IIT Goa Junior Research Fellow Recruitment 2026 – Apply Online for 1 Biotechnology JRF Post

Vacancies: 1 · Posts: 1 · Type: Research Fellowship · Mode: Online (Google Form) · Fee: Not mentioned · Apply: 15 September–30 September 2026 · Stipend: ₹37,000/month + HRA · Selection: Screening + selection process · Location: Farmagudi, Ponda, Goa

DST-funded mechanobiology work at an Institute of National Importance is open for one Junior Research Fellow at the Indian Institute of Technology Goa (IIT Goa), Farmagudi, Ponda. The Office of the Dean of Research and Development issued Advertisement No. IITGoa/DoRD/020/REC/2026 on 15 September 2026 for a project JRF in the School of Mechanical Sciences.

The fellow will work on “Cell and nuclear response in a uniaxial stretcher with micropatterns recapitulating native tissue morphology,” sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology. Applications close at 5:00 PM on 30 September 2026 through the official Google Form. This is a one-year research fellowship with a possible extension, not a regular Institute staff post.

A valid GATE or CSIR NET is required. B.Tech (Biotechnology) candidates need a qualified GATE score. B.Sc plus M.Sc (Biology or allied field) candidates need a qualified CSIR NET score. M.Tech (Biotechnology) with GATE is only desirable.

Also Read: IIT Jammu Research Associate Recruitment 2026 – Apply Online for 1 RA Post at Jagti

Who Should Apply?

Mandatory vs Preferred

Mandatory: B.Tech in Biotechnology with a qualified GATE score, or B.Sc and M.Sc in Biology or an allied field with a qualified CSIR NET score.
Preferred (weightage only, not required): M.Tech in Biotechnology with a qualified GATE score.

• B.Tech (Biotechnology) + qualified GATE → Junior Research Fellow – 1 post
• B.Sc + M.Sc (Biology / allied field) + qualified CSIR NET → Junior Research Fellow – 1 post
• M.Tech (Biotechnology) + qualified GATE → same JRF post (desirable route; still need to meet an essential route above)

Who cannot apply (hard filters)

• B.Tech (Biotechnology) applicants without a qualified GATE score
• B.Sc + M.Sc applicants without a qualified CSIR NET score
• Candidates whose degrees are outside Biotechnology / Biology or a clearly allied field (the notice does not list other branches)

No Goa domicile is required. Indian citizens who meet the essential qualification may apply. Serving employees should keep an NOC ready if their employer asks for it at joining; the notice does not say an NOC must be uploaded with the form.

Important Dates

No extension is mentioned. For any change in the last date, check the IIT Goa project-position page.

Quick Overview – IIT Goa JRF 2026

• Organisation: Indian Institute of Technology Goa (IIT Goa)
• Organisation Sector: Higher education and engineering research (Institute of National Importance under the Ministry of Education)
• Advertisement No.: IITGoa/DoRD/020/REC/2026
• Post: Junior Research Fellow (Mechanobiology / Biotechnology)
• Vacancies: 1 (One)
• Project: Cell and nuclear response in a uniaxial stretcher with micropatterns recapitulating native tissue morphology
• Funding agency: Department of Science and Technology (DST)
• School / PI: School of Mechanical Sciences · Dr. Sreenath Balakrishnan
• Job Location: IIT Goa campus, Farmagudi, Ponda, Goa – 403401
• Duration: One year, with the option to extend further
• Stipend: ₹37,000 per month + HRA as per funding agency norms
• Application mode: Online Google Form
• Application fee: Not mentioned in the official notification
• Official Website: IIT Goa project-position / recruitment listings
• Last Date: 30 September 2026, 5:00 PM
• Apply Online: Apply for IIT Goa Junior Research Fellow 2026 (Google Form)
• Notification PDF: Download IIT Goa JRF Recruitment 2026 PDF (IITGoa/DoRD/020/REC/2026)

What Posts Are Available?

Only one designation is advertised. The table below is the full vacancy list.

