IIT Ropar JRF Mechanical Engineering Recruitment 2026

IIT Ropar Junior Research Fellow Recruitment 2026: Overview

Indian Institute of Technology Ropar (IIT Ropar) is hiring a Junior Research Fellow in Mechanical Engineering for a project on small insects, atmospheric moisture and flight. The study asks how flying insects respond to conditions such as fog and dew. Its wider purpose is to inform the development of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) inspired by insect flight.

Moisture poses a particular challenge because small insects and similarly sized flying devices have very little mass. The research looks at how that challenge affects flight and how droplets interact with surfaces. You would join an interdisciplinary project that connects these surface interactions with the aerodynamics of flying insects.

The study combines experimental and numerical investigations, bringing laboratory observations together with data analysis. The notification describes access to advanced laboratory facilities and a collaborative research team. This gives the appointment a clear focus on understanding the physical problem through several research methods within the same project.

Dr. Chander Shekhar Sharma leads the project, with Dr. Navaneeth K Marath and Dr. Manish Agrawal on the team. The notice identifies it as an ANRF-funded ARG project under reference ANRF/ARG/2025/010909/ENS. The fellowship belongs to this specific investigation into moisture response and insect aerodynamics.

Service Conditions and Caveats

• Initial appointment: You would be appointed for one year at first. Further extension depends on your performance.
• Overall duration: The position can run for three years or until project completion, whichever comes first. The initial appointment should therefore be understood separately from the possible overall project term.
• PhD opportunity: The selected researcher may apply for the institute's PhD programme under its existing rules. This is an opportunity to apply, rather than an automatic admission attached to the fellowship.

• Characterize surfaces used in the moisture-response study
• Use high-speed imaging to study droplet and surface interactions
• Carry out microscopic imaging of droplet interactions
• Observe the aerodynamics of flying insects
• Analyze experimental data from the investigations
• Support numerical investigations alongside the experiments