CSIR-CMERI Project Staff Recruitment 2026 — 39 Vacancies

CSIR-CMERI Project Staff Recruitment 2026: Overview

CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CMERI), Durgapur, is holding a two-day walk-in interview to fill project positions under advertisement PRCT/05/2026. Set up in 1958, CMERI is the national R&D lab for mechanical engineering under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology. The openings sit inside funded projects on farm machinery, electric mobility, robotics and rehabilitation devices, advanced manufacturing and energy materials, and range from an ITI-level Project Assistant job up to Project Research Scientist. Every post is temporary and tied to its project, so treat this as paid, hands-on research experience rather than a permanent government job.

Posts and Disciplines

• Project Assistant-I (P-26121): the only post open to 10th pass with ITI in Fitter, Electrician or Mechanic Motor Vehicle.
• Project Assistant-II (P-26122 to P-26127, P-26155): diploma-holder posts in mechanical, electrical, electronics, computer science, agricultural and automobile streams. P-26124 and P-26125 want people who can test agricultural machinery and plant-protection equipment, while P-26155 suits those comfortable with EV drivetrains and prototype fabrication.
• Project Associate-I, computing and electronics (P-26128 to P-26131): cloud, IoT, web development, robotic control and electronics work for CSE, IT, ECE, electrical and physics graduates.
• Project Associate-I, mechanical (P-26137 to P-26145): CAD modelling, IC engines and CFD, structural FEA, mechanical testing and casting, product design and simulation, and vibration and computer-vision analysis.
• Project Associate-I, materials (P-26153): for a Chemistry or Physics postgraduate with a background in energy-materials synthesis and electrochemistry.
• Project Associate-II (P-26132, P-26133, P-26146 to P-26148): the higher level needs a B.E./B.Tech plus two years of R&D experience, or an M.E./M.Tech. The work covers power electronics, EV systems, motor controllers and mechanical design. P-26132, P-26133 and P-26146 can also be filled at Associate-I level.
• Project JRF combined codes (P-26134, P-26149, P-26150, P-26154): you are considered as a Project JRF if you hold NET or GATE, otherwise at the Associate level, in electric drives, manufacturing and materials, gear and magnetic-coupling design, and energy materials.
• Project SRF (P-26135): for NET/GATE-qualified candidates with two years of research experience in machine learning, signal processing or biomedical instrumentation.
• Project Research Scientist-I, Non-Medical (P-26136, P-26151, P-26152): the senior roles, built around robotics, exoskeletons and hand-rehabilitation devices; a PhD, M.Tech or MS in a related area is desirable.

Service Conditions and Caveats

• Tenure: Each post code has its own end date, from a few months to 2029. Tenure can be cut short or extended and always ends with the project.
• Six-year cap: If you have already worked six years or more as project staff in any CSIR lab, you cannot apply. If you have worked less, your new engagement ends when you complete six years in total.
• Funding-dependent codes: For P-26121, P-26122, P-26126, P-26129, P-26130, P-26137 and P-26143, offer letters go out only after CSIR or the funding agency releases funds or extends the project.
• Offers subject to funds: Every offer depends on fund availability and approval of the Competent Authority.
• Number of positions: The actual number of openings may change on the interview day.
• Current CSIR project staff: Bring an NOC from the Competent Authority, or you will not be allowed to sit the interview.
• Cut-off date: Age, qualification and experience are checked as on the interview date of your post code.
• No TA/DA: Nothing is paid for travel to the interview.

Application Submission Notes

There is no online form. Download the application form from the CSIR-CMERI website, fill it in, and bring it to the walk-in with your original certificates and mark sheets, a self-attested photocopy of each and a recent passport-size photo. Post codes are split across two days:

• Day 1 (Wednesday, 28 October 2026): P-26121 to P-26136 and P-26155.
• Day 2 (Thursday): P-26137 to P-26154.

Report between 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM at CSIR-CMERI, M.G. Avenue, Durgapur 713209. You can use Hindi or English in the interview, and the process can run late into the evening or the next day, so come prepared to stay. Results are published on the institute website and may also be sent by email.