Vacancy interpretation: This is a single experimental JRF seat in mechanobiology, not a multi-post Institute recruitment. The work sits in the School of Mechanical Sciences but the essential degrees are Biotechnology / Biology. Candidates who want a wet-lab plus imaging profile (cell culture, confocal, AFM) fit better than those seeking a purely coding or CFD seat.

No UR/OBC/SC/ST/EWS breakup is printed. No PwBD identification table is printed. Treat category claims from the original PDF footnotes only if added later.

Your GATE / NET score matters before the interview

There is no written exam in this advertisement. If applications are many, the selection committee may shortlist on desirable qualifications, academic record, GATE/NET scores and any other benchmark it fixes. A weak scorecard can stop you before the selection stage.

Who Is Eligible?

Essential (any one route)

1. B.Tech in Biotechnology with a qualified GATE score
2. B.Sc and M.Sc in Biology or an allied field with a qualified CSIR NET score

Desirable

• M.Tech in Biotechnology with a qualified GATE score

Scores must be valid at the time of application. The notice does not name extra branches (for example Civil or CSE) as eligible.

Nature of work (what you will actually do)

The project covers mechanobiology: cell culture, confocal imaging, image analysis, atomic force microscopy, traction force microscopy, micromechanisms and molecular biology. Work is primarily experimental. There is also scope to collaborate on image analysis and computation.

Age limit

Not specified in Advertisement No. IITGoa/DoRD/020/REC/2026. Do not assume 28 years or any other figure from older DST circulars unless IIT Goa or DST states it in writing for this project.

Examples:

✅ Boundary examples cannot be written because the notice prints no maximum age and no cut-off date.
❌ Do not treat a guessed “28 years” as official for this form.

Use our Age Eligibility Calculator if you are checking age for another exam running in the same window.

Domicile: No state domicile condition is mentioned. This is an all-India project call at a Goa campus.

What Is the Junior Research Fellow Stipend in Goa?

IIT Goa pays this JRF ₹37,000 per month. HRA is “as per funding agency norms.” Medical and leave follow Institute norms.

This calculator-style split is indicative, not an official salary slip. Actual HRA depends on DST rules and the Institute’s implementation. Stipend is payable subject to attendance, applicable rules and successful continuation of the project.

Do not map this seat to 7th CPC Level-6 or Level-7. It is a DST project fellowship, not a regular Group A/B appointment.

Hostel, canteen or campus housing is not guaranteed in this advertisement. Ask the PI only after shortlisting.

What Is the Application Fee?

Not mentioned in the official notification. The Google Form process described in the PDF does not list a portal fee or SBI Collect link. Do not pay anyone who calls claiming a “processing fee.”

How to Apply?

IIT Goa accepts this JRF application only through the official Google Form till 5:00 PM on 30 September 2026. MySarkari-style “Speed Post only” instructions do not match this advertisement.

1. Read the IIT Goa JRF 2026 notification PDF (IITGoa/DoRD/020/REC/2026).
2. Keep a scanned GATE or CSIR NET scorecard, degree marksheets, photo ID and a short CV ready.
3. If the form asks for a photograph, resize it first with our Photo & Signature Resizer.
4. Open the IIT Goa Junior Research Fellow 2026 Google Form and fill in every field.
5. Submit before 30 September 2026, 5:00 PM. Save a screenshot of the confirmation page.
6. Optional but useful: send a brief informal query to the PI at sreenath@iitgoa.ac.in with IITGoa/DoRD/020/REC/2026 in the subject line.

