CSIR CGCRI Director Recruitment 2026

CSIR CGCRI Director Recruitment 2026: Overview

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) wants a new Director to lead its Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CSIR-CGCRI) in Kolkata. This is the top job at the lab: you run the institute, its scientists and its research agenda. CSIR itself sits under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science and Technology, and runs 37 labs across India. This is a fixed-tenure leadership post, not a regular scientist vacancy — it suits a senior researcher who already leads teams and has taken technology from the lab to industry.

CSIR-CGCRI was set up in 1950 as one of CSIR's first four national laboratories. It is best known for building India's own optical glass and optical fibres, and today works on advanced ceramics and composites, speciality glass, fibre optics and photonics, energy materials, biomaterials and medical devices, and membrane and separation technology. Its current projects feed into aerospace and strategic uses, healthcare, clean energy, water purification and the reuse of industrial waste.

For this role, CSIR wants a well-recognised scientist or technologist who is creative and has a track record of managing multidisciplinary R&D teams. The advert puts weight on translational research: you should have developed technologies, not only published papers and filed patents. Good people skills matter too, because the Director has to build a working culture where high-quality research can grow.

Service Conditions and Caveats

• Tenure: The appointment runs for six years or until superannuation, whichever comes first. CSIR renews the tenure only in exceptional cases.
• Absorption: A Director can later be considered for absorption in CSIR as a Director's Grade Scientist (Scientist 'H' / Outstanding Scientist), as per CSIR rules.
• Relaxation for exceptional candidates: The DG, CSIR can relax the qualification, age and experience conditions for exceptionally meritorious candidates.
• Experience counting: Your years of experience are counted from the start of your research career, and should be in the lab's own areas of work with a focus on translational research.
• Benefits: You can share in money the institute earns from contract R&D, consultancy and S&T services under the current rules. Housing, transport and medical facilities are given as per CSIR rules.
• Nominations: Both direct applications and nominations by others are accepted for this post.

Application Submission Notes

Send your application or nomination with a detailed bio-data that highlights your scientific and translational work, along with your list of publications and patents. You can email it to drc.hqrs@csir.res.in or post it to Director Recruitment Cell, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Anusandhan Bhawan, 2 Rafi Marg, New Delhi-110001.

The advert also includes a bio-data proforma that asks for a 1-2 page vision statement as Leader of CSIR-CGCRI and the names of five referees of high repute. CSIR also asks you to fill a short summary table in Word file format and send it with your application.

• Lead CSIR-CGCRI as its head and exercise administrative control over the institute's staff
• Deliver the institute's mission in glass, ceramics and related materials research
• Build an environment that supports innovation and high-quality R&D
• Align the lab's research and S&T activities with societal and industrial priorities
• Manage multidisciplinary research teams across the institute's divisions
• Drive technology development, IP creation and transfer of technologies to industry