), and machine learning.

Age Limit & Relaxations

Upper age limit as on 15.10.2026: RA-I: 35 years; RA-II: 36 years; RA-III: 37 years. Age relaxation commensurate with higher qualifications/experience is considered with prior approval of the competent authority, alongside standard Government of India norms for reserved categories.

Check Your Age Eligibility

Selection Procedure & Screening Stages

Verified Official Source

Multi-stage interview and rubric-based evaluation procedure.

Application & Research Metric Screening

OnlineQualifying Only

Personal Technical Interview

Online/HybridMerit Scored

Selection is based on a two-step process: (1) Initial screening of submitted PDF applications, doctoral publications, and computational portfolio by the Screening Committee. (2) Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a Personal Technical Interview (conducted in online/hybrid mode) to defend their research work in quantum algorithms and reservoir computing.

Selection Criteria & Marking Scheme

Verified Official Source

Official weightage breakdown, qualification scoring, and interview evaluation criteria.

Evaluation Parameter / ComponentMax Marks / WeightageAssessment Criteria & Guidelines
Quantum Algorithms & Quantum Computing Depth35 MarksDemonstrated understanding of quantum circuit synthesis, quantum algorithms, quantum reservoir computing architectures, and Partial Differential Equation (PDE) solver formulations.
Quantum Chaos & Many-Body Physics Background25 MarksExpertise in theoretical and numerical methods for quantum chaotic systems, out-of-time-ordered correlators (OTOCs), and many-body quantum dynamics.
Scientific Programming & Hardware Deployment20 MarksProficiency in Python, C++, quantum SDKs (Qiskit, PennyLane, Cirq), machine learning libraries (PyTorch/TensorFlow), and testing algorithms on real quantum hardware.
Research Portfolio & Interview Defense20 MarksQuality and impact of peer-reviewed journal publications, post-doctoral productivity, problem-solving capability, and interview presentation.

Aspirant Ground Reality & Career Trajectory

Verified Official Source

Practical service rules, posting locations, transfer policy, and promotion ladder curated from official gazettes.

Work Culture & Environment

Office/fieldwork balance, duties, organizational environment.

IISER Pune is an Institute of National Importance situated in Pashan, Pune. The project is funded under the prestigious National Quantum Mission (NQM) by DST, focusing on Quantum Machine Learning (QML), reservoir computing, and PDE solvers. The research environment offers high-performance computing (HPC) clusters, access to cloud quantum hardware (IBM Quantum/AWS Braket), and close collaboration with leading theoretical physics faculty.

Posting & Transfer Policy

Initial posting criteria, zone preferences, transfer liability.

The position is purely contractual for an initial period of one year, extendable subject to annual review of research output and project continuation. The post is tenable at the IISER Pune campus in Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra.

Career & Promotion Ladder

Promotion timeline, seniority ladder, pay grade scaling.

Project associates hold non-cadre appointments with no regular absorption into IISER Pune regular establishment. However, high-impact publications resulting from the National Quantum Mission provide top-tier pedigree for tenure-track faculty applications at IITs/IISERs/NISER or international post-doctoral fellowships.
Crucial Application Warnings & Eligibility Traps

Avoid common application rejection triggers, photo/signature guidelines, and certificate validity windows.

  • Subject Line Rigor: The email subject line must strictly mention 'Name of the position, Post No. and Advt. No.79/2026' sent to [email protected]; failing to follow the format may lead to automated filtering.
  • PDF Conversion Requirement: The completed application format must be converted to PDF format before emailing; non-PDF submissions will not be reviewed.
  • Screening Thresholds: Due to high applicant volume, the Screening Committee may impose criteria higher than the basic Ph.D. degree (e.g., specific QML/chaos publications) to prune the interview shortlist.
  • Contingent Placement: If suitable candidates are not found for the RA-II or RA-III position, IISER Pune reserves the right to offer a lower-level RA position (RA-I or SRF) to eligible candidates.

Category-Wise Vacancy Breakdown & Pay Scale

Detailed post distribution across UR, OBC, EWS, SC, ST quotas and 7th CPC Pay Matrix / Monthly Stipend.

Category-Wise Vacancy Distribution

  • Research Associate-I (Post No. 1)1
  • Research Associate-II (Post No. 2)1
  • Research Associate-III (Post No. 3)1
Total Vacancies3 Posts

Pay Scale & Monthly Remuneration

RA-I: ₹ 58,000/- pm + 30% HRA
RA-II: ₹ 61,000/- pm + 30% HRA
RA-III: ₹ 67,000/- pm + 30% HRA
(SRF pre-defense: ₹ 42,000/- pm + 30% HRA) under DST National Quantum Mission (NQM).

Monthly consolidated emoluments: RA-I: ₹ 58,000/- + 30% HRA; RA-II: ₹ 61,000/- + 30% HRA; RA-III: ₹ 67,000/- + 30% HRA. Thesis-submitted pre-defense candidates are placed as SRF at ₹ 42,000/- + 30% HRA.

How to Apply Online Step-by-Step?

Follow this verified step-by-step application procedure on the official recruitment portal.

Application Procedure

  1. Download the prescribed application format from the institute website (www.iiserpune.ac.in) under the advertisement link.
  2. Fill out the application form completely with educational details, Ph.D. title, publication list, and programming competencies.
  3. Convert the completed application into PDF format.
  4. Email the PDF application to [email protected] on or before 15.10.2026.
  5. The email subject line must strictly be formatted as: “Name of the position, Post No. and Advt. No.79/2026”.
  6. Shortlisted candidates will be notified by email and on the IISER Pune website for interview details.

Application Fee & Category Concessions

₹ 0/- (Nil). No application fee is payable for applying to these research positions.

Official Notification & Portal Verification

Direct links to the authorized government portal, official notification PDF, and career portal.

Verified Official Domain
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Frequently Asked Questions & Crucial Aspirant Queries

5 Queries Resolved

Clear, verified answers to top eligibility, exam format, salary calculation, and application queries for this notification.

Emoluments are ₹ 58,000/- pm for RA-I, ₹ 61,000/- pm for RA-II, and ₹ 67,000/- pm for RA-III, plus 30% HRA. Thesis-submitted candidates appointed as SRF receive ₹ 42,000/- pm + 30% HRA.

Sarkari Job Khojo is an independent information service and job discovery platform. All recruitment insights, syllabi, previous year exam cutoffs, and selection stages are compiled from official government notifications, gazettes, and recruitment portals. We are not affiliated with, authorized by, or an official representative of any government agency or recruitment board. Always verify details in the official advertisement PDF before applying.

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