Current Status — Institute PDF Programme Active
Verified 3 October 2026: IIT Kharagpur continues to maintain its institute-wide Post-Doctoral Fellowship programme and online ERP application route. The official institute page lists fellowship levels of ₹80,000, ₹90,000 and ₹1,00,000 per month plus contingency support. Applicants should verify the current advertisement and eligibility rules before submission because older IIT Kharagpur notices contain different age, tenure and deadline language.
Current Status — Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme
Verified 2 October 2026: IIT Kharagpur continues to maintain its Post-Doctoral Fellowship programme and online application information. CareerAidHub did not verify a single universal 2026 closing date for all PDF applications in this review. Treat the programme as an institute-wide fellowship route and verify the current application instructions on IIT Kharagpur’s official pages before applying.
India · IIT Kharagpur · Rolling Postdoc
The IIT Kharagpur Post-Doctoral Fellowship (PDF) is currently advertised on a rolling basis for eligible Indian and foreign researchers across multiple departments, centres, schools and academy-level research units. The current framework offers ₹80,000 to ₹1,00,000 per month, ₹50,000 annual contingency support, and a revised application route that now permits eligible researchers to apply immediately after PhD thesis or synopsis submission.
Important current-rule update: some older IIT Kharagpur pages and earlier advertisements contain different age, deadline and tenure information. This guide follows current IIT Kharagpur Post-Doctoral Fellowship guidance and its subsequent corrigendum/addenda, which contain the more current fellowship rules.
1 IIT Kharagpur Postdoctoral Fellowship at a Glance
| Programme | Post-Doctoral Fellowship (PDF) |
|---|---|
| Institution | Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur |
| Advertisement | current IIT Kharagpur Post-Doctoral Fellowship guidance dated 1 December 2025, as subsequently amended |
| Applicants | Eligible Indian and foreign nationals |
| Qualification | PhD with first class/equivalent in the preceding degree, plus at least two SCI-journal publications based on PhD work |
| PhD-submitted route | Eligible candidates may apply after thesis/synopsis submission, subject to current conditions |
| Age | Below 35 years at the time of online application, with stated category relaxations |
| Fellowship | ₹80,000, ₹90,000 or ₹1,00,000 per month |
| Contingency | ₹50,000 per annum |
| General tenure | Initially 1 year, extendable by 1 additional year subject to satisfactory performance and recommendation |
| Deadline | Rolling — candidates may apply anytime |
| Last verified |
2 Is the IIT Kharagpur Postdoctoral Fellowship Rolling?
Yes. The current R/16/2025 advertisement explicitly states that it is a rolling advertisement and that candidates may apply anytime, with candidature considered appropriately.
This is different from an earlier 2025 fellowship advertisement that had a fixed closing date.
The current rolling call has also continued to receive official amendments during 2026, confirming that candidates should work from the rolling advertisement and its corrigenda rather than older IIT Kharagpur PDF webpages.
Source caution: IIT Kharagpur’s general Post Doctoral Fellowship webpage still displays older age and deadline language. Use the current ERP advertisement and amendments before relying on any specific rule.
3 Who Is Eligible?
The current rolling advertisement requires:
- a PhD in the appropriate branch;
- first class or equivalent in the preceding degree; and
- at least two publications in SCI journals based on the PhD work .
The degree should be awarded by a recognised Indian or foreign university/institute.
Meeting the minimum qualification does not create a right to interaction or selection. IIT Kharagpur may shortlist candidates based on qualifications, suitability, experience, institute requirements and prevailing policy.
For other current postdoctoral routes, browse CareerAidHub’s postdoctoral fellowships hub.
4 Can You Apply before the Final PhD Degree Is Issued?
Yes, under the revised rules. Candidates may apply immediately after submission of their PhD thesis or synopsis, subject to the conditions in the current corrigendum.
The candidate must obtain authentication of the thesis/synopsis submission from the institution where the PhD is registered and give an undertaking to produce the provisional or final PhD degree certificate within six months of joining.
IIT Kharagpur’s own PhD scholars
The corrigendum separately states that IIT Kharagpur PhD scholars may apply immediately after submission of their PhD synopsis.
This is a significant change from the older wording. The previous clause discouraging fresh IIT Kharagpur PhD recipients from applying has been formally deleted.
5 Departments, Centres and Schools Accepting PDF Applications
The rolling advertisement spans a broad cross-section of IIT Kharagpur’s academic structure.
Departments
The current advertisement includes 21 departments across engineering, science, AI, bioscience, humanities and related disciplines.
Examples include Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Materials, Physics and Bioscience & Biotechnology.
Centres
Eligible centres include Computational and Data Sciences, Cryogenic Engineering, Materials Science, Petroleum Engineering, Ocean/River/Atmosphere/Land Sciences and other specialist centres.
