IITD Energy Science JRF SRF and RA Recruitment 2026

IITD Energy Science Project Staff Recruitment 2026: Overview

Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) is hiring project staff through its Industrial Research and Development (IRD) Unit for a sponsored research project in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering. The project is funded by CPRI, Bangalore and tackles a real problem in coal power stations: foaming inside the flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) absorber when biomass is co-fired with coal. Three kinds of roles are open, a Research Associate, a JRF/SRF and a Junior Project Assistant (Technical), all on a contractual basis with consolidated pay. If you have a strong thermal, mechanical, energy or chemical background and want hands-on work with real power plants, this one is worth a look.

The Government of India asks thermal power plants to mix 7% biomass with coal, but actual use of agro-waste has stayed low. Foaming and pump tripping in FGD units, ash handling trouble and unstable combustion are among the reasons, and there is little standard data on how Indian biomass behaves in lime-treated systems. The project, led by Prof. S.K. Tyagi as Principal Investigator with Prof. Vipin Kumar as Co-PI, aims to build a practical protocol to control that foaming and the extra moisture it causes in gypsum.

Posts and Disciplines

• Research Associate: the senior research role for a doctorate holder in Thermal, Mechanical, Energy or Chemical engineering. PhD-level work in chemical kinetics or combustion simulation is preferred, and this person also handles buying consumables and equipment under GFR/GEM rules.
• JRF/SRF: a research fellowship for M.Tech graduates in the same four disciplines who hold NET/GATE. Some experience in chemical kinetics or combustion simulation helps. The fellowship level depends on your profile, and HRA is paid on top of the fellowship.
• Junior Project Assistant (Technical): an entry-level technical role for B.Tech or Diploma holders in Thermal, Mechanical, Energy or Chemical branches, or M.Sc graduates in Chemistry, Chemical or Physics. Some project or R&D experience is preferred.

Service Conditions and Caveats

• Contract basis: All appointments are contractual with consolidated pay, renewed every year or up to the end of the project, whichever comes first.
• Project tenure: The project runs for 18 months from 1 April 2026, so the job cannot outlast it.
• Field visits: You must visit NCR-based thermal power plants regularly to collect samples and data, and work closely with IIT Delhi and NTPC's plants in the region. Modelling and optimisation can be done through CFD simulation on campus.
• PhD option: Project fellows are encouraged to register for a PhD under institute rules. If admitted, the PhD topic must relate to this project, and after coursework you keep working on it.
• Marks rule: Every post asks for at least 75% marks in the qualifying degrees; SC/ST candidates may get a 5% relaxation in marks.
• NET/GATE for JRF/SRF: The NET/GATE condition may be relaxed for graduates of Centrally Funded Technical Institutes (CFTIs) with a CGPA above 8.0 (80% aggregate marks).
• Retired government staff: If a retired or superannuated government employee is selected, the pay is fixed under the IRD norms in force.
• Shortlisting: IIT Delhi can set higher shortlisting criteria than the advertised minimum, and only shortlisted candidates are told about the online interview.
• Nationality: Only Indian nationals can apply.

Application Submission Notes

Download application form IRD/REC-4 from the IRD recruitment page (ird.iitd.ac.in/rec), fill in your marks percentage or division and your work experience, and email it to Prof. S.K. Tyagi at tyagisk@iitd.ac.in. Put advertisement number IITD/IRD/296/2026 in the subject line. Applications are accepted by email until 5:00 PM on the closing day.

The shortlist and the online interview details will appear at ird.iitd.ac.in/shortlisted. If you are unsure about your eligibility, write to the same email address before applying.

• Collect torrefied and non-torrefied biomass samples and run proximate, ultimate, FTIR, XRD and ICP-MS tests
• Collect foam samples from FGD units while tracking pH, oxygen, flue gas composition, temperature and blending ratio
• Study the foam samples in depth to find the causes and mechanisms of foaming in the FGD absorber
• Optimise biomass blending ratio, lime quality and injection rate through lab-scale trials
• Develop corrective measures to suppress foaming and cut moisture in calcium sulphate (gypsum)
• Visit NCR thermal power plants regularly for sampling, data collection and analysis
• Run modelling and optimisation work through CFD simulation