TIFR JRF and Postdoctoral Fellow Astrophysics 2026

TIFR JRF and Postdoctoral Fellow Recruitment 2026: Overview

Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, an autonomous institute of the Department of Atomic Energy and a deemed university, is looking for Junior Research Fellows and Postdoctoral Fellows in its Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics (DAA). The positions sit in Lightcurve.ai, an AI-for-astrophysics group led by Prof. Shravan M Hanasoge that runs as a TIFR-Tata Memorial Centre collaboration in Mumbai.

The group uses machine learning on huge telescope and satellite datasets to study exoplanets, the Sun and stars, stellar rotation and magnetism, and solar and space weather prediction. It works with the Max Planck Institute, New York University, Caltech and Google DeepMind, with computing support from Intel Labs India, Google Cloud and Anthropic. The notice calls these visiting research scholar positions, so you can join for a short stay or for a longer stretch.

Posts and Disciplines

• Junior Research Fellow (junior scholar): for graduates or postgraduates in Physics, Astronomy, Data Science or a related field who want hands-on research exposure in astrophysics and AI.
• Postdoctoral Fellow: for PhD holders in Astrophysics, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science or a related discipline; pay within the band depends on your experience.
• Common skill base: both roles expect you to be comfortable with Python and scientific data tools such as NumPy, SciPy, Pandas and Matplotlib. Machine learning experience is a plus but not required.

Service Conditions and Caveats

• Tenure: Appointments can run from a few months up to three years, depending on your progress reviews.
• Extension: Extension up to three years depends on successful and positive annual reviews.
• Nature of post: Both positions are temporary and non-pensionable. You will have no claim to a permanent or temporary job at TIFR during or after the project.
• Age preference: The notice gives a preferred age for each role, not a strict cut-off, counted as on the date of your application.
• Pay flexibility: Pay follows standard TIFR norms with HRA as per TIFR rules, but the group keeps some flexibility for exceptional candidates.

Application Submission Notes

Apply by email to lightcurve.ai@tifr.res.in. There is no online form for this advertisement.

• JRF: use the subject line "Application for Junior Research Fellowship" and attach a short cover letter, CV, academic transcripts and contact details of 1-2 academic referees.
• Postdoctoral Fellow: use the subject line "Application for Postdoctoral Research Fellowship" and attach a cover letter, full CV, a 2-3 page research statement, 1-3 sample papers or preprints, and arrange three recommendation letters, ideally including your PhD advisor.

• Carry out independent and collaborative research in astrophysics and AI-driven data analysis
• Work with large datasets from satellite and ground-based observatories
• Contribute to projects on stellar physics, solar and space weather prediction and exoplanets
• Present results at internal meetings, seminars and international conferences
• Collaborate with students, staff and international partners in the group