Updates and any last-date changes appear on the IIT Goa project-position page, not on the Institute homepage alone.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Submitting the form without attaching or quoting a valid GATE (B.Tech route) or CSIR NET (M.Sc route) score
• Treating M.Tech as mandatory and skipping the form if you only have B.Tech + GATE
• Emailing a CV to a random IIT Goa inbox and skipping the Google Form (the form is the application)
• Writing to the PI without the Institute project / advertisement number in the subject
• Waiting till after 5:00 PM on 30 September 2026; the cut-off is clock-bound
• Paying a “consultant” or clicking a guessed PDF URL that is not iitgoa.ac.in

आयआयटी गोवा जेआरएफ भर्ती 2026 – 1 बायोटेक पदाखातीर ऑनलायन अर्ज

भारतीय तंत्रज्ञान संस्था गोवा (आयआयटी गोवा), फार्मागुडी, फोंडा येथल्या School of Mechanical Sciences अंतर्गत एक Junior Research Fellow जागा जाहीर केली आहे. जाहिरात क्रमांक IITGoa/DoRD/020/REC/2026, दिनांक 15 सप्टेंबर 2026. प्रकल्प DST-अनुदानित मेकॅनोबायोलॉजी संशोधन आहे. अर्जाची अंतिम वेळ 30 सप्टेंबर 2026, सायंकाळी 5:00. मासिक फेलोशिप ₹37,000 अधिक निधी संस्था नियमाप्रमाणे HRA.

कोण अर्ज करू शकतात?

बायोटेकनॉलॉजीतील बी.टेक आणि वैध GATE, किंवा बायोलॉजी / संबंधित क्षेत्रात बी.एस्सी. अधिक एम.एस्सी. आणि वैध CSIR NET. एम.टेक (बायोटेकनॉलॉजी) अधिक GATE फक्त इष्ट आहे, बंधनकारक नाही. गोवा अधिवास आवश्यक नाही. ही नियमित आयआयटी कर्मचारी भरती नाही; एक वर्षाची प्रकल्प फेलोशिप आहे, वाढ होऊ शकते.

वेतन आनी निवड कशी आहे?

छापील रक्कम ₹37,000 दर महा. HRA निधी संस्थेच्या नियमांनुसार. लेखी परीक्षा जाहिरातीत नाही. अर्ज जास्त आल्यास समिती शैक्षणिक रेकॉर्ड, GATE/NET आनी इतर निकषांवर शॉर्टलिस्ट करू शकते. निवड प्रक्रियेसाठी TA/DA नाही. निवड झाल्यावर योग्य वेळेत रुजू व्हावे लागते.

अर्ज कसा करायचा?

अधिकृत Google Form भरून ऑनलायन अर्ज करा. PDF आनी फॉर्म दुवे iitgoa.ac.in/project-position आनी जाहिरात PDF मध्ये आहेत. PI डॉ. श्रीनाथ बालकृष्णन: sreenath@iitgoa.ac.in. विषय ओळीत प्रकल्प / जाहिरात क्रमांक लिहा. फोन 0832-2490-135. संशोधन कर्मचारी ईमेल res-staff-rect@iitgoa.ac.in. अधिक माहिती अधिकृत प्रकल्प-पद पानावर तपासा.

How Are Candidates Selected?

IIT Goa does not notify a written paper for this JRF. Selection is a two-step process even though there is only one seat.

1. Screening. If applications are many, a constituted committee may restrict who is called. Grounds listed in the notice: desirable qualifications, academic performance, and/or any other benchmark the committee decides.
2. Selection process. Shortlisted candidates appear for selection. Mode (online or campus) is not printed. No TA/DA is paid.
3. Offer and joining. Selected candidates must join within a reasonable time of the offer.
4. Document checks. Produce GATE/NET and degree proofs when asked. The PDF does not list a separate public merit list format.

No interview date is printed. “No communication will be entertained with candidates who are not called for selection.”

Physical standards / PET are not applicable to this research fellowship.

Why Does IIT Goa Matter?

Indian Institute of Technology Goa is an Institute of National Importance under the Ministry of Education, Government of India. The campus is located in Farmagudi, Ponda, Goa – 403401 (Goa College of Engineering campus). Candidates search this page for IIT Goa JRF jobs, DST project fellowships in Goa, and Biotechnology GATE openings at a smaller IIT.

The School of Mechanical Sciences is running an experimental mechanobiology project under Dr. Sreenath Balakrishnan, not a generic “biotech department hire.” That is why a Mechanical Sciences JRF can still demand B.Tech Biotechnology or an M.Sc. in Biology.

