IIT Kharagpur Post-Doctoral Fellowship in India

IIT Kharagpur Post-Doctoral Fellowship in India: How to Apply, Eligibility, and Funding

Securing an IIT Kharagpur post-doctoral fellowship in India can be a career-defining step for early-career researchers who want strong mentorship, research infrastructure, and national-level visibility. IIT Kharagpur runs a rolling advertisement for Post-Doctoral Fellowship, which means you can apply anytime and your candidature can be considered on an ongoing basis.

In this guide, you will learn what the fellowship offers, who can apply, how the ERP application portal works, and how to submit a strong application with the right documents and short video links. You will also find practical tips to avoid common errors that delay shortlisting.

Why an IIT Kharagpur Post-Doctoral Fellowship Matters

A postdoctoral term is not only about producing papers. It is also about building an independent research identity. IIT Kharagpur’s Post-Doctoral Fellowship route is designed for advanced research and related academic activities across many departments, centres, and schools.

Moreover, a structured postdoc can help you:

• • Build a focused publication pipeline from your PhD work into post-PhD outputs
  • Strengthen grant-writing readiness through projects and collaborations
  • Gain teaching and mentoring exposure that supports future faculty applications
  • Develop a research narrative that fits academic and R&D roles

For international applicants, India’s IIT system also adds a strong “signal” on your CV. However, success depends on fit. Therefore, you should apply only when your research plan clearly aligns with a target department, centre, or school.

Eligibility and Who This Fellowship Is For

Core qualification requirements

IIT Kharagpur’s eligibility criteria emphasize both degree quality and research output. Applicants typically need:

• • A PhD with first class (or equivalent) in the preceding degree in the appropriate branch
  • At least two publications in SCI journals based on PhD work

Age limit and relaxation

The advertisement also specifies an age condition:

• • Candidates should be below 35 years of age at the time of online application
  • Age relaxation applies for eligible categories as per Government of India norms

A helpful update for applicants

A corrigendum indicates that a clause discouraging fresh PhD degree recipients from IIT Kharagpur has been deleted.
As a result, you should rely on the latest official advertisement and corrigendum notes while preparing your submission.

Key Features, Funding, and Research Support

Monthly fellowship and contingency grant

Based on interview performance and academic credentials, selected fellows may be placed in a level-based fellowship structure.

• • Level 1: ₹80,000 per month
  • Level 2: ₹90,000 per month
  • Level 3: ₹1,00,000 per month
  • Contingency grant: ₹50,000 per annum (all levels)

In addition, the advertisement mentions a probable annual increment of ₹10,000, subject to satisfactory yearly performance review.

Tenure and performance review

The post-doctoral fellowship may be awarded for up to 3 years, with yearly performance-based recommendation.

Accommodation and conference support

IIT Kharagpur may provide campus accommodation subject to availability and applicable fees. If accommodation is not available, HRA may be paid as per approved rates.

Additionally, the institute provides conference-related financial assistance (India/abroad) as per institute rules.

Fields and Host Units: Where You Can Work

IIT Kharagpur allows Post-Doctoral Fellows across a wide range of units. The official advertisement lists multiple departments, centres, and schools.

Examples of departments

Departments include areas such as Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, E&ECE, Geology and Geophysics, Humanities and Social Sciences, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Physics, and more.

Examples of centres and schools

Centres include Advanced Technology Development Centre, Centre for Computational and Data Sciences, Cryogenic Engineering Centre, Materials Science Centre, and others.
Schools include Energy Science and Engineering, Nano-Science and Technology, Medical Science and Technology, Environmental Science and Engineering, Telecommunications, Water Resources, and more.

Addendum: additional centres included

An addendum further includes Centre of Excellence on Safety Engineering & Analytics (CoE-SEA) and Centre of Excellence in Advanced Transportation for receiving PDF applications against the relevant advertisement.

Step-by-Step: How to Apply Through the IIT Kharagpur ERP Portal

Step 1: Use the official PDF positions portal

Applicants should apply online through the official ERP portal for PDF positions for the relevant department/centre/school.

Step 2: Prepare your document set for upload

Hardcopy submissions are not required. Instead, upload PDFs of required documents such as degree certificates/testimonials, caste certificate (if applicable), and age proof certificate, as prompted by the portal.

Also prepare your referee inputs. The corrigendum notes that recommendation letters from referees should be uploaded as attachments.

Step 3: Submit the required short video links

The corrigendum highlights a distinctive requirement: upload links to three short videos (as instructed on the application portal).

These include:

• • A 5-minute video explaining your current research
  • A 5-minute video explaining your future research plan
  • A 5-minute teaching demonstration video

Importantly, submitting a different link than requested may lead to rejection at the initial stage.

Step 4: Track communication and technical support

If you face technical issues, the advertisement lists a technical contact email for ERP recruitment support.
Also, candidates may contact the relevant Heads of Departments/Centres/Schools (as per institute contact directories).

Tips, Common Mistakes, and Expert Advice

Focus on fit before you write anything

First, shortlist one host unit. Then map your PhD outputs to that unit’s strengths. A generic proposal rarely survives shortlisting.

Use a “3-layer research plan”

A strong postdoc plan usually has three layers:

1. 1. Core problem (one sentence, measurable)
   2. Methods (2–4 techniques, realistic timeline)
   3. Outputs (papers, datasets, prototypes, collaborations)

Therefore, keep your plan specific and time-bound.

Avoid these common mistakes

• • Uploading incomplete PDFs or unreadable scans
  • Submitting video links without clear audio, slides, or a defined structure
  • Writing a research plan that repeats your PhD without a new angle
  • Ignoring the requirement for SCI publications linked to PhD work

A practical checklist before you click “Submit”

• • CV updated with ORCID/Google Scholar links
  • 2 SCI publications clearly highlighted (title, journal, DOI)
  • Degree + transcripts + age proof PDFs ready
  • Three videos recorded, named clearly, and shared with proper permissions
  • Two referee letters obtained and formatted as requested

Summary Table

Feature	Details
Program Name	Post-Doctoral Fellowship (PDF) — IIT Kharagpur (Rolling Advertisement)
Host Country	India
Funded By	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Duration	Up to 3 years (yearly performance-based review)
Study Mode	Full-time (on-campus)
Eligibility	PhD with first class/equivalent in preceding degree + at least two SCI publications based on PhD work; age below 35 (relaxation as per norms)
Financial Support	₹80,000–₹1,00,000 per month (level-based) + ₹50,000 per annum contingency + probable annual increment (performance-linked)
Fields of Study	Multiple departments/centres/schools across STEM and allied areas (as listed in the advertisement)
Deadline	Rolling / apply anytime
Official Website	Click here

Conclusion

An IIT Kharagpur post-doctoral fellowship can offer a strong salary structure, research continuity, and visibility across top Indian academic networks. At the same time, selection depends heavily on research fit, a focused plan, and clean documentation. Therefore, treat your application like a compact research portfolio, not a formality.

Before you apply, review the official portal carefully, prepare your PDFs in advance, and record the three short videos with clear structure and sound. Finally, bookmark the application portal so you can track updates and corrigenda as they appear.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)