IISER Kolkata Junior Research Fellow Recruitment 2026 — Dengue Virus Project

About this recruitment

The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata (IISER Kolkata) has advertised one post of Junior Research Fellow (JRF) in the Department of Biological Sciences. The project studies the role of a DNA adaptor in controlling dengue virus infection, using an animal model and cell-culture-based validation, and also looks at genomic changes in lymphocyte populations associated with dengue infection. The Principal Investigator is Dr Sumit Sen Santara, Assistant Professor. Applications are by email only.

Not the same as the other IISER Kolkata JRF

This is a different post from the IISER Kolkata Junior Research Fellow post already listed on this site (PI Dr Robert John Chandran, ANRF project on landscape ecology / land-use change in the Terai-Duar Savanna). That post has a different PI, project and eligibility. Do not mix up the two — this one is the dengue virus project under Dr Sumit Sen Santara.

Vacancy and pay

One Junior Research Fellow post. Pay is Rs. 37,000 per month, consolidated, with no HRA. (The other IISER Kolkata JRF pays the same Rs. 37,000 plus Rs. 8,880 HRA — that HRA does not apply here.) No TA/DA is paid. Tenure is one year, extendable based on research progress and performance, subject to availability of project funds. The appointment can be terminated with appropriate notice if performance is unsatisfactory. Minimum qualification or experience may be relaxed for outstanding candidates as per applicable rules.

Eligibility

• MSc / M.Tech. or an equivalent degree in Biotechnology, Computational Biology, Life Sciences, Bioinformatics or a related discipline, awarded in 2024 or later.
• A valid GATE score or CSIR-UGC / UGC-NET Category 2 qualification is mandatory.
• Desirable (optional): hands-on animal handling and in vivo infection studies (viral load / viral response, immunological readouts); animal ethics and biosafety training; RNA-seq / scRNA-seq analysis (quality control, alignment, quantification, differential expression, pathway enrichment) with bioinformatics pipelines, R/Python, ideally Linux/HPC. Prior research experience is NOT mandatory.
• No age limit is stated in the notice.

Fee

No application fee is mentioned in the notice. There is no fee to pay for this application.

How to apply and what happens next

Email a detailed CV, a brief statement of research experience and relevant skills, and copies or details of your GATE score or NET Category 2 qualification to Dr Sumit Sen Santara at sumit.santara@iiserkol.ac.in by 22 November 2026. No subject line is prescribed and there is no prescribed application form. Shortlisted candidates will be informed by email by 23 November 2026. The interview is offline / in person on 25 November 2026 at 10:00 AM in the AAC Building, Ground Floor, IISER Kolkata, Mohanpur 741246.

Documents for the interview

Two sealed recommendation letters from teachers or academic mentors; self-attested degree certificates and mark sheets plus originals; self-attested photo ID; proof of a valid GATE score or NET Category 2 qualification; and any other documents supporting your research experience or qualifications. The decision of the selection committee is final.