Also Read: AAI Consultant Recruitment 2026 – Apply by Email for 39 Retired SSCO Posts

Why candidates search IIT Goa careers: the Institute is newer than Bombay or Madras, lab groups are smaller, and a JRF can get closer PI contact. The honest downside is scale. Hostel, core facilities and peer group size are still building compared with older IITs. A one-year DST seat also ends when the project or performance review says so. Browse the IIT Goa organisation hub, education and research sector and Goa government jobs for related calls.

The SahisarkariJobs.in Analyst’s Take

A DST JRF at IIT Goa is closer to an IIT Bombay / IIT Madras / IISc project JRF than to GATE-based PSU scientist drives (BARC, DRDO, ISRO) or to DBT-JRF campus interviews. Those PSU routes lead to regular service. This route leads to one year in a uniaxial-stretcher and cell-mechanics lab, with a possible extension and a stronger PhD application file.

Best fit: B.Tech Biotechnology graduates with a live GATE score who want wet-lab imaging (confocal, AFM, traction force) before a PhD, and M.Sc Biology holders with CSIR NET who can relocate to Ponda for a year.

Skip this if you need permanence. Candidates hunting a regular IIT non-teaching vacancy, a 7th CPC Level-6/7 pay slip, or a coding-only CFD seat will be disappointed. The School is Mechanical Sciences; the bench work is biology.

Practical tip: Before you submit, put GATE/NET year, discipline and score in one line on the form and in the PI mail subject as IITGoa/DoRD/020/REC/2026 | GATE/NET score | Your name. Screening committees on single-seat JRF ads often sort by that line first.

What Documents Are Required?

The advertisement does not print a document checklist. Keep these ready for the Google Form and for the selection call:

• Valid GATE scorecard or CSIR NET certificate (matching your eligibility route)
• B.Tech / B.Sc / M.Sc / M.Tech degree certificates and marksheets
• Photo ID (Aadhaar, PAN or passport)
• Date-of-birth proof
• A short CV focused on cell culture, microscopy or molecular biology, if you have that work
• Experience certificates only if you claim lab time (not mandatory)

Document alert: a degree without the matching national test (GATE or CSIR NET) will not satisfy the essential clause printed in the PDF.

Service Conditions

• Tenure: one year, extendable further as per the notice
• Pay type: monthly fellowship ₹37,000 + HRA as per funding agency norms
• Medical and leave: Institute norms
• No TA/DA for the selection appearance
• Not described as a regular, pensionable IIT appointment in this advertisement

Hostel or transport is not promised in the notice.

What Happens After Selection?

1. The committee screens forms. Only called candidates get further communication.
2. You attend the selection process (mode to be informed). Carry originals of GATE/NET and degrees.
3. If selected, you receive an offer and must join within a reasonable time.
4. On joining at Farmagudi, Ponda, you start experimental mechanobiology work under Dr Sreenath Balakrishnan.
5. Fellowship of ₹37,000 plus applicable HRA is paid as per DST / Institute process, subject to continuation on the project.
6. Near the one-year mark, extension depends on performance and project need. Plan a PhD, SRF upgrade or another project JRF in parallel; this advertisement does not promise absorption into regular IIT service.

Based on typical IIT project JRF cycles, expect a few weeks from the last date to the selection call, not an immediate joining letter.

Contact & Helpline

⚠️ Contact details sourced from the official notification and IIT Goa website. Verify before contacting. NEVER pay any money over the phone or to any person claiming to offer job assistance. Report fraud to cybercrime.gov.in.

Important Links – IIT Goa JRF 2026

FAQs – IIT Goa JRF 2026

What is the last date to apply for IIT Goa JRF 2026?

30 September 2026, 5:00 PM. The clock time is printed in Advertisement No. IITGoa/DoRD/020/REC/2026. No extension is announced as of 17 September 2026. Watch the project-position page if IIT Goa issues a date change.

What is the age limit for IIT Goa Junior Research Fellow?

