ICMR-AcSIR PhD admissions-January 2026 Session is now open

PhD positions
India
October 13, 2025
Full Time

Job Overview

Job Description

PhD admissions-January 2026 Session is now open-Shape future of science, medical research, & innovation with -ICMR-AcSIR—India’s premier institutions with 79 national research institutes.
Shall be happy to guide deserving PhD candidates in Neurology, Neuroscience, Neuropharmacology, Public Health, Psychology or any other relevant field as per eligibility & norms.

Online Applications to the following academic programs of AcSIR can be submitted through AcSIR Online Admission Portal:

  1. Ph.D (Medical Research): Applications open
  2. Ph.D (Sciences): Applications open
  3. Ph.D (Engineering): Applications open
  4. Integrated Dual Degree Program (IDDP): Applications open

Link: https://acsir.res.in/admissions/

AcSIR associated Research Institutes:

  • About AcSIR associated Research Institutes: AcSIR has a total of 79 associated Research Institutes as under:
    • 38 national laboratories of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
    • 28 institutes of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) 
    • 4 institutes of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India
    • 1 institute of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC-WII)
    • 1 autonomous Institution of the Government of Uttar Pradesh
    • 1 Institute of  Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India (MoHFW-NIB)
    • 1 institute of Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES-IITM)
    • 5 Private Institutes 2 institutes of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), TIGS, MAX, TCG-CREST
  • Click here to see the contact details of AcSIR affiliated Research Institutes.

Admission Notification by relevant AcSIR Academic Center are to be referred to admission to following programs:

Online Applications for iPhD program of AcSIR can be submitted through iPhD Online Admission Portal

About iPhD Program

Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) has launched first-of-its-kind iPhD program (i stands for innovative, imaginative and industry linked).

The iPhD program aims to create a supportive environment where students can develop their innovative potential. By tackling challenges that need to be addressed, students will contribute to the development of technologies that shall benefit the society at large.

The iPhD program is unique in terms of the courses to be opted by the students. There will be courses on Entrepreneurship, Business Proposals, Marketing, Ethics, IPR etc., and the student shall have the flexibility to complete them within 3 years. Similarly, the Doctoral Advisory Committee shall have the representations from Industry so as to hand hold the students from inception of research work. With the mentorship of Scientists (AcSIR Faculty) and Industry partners and a strong course work, the students shall be able to convert ideas into technologies (TRL-4) which shall be sufficient for qualifying for Ph.D degree. Such technologies shall be pursued by the student post Ph.D as Startups or be taken over by the Industries, as the case may be.

AcSIR-NIF Doctoral Innovation Fellowship
Under the iPhD program, AcSIR has partnered with the National Innovation Foundation (NIF)-India. NIF will play a crucial role in identifying the grass-root innovations which need to be pursued further by the students who will be admitted to the PhD. Further, NIF will provide fellowships and co-mentorship opportunities for students.

Applications have been invited for the inaugural batch of iPhD program, under the following research domains:

  • Agriculture
  • Human Health
  • Engineering
  • Policy
  • Veterinary Sciences

Fellowship Details: AcSIR-NIF Doctoral Innovation Fellowship (equivalent to CSIR NET JRF)

15 Fellowships available

Eligibility: Masters Degree in Science / Engineering required

Application Deadline: November 15, 2025

For Admission Process, an Applicant needs to follow two phases:

  1. Sign-Up phase:
  • An applicant can Sign up for submitting online application to the session (i.e. January 2026) to a single program of study.
  • once applicant successfully Sign-Up on AcSIR Online Admission Portal, applicant will be receiving auto email on their email-id with login credentials and link to be re-directed for further complete admission form fill-up process.
  1. Online Application Form Phase:
  • On completion of AcSIR Online Application form, AcSIR Application Number (AAN) will be generated e.g. AcSIR12345. This AAN shall be used in future correspondence between applicant and AcSIR.
  • Pay the application fee (Rs. 1000 for General/OBC/EWS and Rs. 500 for the SC/ST/PWD/Women candidates)
  • Print Acknowledgement of Admission Receipt with AcSIR Application Number (AAN).
  • Important dates of admission process and any other update or information will be flashed on Portal-Please check regularly.
  • For each Program of study, only one application is allowed for an applicant. If, at any time, it is found that more than one application is filled by a candidate then the candidature will be summarily rejected.
  • Short-listed candidates will be intimated electronically and they will be required to appear for Test and/or Interview at the designated centres on the dates announced, based on which final selection would be made.

