IIT Madras Project Consultant HSS Recruitment 2026

IIT Madras Project Consultant Recruitment 2026: Overview

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is hiring a Project Consultant for its Department of Humanities and Social Sciences through the Office of Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (IC&SR). The post sits inside a research project titled "Social Media and Gen AI Safety in India: Youth and Parent Perspectives from Four States", funded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), New Delhi.

The project is coordinated by Prof. Mathangi Krishnamurthy. This is a contractual project post: it starts for one year and can be extended later if your performance is good. The role suits a senior quantitative social scientist who has designed surveys, built sampling plans and cleaned large field datasets, and who has a strong publication record.

You will be the methods lead of the study. Your work covers the full survey cycle, from multi-stage sampling across the study sites to data-quality checks while fieldwork runs and clean, documented datasets for analysis. You will also supervise a Quant Research Associate and a research intern, and work closely with the project's Research Manager and Principal Investigators.

One more point makes this role different: the Consultant is the main point of contact with MeitY and IIT Madras on technical and administrative matters. Expect to handle official documentation, communication and submissions alongside the research work.

Service Conditions and Caveats

• Contract basis: The post is purely contractual. Finishing the contract gives you no right to extension, regularisation or a permanent post at the institute.
• Citizenship: You must be an Indian citizen. Migrants from Pakistan who plan to settle permanently in India and subjects of Nepal can also apply, but they need an eligibility certificate from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Counting experience: Only experience gained after your minimum qualifying degree counts. The institute may relax qualification or experience for exceptionally outstanding candidates, and may relax experience for SC/ST candidates at its discretion.
• Shortlisting: IIT Madras can limit the number of candidates called for a written test, skill test or interview based on qualifications, experience above the minimum and academic record. Only shortlisted applicants are contacted.
• Current IIT Madras project staff: Apply through proper channel or bring a No-Objection Certificate (NOC). Without an NOC you will not be allowed into the test or interview.
• Eligibility cut-off: Your eligibility in every respect is checked as on the closing date of the online application.
• Testimonials: You may send testimonials from people who know your work well. If you are employed, one should come from your most recent employer or immediate superior.
• Women candidates: The institute aims for a gender-balanced workforce and encourages women to apply.

Application Submission Notes

You apply online only on the IC&SR careers portal. Pick advertisement number Advt.221/2026 from the list, because the portal shows several Project Consultant notices with similar titles and the same deadline.

• One login, one application: The portal accepts only one application per registered email ID for an advertisement, and you cannot edit or withdraw it after submission. Applying twice for the same post can get you rejected.
• Keep a printout: Save a printout of the submitted form and bring it to the test, interview or document verification. Do not post a hard copy to the institute.
• Use an active email: IIT Madras contacts candidates by email only.
• Technical help: For portal problems only, write to icsrrecruitment6@icsrpis.iitm.ac.in or icsrrecruitment@icsrpis.iitm.ac.in, or call 044-2257 8843 on weekdays between 9:00 AM and 5:30 PM.
• Corrigenda: Any correction to this advertisement is posted only on the website; no separate message is sent.

• Design the quantitative research plan, including secondary data analysis, sampling strategy and fieldwork protocols
• Develop and document the multi-stage sampling design, strata and selection procedures across the study sites
• Monitor incoming survey data with the Research Manager and fix inconsistencies or protocol deviations with the field team
• Build data-quality checks for missing values, duplicates and unusual response patterns during and after fieldwork
• Clean and prepare survey datasets with documented variables, coding frameworks and data dictionaries
• Supervise the Quant Research Associate and research intern, reviewing their work and guiding them on methods
• Run descriptive and preliminary analyses to spot emerging patterns for the next research stages
• Act as the main contact with MeitY and IIT Madras on technical and administrative matters