Not mentioned in this notification. The PDF gives qualifications, stipend and last date, but no maximum age and no reckoning date. Do not copy 28 years from an old DST note unless this project repeats it in writing.

Is there an exam for IIT Goa JRF, or is it interview-based?

No written exam is notified. If applications are large, a committee shortlists on academics, desirable qualification and other benchmarks. Shortlisted candidates are called for a selection process. Online or campus mode is not specified. No TA/DA is paid.

What is the stipend of IIT Goa JRF?

₹37,000 per month, plus HRA as per DST / funding agency norms. If 10% HRA is paid at Ponda, an indicative total is about ₹40,700. That HRA figure is an estimate, not a printed slip. Medical and leave follow Institute norms.

Can final-year students apply for this IIT Goa project?

The notice does not say final-year or result-awaited candidates may apply. Safer reading: you should already hold a B.Tech or B.Sc plus M.Sc and a qualified GATE or CSIR NET score when you submit the form. Confirm with the PI if your result is days away.

Is IIT Goa JRF a permanent government job?

No. This is a one-year DST project research fellowship at IIT Goa, extendable further as per the advertisement. It is not described as regular Institute service and does not read as a 7th CPC cadre post. Use it as research training, not as a substitute for IIT non-teaching recruitment.

Can candidates from other states apply for this recruitment?

Yes. No Goa domicile clause is printed. The posting is only at the Farmagudi, Ponda campus. You must be willing to work in Goa for the project year. Citizenship conditions beyond what the form asks are not spelt out in the extracted notice.

Where will I be posted if selected?

At IIT Goa, Farmagudi, Ponda – 403401, in the School of Mechanical Sciences. No multi-campus transfer grid is given. Nearest railhead commonly used is Madgaon (about 24 km); Dabolim airport is about 38 km per the Institute’s how-to-reach page.

Is GATE mandatory for this Biotechnology JRF?

It depends on your degree route. B.Tech (Biotechnology) applicants must have a qualified GATE score. B.Sc plus M.Sc (Biology or allied) applicants need a qualified CSIR NET instead. M.Tech plus GATE is desirable. Applying with neither GATE nor CSIR NET fails the essential text.

Do IIT project research fellows get HRA and hostel?

HRA is sanctioned “as per funding agency norms,” not as a fixed extra printed in rupees. Hostel or campus housing is not promised in this advertisement. Ask only after you have an offer. Do not assume IIT Bombay-style hostel allotment at Farmagudi.

What are the disadvantages of an IIT project JRF?

The honest downside is tenure and status. You get one year (extendable), experimental hours, and no printed path to a regular IIT post. Compared with BARC or DRDO GATE hires, there is no Level-10 career ladder here. Facilities at a younger IIT can also be thinner than older campuses.

What is the stipend of a DST JRF in an IIT?

Most current DST / ANRF JRF ads at IITs print ₹37,000 a month plus HRA as per agency rules, which matches this IIT Goa notice. In-hand then moves with city HRA class. It remains a fellowship, not 7th CPC basic pay, so increments and NPS should not be assumed.

Is an IIT project JRF worth it for Biotechnology graduates?

Yes if your aim is a PhD or a methods-heavy CV in cell mechanics and imaging. No if you want immediate permanence or a PSU scientist grade. One supervised year under a named PI at IIT Goa is useful; it is still a contract fellowship that can end with the project.

Final Checklist – Is This the Right Job for You?

• You hold B.Tech (Biotechnology) + GATE or B.Sc + M.Sc (Biology / allied) + CSIR NET
• You accept a Research Fellowship for one year (extendable), not regular IIT service
• GATE/NET scorecard, degrees and photo ID are scanned and ready for the Google Form
• You can handle the demanding stage: committee shortlisting on score + academics, then the selection call
• You are willing to work at Farmagudi, Ponda, Goa for the project year

📄 Source: Official notification released by IIT Goa on 15 September 2026 (Advt. No. IITGoa/DoRD/020/REC/2026). All details are sourced from the IIT Goa official notification PDF.