Number of seats available in each program at each Institute may vary.

1. PhD Sciences (Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Mathematical & Information Sciences, Agricultural Sciences):

  1. 1.  PhD Sciences (Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Mathematical & Information Sciences, Agricultural Sciences):

Qualifying degree: Master’s degree in science with minimum 55% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for General (UR)/General-EWS and minimum 50% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for OBC (NCL)/SC/ST, Third gender and Persons with Disability (PwD).

OR

4-year/8-semester bachelor’s degree programmewith minimum 75% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for General (UR)/General-EWS and minimum 70% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for OBC (NCL)/SC/ST, third gender and Persons with Disability (PwD) from the recognized University.

Eligible categories:

National-level fellowship: Applicant should have a valid National-level Fellowship (JRF/ SRF of any funding agency, e.g. CSIR, ICMR, UGC, DBT, DST, etc.) or any other equivalent fellowship like DBT-BET, INSPIRE, RGNF, etc. (Tenable at all AcSIR associated Research Institutes except ICMR Institutes).

OR

Institutional fellowship: Applicants without any National-level Fellowship or GATE/JEST qualified applicants* (TENABLE only at DST-CeNS, DST-IASST, DST-IIA, MoEFCC-WII, TIGS,).

(* For more details about the Institutional fellowship please visit the following website of the concerned AcSIR associated Research Institutes: –

OR

Staff of AcSIR associated research institutes: Project Assistants, Senior Research Fellows, Group-IV Scientists and Group-III Technical Staff of CSIR, and other Associated Research Institutes of AcSIR. NOC from the current employer is mandatory. (Applicable to all AcSIR associated Research Institutes except ICMR Institutes)

OR

Industry Sponsored candidates#: Endorsement (NOC) from the current employer is mandatory. (TENABLE at all AcSIR associated Research Institutes)

2. PhD (Medical Research) (tenable only at ICMR Institutes, MAX and TIGS):

Qualifying degree:

Doctor of Medicine (D.M.) or Master of Chirurgiae (M.Ch.) or Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Master of Surgery (M.S.) from the National Medical Commission (NMC) (erstwhile Medical Council of India) recognized Medical College.

OR

Master’s degree in Science/Public Health with minimum 55% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for General (UR)/General-EWS and minimum 50% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for OBC (NCL)/SC/ST, Third gender and Persons with Disability (PwD).

OR

Master’s in population studies, social medicine, community health, anthropology, sociology and social work (medical), mathematical sciences, economics (health), biostatistics with minimum 55% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for General (UR)/General-EWS and minimum 50% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for OBC (NCL)/SC/ST, Third gender and Persons with Disability (PwD).

OR

M.Sc /MCA or equivalent, in IT/Computer Science/Information Sciencewith minimum 55% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for General (UR)/General-EWS and minimum 50% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for OBC (NCL)/SC/ST, third gender and Persons with Disability (PwD) from the recognized University.

OR

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), or Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)/ Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) with minimum 55% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for General (UR)/General-EWS and minimum 50% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for OBC (NCL)/SC/ST, third gender and Persons with Disability (PwD) from the National Medical Commission (NMC) (erstwhile Medical Council of India) recognized Medical College.

OR

4-year/8-semester bachelor’s degree programmewith minimum 75% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for General (UR)/General-EWS and minimum 70% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for OBC (NCL)/SC/ST, third gender and Persons with Disability (PwD) from the recognized University.

Eligible categories:

National-level fellowship: The applicant should have a valid National-level Fellowship (JRF/ SRF of any funding agency, e.g. CSIR, ICMR, UGC, DBT, DST, etc.) or any other equivalent fellowship like DBT-BET, INSPIRE, RGNF, etc.

OR

Staff of AcSIR associated research institutes: Project Assistants, Senior Research Fellows, Technical Staff of ICMR and other Associated Research Institutes of AcSIR possessing the qualifying degree are eligible to apply. NOC from the current employer is mandatory.

OR

Industry Sponsored candidates: Endorsement (NOC) from the current employer is mandatory.

3. PhD (Engineering):

Qualifying degree: Master’s degree in Engineering or Technology (after a four-year engineering/technology degree or with an integrated 5-year B.Tech./M.Tech. degree or equivalent) with minimum 55% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for General (UR)/General-EWS and minimum 50% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for OBC (NCL)/SC/ST, Third gender and Persons with Disability (PwD).