Schools & Academy
Schools include Energy Science & Engineering, Nano Science & Technology, Medical Science & Technology, Environmental Science & Engineering, Water Resources, Management and Telecommunications.
Important 2026 additions
- Centre of Excellence on Safety Engineering & Analytics (CoE-SEA);
- Centre of Excellence in Advanced Transportation; and
- Geospatial Academy.
Practical approach: do not choose a unit only because its title resembles your degree. Match your publications, methods and proposed postdoctoral work with the actual research strengths of the target department, centre, school or academy.
6 Fellowship Amount, Contingency and Research Support
All three levels carry a ₹50,000 per annum contingency grant.
The advertisement also refers to a probable annual increment of ₹10,000 together with progression to the next level, subject to satisfactory yearly performance review.
The three fellowship levels are not automatically chosen by applicants. Placement depends on interaction/presentation performance and other academic credentials.
Accommodation and HRA
Fellows may be provided suitable studio-type campus accommodation subject to availability and payment of applicable licence fees. If accommodation is not provided or available, HRA is payable at approved rates.
Conference assistance
Financial assistance for attending conferences in India or abroad is available according to Institute rules.
7 Current Fellowship Tenure: Important Correction
Do not continue publishing “up to three years” as the current general tenure. The later corrigendum changed this provision.
Under the revised wording, the fellowship is initially awarded for:
1 year
and may be extended by:
1 additional year
based on satisfactory performance and recommendation of the relevant department.
Special transition provision for IIT Kharagpur PhD scholars
IIT Kharagpur PhD scholars selected under the synopsis-submission provision may receive the fellowship for six months, with a possible extension up to nine months under exceptional circumstances to support the transition from thesis submission to subsequent career opportunities.
8 Age Limit and Relaxation
The current rolling advertisement states that candidates should be:
Below 35 years of age at the time of online application.
The advertisement states the following age relaxations:
- SC/ST: 5 years;
- OBC: 3 years; and
- PwD: 5 years.
An older IIT Kharagpur PDF webpage still displays a 32-year age limit. Candidates should follow the more recent rolling advertisement and current ERP documentation.
9 Documents, Referee Letters and Mandatory Videos
The updated application procedure is more detailed than the original rolling advertisement.
Three mandatory 5-minute video links
Current research
A 5-minute video explaining your current research.
Future research plan
A 5-minute video explaining your proposed future research.
Teaching demonstration
A 5-minute video demonstrating your teaching.
The corrigendum warns that submitting a link other than the candidate’s own required video may lead to rejection at the initial stage of the selection process.
Supporting documents
Hardcopy submission is not required. Candidates should upload the required PDF files at the appropriate places in the online application.
- Degree certificates
- Academic testimonials
- Caste/category certificate, where applicable
- Age-proof certificate
- PhD submission authentication where using the thesis-submitted route
- Publication details
- Recommendation letters from referees
- Current research video link
- Future research-plan video link
- Teaching-demonstration video link
Treat the current ERP form as the final checklist because the portal may request additional information relevant to the target unit or current recruitment workflow.
10 How to Apply through the IIT Kharagpur ERP Portal
- Read current IIT Kharagpur Post-Doctoral Fellowship guidance and all current corrigenda and addenda.
- Identify the department, centre, school or academy that provides the strongest fit for your research.
- Confirm your degree, SCI-publication and age eligibility.
- If your PhD degree is not yet issued, confirm that you meet the revised thesis/synopsis-submission provision.
- Prepare the required documents and referee recommendation letters.
- Record and verify all three required 5-minute videos.
- Open the IIT Kharagpur ERP PDF application portal.
- Upload the files and video links in the correct locations.
- Review every attachment and link before final online submission.
For technical problems with the online application, the current advertisement lists: erp.facrec@iitkgp.ac.in .
11 How Does Shortlisting and Selection Work?
IIT Kharagpur states that mere eligibility does not give a candidate a right to be called for interaction.
Shortlisting may consider:
- qualifications;
- suitability;
- experience;
- institutional requirements; and
- prevailing Institute policy.
The current advertisement says fellowship level is determined on the basis of performance in interaction and presentation in the relevant Department/Centre/School together with other academic credentials.
Application implication: the CV, publications and proposal should make your research fit immediately visible. The required videos should reinforce the same story rather than presenting three disconnected versions of your profile.
12 What Should International Applicants Know?
The rolling advertisement explicitly invites applications from eligible Indian and foreign nationals.
Degrees from recognised foreign universities/institutes are accepted subject to the stated eligibility criteria.
International eligibility does not mean that immigration, joining documentation or recognition questions can be ignored. A selected foreign candidate should follow IIT Kharagpur’s appointment and Indian immigration requirements applicable at the time of joining.
