CSIR-NCL Project Associate-I Fluorination Recruitment 2026

CSIR-NCL Project Associate-I Recruitment 2026: Overview

CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune is hiring a Project Associate-I for its Organic Chemistry (ORG) Division. The post sits under a sponsored project titled "Transition Metal-Catalyzed Fluorine Insertion in Small Organic Molecules" (project code GAP347526), led by Dr. Nilanjana Majumdar as Project Leader.

In simple words, the team is finding new ways to add fluorine atoms to small organic molecules using metal catalysts — a kind of chemistry that matters a lot for medicines and agrochemicals. This is a project engagement, not a regular CSIR job, so it fits a chemistry postgraduate who wants serious bench experience in synthesis at one of India's best-known chemistry labs.

The notice prefers an M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry (or equivalent) with at least 55% marks and about six months of multi-step organic synthesis experience from a reputed institute or industry. You should be comfortable running reactions from small to large scale, purifying products and reading NMR, MS and HPLC data to confirm structures.

Service Conditions and Caveats

• Tenure: The engagement runs only as long as the sponsored project and depends on satisfactory performance and conduct.
• Not a CSIR post: The job is purely temporary. It is not a CSIR or NCL appointment and gives you no claim to any regular CSIR-NCL post or fellowship later.
• Two pay tiers: Your monthly pay depends on whether you have cleared CSIR-UGC / ICAR / ICMR NET (including lectureship), GATE or a similar national-level test run by a central department such as DBT or DST. Without one of these you are placed on the lower tier.
• Shortlisting: Meeting the minimum qualification does not guarantee an interview. A Screening Committee may call only candidates with qualifications and experience above the minimum, so list everything relevant in your form.
• Joining: Selected candidates must join immediately after receiving the offer of engagement.
• No TA/DA: No travel allowance is paid for the interview, which is held online anyway.

Application Submission Notes

Applications are accepted only online through the CSIR-NCL project jobs portal at jobs.ncl.res.in. You need a valid email address before you register, and the portal has its own 'How To Apply' guide that you should read first. Late applications are not considered.

The shortlist will appear on the website and the divisional notice board on 5 November 2026. Shortlisted candidates get the online interview link by email, and the interview is planned for 9 November 2026 on a platform such as Microsoft Teams, Google Meet or Cisco WebEx. No separate call letter is sent. For queries, you can write to nilanjana.majumdar.ncl@csir.res.in or call 020-25902467.

• Carry out organic synthesis and a range of chemical transformations for the fluorination project
• Run multi-step syntheses from small to large scale
• Isolate and purify reaction products
• Confirm product structures using NMR, MS, HPLC and other analytical data
• Record experimental results and share them with the project leader