ACTREC Research Associate & JRF Recruitment 2026

ACTREC is hiring 2 candidates for Research Associate and Junior Research Fellow (JRF) posts under a DBT-BIRAC funded Bio-Artificial Intelligence Hub project in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. If you hold a PhD in Biochemistry, Biophysics or Structural Biology (for Research Associate) or a Master's degree in Life Science or M.Tech in Biotechnology (for JRF), you can attend the walk-in interview. There is no online application — you just need to show up on 7 September 2026 with your documents. Salary ranges from Rs. 46,990 to Rs. 73,660 per month depending on the post.

Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) Research Associate & JRF Recruitment 2026 - 2 Posts

ACTREC, a unit of the Tata Memorial Centre, has released Advertisement No. ACTREC/ADVT/174/2026 dated 20 August 2026 for 1 Research Associate and 1 Junior Research Fellow post. These posts are funded under a BIRAC grant to set up a Bio-Artificial Intelligence Hub under the DBT-BIRAC Biomanufacturing initiative. You will work with an interdisciplinary team of oncologists and innovators from ACTREC and MEDVOLT AI to develop a protein vaccine prototype within 18 months, while also helping optimize AI/ML-enabled design of biologics. The project is funded under grant BT/BMH0146/BMI/Bio-AI-09/25 and the overall initiative runs for about two years, though individual engagement letters are issued for one year at a time. Both posts are project-based for one year, extendable depending on your performance and the availability of funds. ACTREC is part of the Tata Memorial Centre, India's leading cancer treatment, research, and education institute, so you get direct exposure to translational cancer research alongside a strong AI/ML research partner. If you are a young researcher with a background in enzymology, biochemistry, or biotechnology, this is a great opportunity to work on cutting-edge biomanufacturing research.

Vacancy Details

Who Can Apply?

For Research Associate:

• Qualification: You need a PhD in Biochemistry, Biophysics, or Structural Biology, along with extensive experience in enzymology.
• Skills: You should be able to work in a time-bound manner, achieve set deliverables, and collaborate well within a multidisciplinary research team.
• Nature of Work: Your work will involve biochemical and structural analysis that feeds directly into the biologics design pipeline of the Bio-AI Hub.

For Junior Research Fellow:

• Qualification: You need a Master's degree in Life Science or M.Tech in Biotechnology, with Biochemistry, Biophysics, or allied subjects in your course. Note: A one-year M.Sc. degree will not be considered.
• Skills: You must have hands-on experience in cloning, protein expression, optimization, scale-up, and purification using chromatographic methods, SDS-PAGE analysis, and enzyme activity assays.
• Nature of Work: You will run wet-lab experiments that support the project's AI/ML-driven biologics design work.

Age Limit

• For Research Associate, the age limit is 40 years.
• For Junior Research Fellow, the age limit is 35 years.

Salary

• Research Associate: You will get a consolidated salary of Rs. 73,660 per month.
• Junior Research Fellow: You will get a consolidated salary of Rs. 46,990 per month.
• Both posts are for one year, extendable based on satisfactory work progress. For the JRF post, extension may be considered after 6 months.
• The notification does not mention any separate DA, HRA, or other allowances — both figures are consolidated monthly salaries.

Selection Process

Since this is a project-specific recruitment for a specialised BIRAC-funded initiative, ACTREC keeps the process quick and direct — there is no separate application form or written exam requirement for most candidates. The selection will be done in the following stages:

1. Written Test (conditional): If more than 15 (plus or minus 5) candidates apply, ACTREC may hold a short written test to shortlist candidates for the interview. This is at the Project Investigator's discretion.
2. Walk-in Interview: Shortlisted candidates (or all eligible candidates, if no written test is held) will be interviewed in person on 7 September 2026.

How to Apply

There is no online application for these posts, and no application fee is mentioned in the notification. You just need to attend the walk-in interview in person with your documents. Keep all your original certificates ready in advance since document verification happens on the same day as the interview.

1. Prepare your updated CV and a recent passport-size photograph.
2. Collect original and photocopies of all your educational certificates and work experience certificates.
3. Carry your Aadhaar Card as ID proof.
4. Reach Meeting Room I, 3rd Floor, Khanolkar Shodhika, ACTREC, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai - 410210 between 9:45 AM and 10:15 AM on 7 September 2026.

Important Dates

• Advertisement Date: 20 August 2026
• Walk-in Interview Date: 7 September 2026
• Reporting Time: 9:45 AM to 10:15 AM

Note: Both engagements are initially for one year and may be extended based on your performance and project fund availability, so treat this as a genuine long-term research opportunity rather than a short-term assignment.

• Perform enzyme activity assays and related biochemical experiments
• Carry out protein cloning, expression, and purification using chromatographic methods
• Run SDS-PAGE analysis to check protein purity and quality
• Support AI/ML-enabled biologics design work with the project team
• Maintain accurate lab records and experiment documentation
• Collaborate with oncologists and data scientists on the Bio-AI Hub project
• Report work progress to the Principal Investigator regularly
• Meet project deliverables and timelines under the BIRAC grant