IIT Madras Project Research Scientist III Biomedical 2026

IIT Madras Project Research Scientist III Recruitment 2026: Overview

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is hiring a senior Project Research Scientist III for the Department of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering on its Chennai campus. The post comes through the institute's Centre for Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (IC&SR) under advertisement ICSR/PR/Advt.211/2026, with Prof. Raghavendra Sai V V as project coordinator.

The role belongs to the ICMR-funded MolOnco-DnT-CenTr project, a translational centre for diagnostic and therapeutic technologies in molecular oncology. You will lead the development of U-bent fiber-optic biosensor platforms that detect DNA/RNA biomarkers of gastric cancer and other cancers — from capture-probe chemistry and antibody–nanoparticle conjugation to optical and plasmonic readout and multiplexed diagnostic platforms.

This is a leadership post, not just bench work. You will coordinate clinical sample testing, turn lab-scale assays into prototype point-of-care diagnostic devices, guide project staff, research fellows and students, and help with publications, patents, proposals and technology transfer. Engineering, IT and CS graduates have their own qualification route, so the post is open to device-side researchers as well as life scientists. It is a contract project post that starts for one year and can be extended if your performance is good.

Service Conditions and Caveats

• Contract only: The post is purely contractual. Finishing the contract gives you no right to an extension, regularisation or a permanent job at IIT Madras.
• Tenure: The first term is one year; any extension depends on how well you perform.
• Nationality: You must be an Indian citizen. Subjects of Nepal and people who migrated from Pakistan to settle permanently in India can also apply, but they need an eligibility certificate from the Ministry of Home Affairs before appointment.
• Current IIT Madras project staff: Apply through proper channel, or bring a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to the document check, test or interview. Without the NOC you will not be allowed to appear.
• Experience rules: Only experience gained after your minimum qualifying degree counts. The institute may relax the experience requirement for SC/ST candidates if too few experienced candidates from these groups apply, and may relax rules for exceptionally outstanding candidates.
• Shortlisting: IIT Madras can limit how many people it calls for the written test, skill test or interview, using qualifications and experience above the minimum. Only shortlisted applicants are contacted.
• Cut-off for eligibility: Every eligibility condition is judged 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, your most recent employer or immediate superior should be the referee.
• Women candidates: The institute aims for a gender-balanced workforce and encourages women to apply.
• Updates: Any corrigendum or clarification will be posted only on the IIT Madras website; no separate message will be sent.

Application Submission Notes

Apply only through the IC&SR careers portal of IIT Madras. In the current openings list, find advertisement Advt.211/2026 and apply against that position. The portal accepts one application per login email for each advertisement, and you cannot edit it after you submit, so check every entry first.

Do not post a hard copy to the institute. Keep a printout of the submitted form, because you must hand it over if you are called for the test, interview or document verification. All communication comes by email only, so give an address you check daily.

For technical problems with the online form, write to recruitment@imail.iitm.ac.in or icsrrecruitment@iitm.ac.in, or call 044-2257 9796 between 9 AM and 5:30 PM, Monday to Friday. These contacts handle technical issues only, not questions about selection.

• Lead the development and optimisation of U-bent fiber-optic biosensor platforms for DNA/RNA cancer biomarkers
• Design bioassays using capture-probe functionalization, hybridization/sandwich formats, antibody–nanoparticle conjugation and signal amplification
• Develop and validate DNA/RNA and antigen assays independently, focusing on sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility
• Integrate bioassays with optical and plasmonic readout systems and build multiplexed diagnostic platforms
• Coordinate clinical sample testing and turn lab-scale assays into prototype point-of-care devices
• Supervise project staff, research fellows and students, and troubleshoot experimental and instrumentation problems
• Maintain records, datasets, SOPs and technical documents, and track project milestones
• Contribute to reports, publications, patents, proposals and technology-transfer work