Applicants comparing Indian institute fellowships can also review CareerAidHub’s IIT Kanpur Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship .
13 What Changed from the Older CareerAidHub Article?
- The current controlling call is identified as R/16/2025, a rolling advertisement.
- The general tenure has been corrected from up to 3 years to 1 year initially + possible 1-year extension.
- Candidates may now apply immediately after PhD thesis or synopsis submission under specified conditions.
- IIT Kharagpur PhD scholars may apply immediately after synopsis submission.
- The clause discouraging fresh IIT Kharagpur PhDs has been deleted.
- Three mandatory 5-minute videos are now explicitly included.
- Recommendation letters from referees are part of the revised upload requirements.
- CoE-SEA, Advanced Transportation and Geospatial Academy have been added to the eligible host-unit list.
- The current age rule is stated as below 35 at online application, rather than the older 32-year wording still visible elsewhere.
14 CareerAidHub’s Practical Interpretation
1. Rolling does not mean “prepare later”
There is no fixed closing date, but candidature is considered as the Institute processes applications. A strong application is more useful than waiting indefinitely for a conventional deadline.
2. Thesis-submitted researchers now have a real entry route
Researchers no longer need to assume they must wait for the final degree certificate before applying, provided they satisfy the revised documentary conditions.
3. The videos are part of screening, not decoration
Each video should communicate one clear message: what you have done, what you plan to do, and how you teach. Link permissions should be tested before submission.
4. Host-unit fit should drive the application
A candidate with two SCI papers can still be weak if the proposed work does not fit a department or centre’s research environment.
Best application sequence: confirm eligibility → choose the strongest research unit → map your SCI publications to that unit → define a focused postdoctoral direction → prepare consistent documents and videos → test every link → submit through ERP.
15 Final Application Checklist
- I satisfy the current degree or thesis-submission rule
- My preceding degree is first class/equivalent
- I have at least two SCI-journal publications from my PhD work
- I meet the current age requirement or applicable relaxation
- I selected a research unit with strong subject fit
- Degree/testimonial documents are ready
- Referee recommendation letters are ready
- Current-research video is exactly 5 minutes or within portal requirements
- Future-research-plan video is ready
- Teaching-demonstration video is ready
- All video links open without access restrictions
- I am using the current ERP PDF portal
16 Frequently Asked Questions
These answers focus on the rules most likely to affect whether an applicant can use the current IIT Kharagpur rolling fellowship.
Is the IIT Kharagpur Postdoctoral Fellowship currently rolling?
Yes. current IIT Kharagpur Post-Doctoral Fellowship guidance states that candidates may apply anytime and their candidature will be considered appropriately.
What is the IIT Kharagpur postdoctoral fellowship amount?
The current levels are ₹80,000, ₹90,000 and ₹1,00,000 per month. Each level also carries a ₹50,000 annual contingency grant.
Can I apply immediately after submitting my PhD thesis?
Yes. The revised qualification provision allows candidates to apply after PhD thesis or synopsis submission, subject to authentication and an undertaking to produce the degree certificate within six months of joining.
Can a fresh IIT Kharagpur PhD scholar apply?
Yes. The corrigendum expressly deleted the earlier clause discouraging fresh IIT Kharagpur PhD recipients from applying. Institute PhD scholars may also apply immediately after synopsis submission under the current conditions.
What is the current age limit?
The current rolling advertisement states that applicants should be below 35 years at the time of online application, with the stated category-wise relaxation.
How long is the current IIT Kharagpur PDF fellowship?
The revised general tenure is initially one year and may be extended by one additional year following satisfactory performance and departmental recommendation.
Are three videos mandatory?
Yes. The revised application instructions require links to three 5-minute videos covering current research, future research plans and a teaching demonstration.
Do I have to submit a hardcopy application?
No. The current advertisement states that hardcopy submission is not required. Supporting PDFs and required links are uploaded online.
Can foreign nationals apply?
Yes. IIT Kharagpur’s current rolling advertisement explicitly invites eligible Indian and foreign nationals.
Official Sources and Verification
Current rolling advertisement and amendments:
IIT Kharagpur current IIT Kharagpur Post-Doctoral Fellowship guidance
Official ERP application portal:
IIT Kharagpur PDF Positions Portal
Last verified by CareerAidHub:
Status at verification:
Rolling / Open.
The controlling advertisement states that candidates may apply
anytime and their candidature will be considered appropriately.
IIT Kharagpur has older fellowship webpages and advertisements containing different age, tenure and deadline information. Applicants should therefore check R/16/2025, its latest corrigenda/addenda and the live ERP portal immediately before submitting.