OR

Bachelor’s in Engineering or Technology (B.E./B.Tech.)with minimum 75% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for General (UR)/General-EWS and minimum 70% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for OBC (NCL)/SC/ST, third gender and Persons with Disability (PwD) from the recognized University.

Eligible categories:

Self-sponsored

OR

Institutional fellowship: Applicants without any national fellowship can also apply for Institutional Fellowships.

OR

Staff of AcSIR Associated Research Institutes: Project Assistants, Senior Research Fellows, Group-IV Scientists and Group-III Technical Staff of CSIR, and other Associated Research Institutes of AcSIR. NOC from the current employer is mandatory. (TENABLE at all AcSIR associated Research Institutes except ICMR Institutes)

OR

Industry Sponsored candidates: Endorsement (NOC) from the current employer is mandatory. (TENABLE at all AcSIR associated Research Institutes)

4. Integrated Dual-Degree PhD (IDDP) Program:

Qualifying degree: 4-year undergraduate degree in Engineering (such as BE/BTech/BS) with minimum 55% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for General (UR)/General-EWS and minimum 50% marks (without rounding off) or equivalent grade for OBC (NCL)/SC/ST, Third Gender and Persons with Disability (PwD).

Eligible categories:

Self-sponsored

OR

Staff of AcSIR Associated Research Institutes: Project Assistants, Senior Research Fellows, Group-IV Scientists and Group-III Technical Staff of CSIR, and other Associated Research Institutes of AcSIR. NOC from the current employer is mandatory. (TENABLE at all AcSIR associated Research Institutes except ICMR Institutes)

Industry Sponsored candidates#: Endorsement (NOC) from the current employer is mandatory. (TENABLE at all associated Research Institutes)

Eligibility for Project Assistants: –

  1. Only those Project Assistants working in the Institutes may be considered for admission to AcSIR Ph.D. program who have been in temporary employment as a Project Assistant in a sanctioned R&D project in the same Institute for at least one year (one year will be determined as on the last date of admission confirmation by payment of fees, as notified by AcSIR for each Academic Session in which the Project Assistant intends to seek admission for Ph.D.), and can only apply with the prior permission of the PI of the project and concurrence of the Director of the Institute;
  2. Project Assistants who have qualified any PhD qualifying National level Examination [NET (Category 2 and 3) as per public notice no.F.-1(UGC-NET Review Committee)/2024(NET)/140648 dated March 27, 2024, GATE, BET, JEST, etc.], even without eligible fellowship, will be exempted from the eligibility criteria of having one publication;
  3. Project Assistants who have not qualified any National level Examination, will need to have at least one patent (Filed) or one publication in a SCI journal with substantial research contribution as a coauthor by the day of application;
  4. The Project Assistants who are being considered for admission to the AcSIR Ph.D program, must fulfil the eligibility conditions. The Screening and Selection committee, constituted as per rules of AcSIR, must evaluate the knowledge of the candidate in the subject and research capabilities critically;
  5. The selection shall be made on the basis of an oral examination by the Selection Committee constituted at the Institute, which shall be considered equivalent to a written examination;
  6. On completion of their tenure of the R&D project from which the student was drawing his/her fellowship, the student may be given an option to continue in the Ph.D program without a fellowship, with approval of the Director of the concerned Institute, failing which their admission in the Ph.D program will stand cancelled.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  1. Applicants whose final results of the eligibility degree are awaited can also apply. If selected, they will be provisionally admitted to the program. Their continuation in the program will be subject to securing required percentage/ equivalent grade (depending on the cut-off marks for screening for the specific program), submission of marks-sheet of their final result, and meeting the other eligibility criteria, at the time of joining the program.
  2. #AcSIR encourage working professional to pursue their Research as an Industrial Sponsored candidate. If a working professional show interest in research and his/her employer allows then they can apply in AcSIR as an Industry sponsored candidate. NOC from the current employer is mandatory
  3. The tuition fee once paid by the student selected for PhD admission to any AcSIR Research Institute, would henceforth be transferable to any other AcSIR-associated institute, where the student has been also selected for admission in the PhD program (including being selected from the waiting list), subject to the availability of seats. The tuition fee would only be transferable till the commencement of the academic session, as notified by AcSIR-HQs. for admission to that particular semester.

–Applicants qualifying their degree in percentage shall use the formula, CGPA=(Percentage + 5) /10. Applicants with percentage ≥ 95%, shall fill 10 CGPA in the Online Application Form.

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