IIT Madras Research Associate III Mechanical 2026

IIT Madras Research Associate III Recruitment 2026: Overview

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is hiring a Research Associate III for a sponsored research project in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The project is about electronic cooling — keeping modern electronics from overheating by using advanced thermal management systems. The recruitment runs through the institute's Office of Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (IC&SR) under Advertisement No. ICSR/PR/Advt.185/2026.

The project is led by Prof. Pallab Sinha Mahapatra and Prof. Arvind Pattamatta. This is a senior research role, so you will not just run experiments someone else designed. You will build the test rigs yourself, study how engineered surfaces change flow boiling and phase-change heat transfer, and push the cooling systems toward better performance. The team wants someone who can plan and carry out research independently.

This opening suits a recent PhD holder in Mechanical Engineering or a related field who already has a strong publication record as first or corresponding author. If your doctoral work was in heat transfer devices, phase change heat transfer, surface engineering, flow boiling, or thermal management and electronic cooling, you will be a strong fit, because the institute has said it will prefer researchers from these areas.

Beyond lab work, the role has a teaching and mentoring side. You will guide MTech, MS and PhD students working on the project and help write reports, presentations and journal articles. It is a good step for anyone who wants academic or industrial R&D experience at one of India's top engineering institutes in Chennai.

Service Conditions and Caveats

• Contract basis: The position is purely contractual and tied to the sponsored project. It starts with a one-year term and can be extended depending on your performance.
• No permanency: Finishing the contract does not give you any right to an extension, regular job or permanent post at IIT Madras.
• Eligibility cut-off: Your qualification, experience and age are all checked as on the closing date of the online application.
• Citizenship: Only Indian citizens can apply, plus certain migrants from Pakistan and subjects of Nepal who hold a Government of India eligibility certificate.
• Current IIT Madras project staff: If you already work on an IIT Madras project, apply through proper channel or bring a No-Objection Certificate — without it you will not be allowed into the test or interview.
• Shortlisting: The institute can limit the number of candidates it calls, based on qualifications and experience above the minimum. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
• Relaxation: Minimum qualifications or experience can be relaxed for exceptionally outstanding candidates, and experience can be relaxed for SC/ST candidates at the institute's discretion.
• Women encouraged: IIT Madras aims for a gender-balanced workforce and encourages women candidates to apply.

Application Submission Notes

Apply online only through the IC&SR careers portal. Pick the listing marked Advt.185/2026 before you submit, because one login can send only one application per advertisement and a submitted form cannot be edited. Keep a printout of your application for the test or interview — do not post a hard copy to the institute. For technical problems with the portal, email icsrrecruitment6@icsrpis.iitm.ac.in or icsrrecruitment@icsrpis.iitm.ac.in, or call 044-2257 8843 on working days.

Corrigenda and Notices

• Updates on the website only: Any corrigendum or clarification will be posted on the IC&SR website, and no separate message will be sent to applicants, so check the portal before the deadline.

• Design and build in-house experimental facilities to study flow boiling heat transfer on engineered surfaces
• Measure how surface characteristics affect phase-change heat transfer performance
• Fabricate, test and optimise advanced thermal management systems for electronic cooling
• Plan and run research activities independently within the sponsored project
• Prepare project reports, presentations and journal articles
• Mentor MTech, MS and PhD students working on the project