Vacancies: 1 · Posts: 1 · Type: Research Fellowship · Mode: Online · Fee: Not mentioned in advertisement · Apply: 04 Sep–21 Sep 2026 · Remuneration: ₹28,000 + 30% HRA · Selection: Shortlist + Interview · Location: Chennai
A DRDO-funded materials lab at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) needs one experimental researcher for hydrogen-sorption work, not a permanent institute employee. The Office of Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (IC&SR) issued Advertisement No. ICSR/PR/Advt.175/2026 on 04 September 2026 for a temporary Project Associate-II in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
The engagement sits under the Ministry of Education’s Institute of National Importance system and is tied to defence-sponsored materials research. Online applications close on 21 September 2026 through the IC&SR project portal. Pay is ₹28,000 per month plus 30% HRA. The first contract is only three months, extendable up to two years based on performance, and ends with the project.
You will work on synthesis, characterisation and H₂ sorption of metal-hydride composites and energetic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) under Prof. Somnath Bhattacharyya. Two years of post-qualification R&D experience is mandatory. Preference goes to candidates who have already run MOF or hydride synthesis and a PCT (pressure-composition-temperature) apparatus.
On this page
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Who Should Apply?
- Four-year B.Sc (Natural Sciences / Materials Science) + 2 years’ R&D proof → Project Associate-II – 1 post
- M.Sc (Natural Sciences / Materials Science) + 2 years’ R&D proof → Project Associate-II – 1 post
- B.E./B.Tech (Engineering or Technology) + 2 years’ R&D proof → Project Associate-II – 1 post
Mandatory vs preferred
- Mandatory: four-year B.Sc in Natural or Materials Sciences, or M.Sc in Natural or Materials Sciences, or B.E./B.Tech from a recognised university or equivalent, and two years’ R&D experience in industry, academia, an S&T organisation, or scientific services, with certificates or employment proof.
- Preferred (weightage, not a hard filter): hands-on material and MOF synthesis and characterisation; gas adsorption and adsorption-kinetics work; operation of a PCT apparatus.
Relevant streams that typically map to “Natural or Materials Sciences” and allied engineering include B.Sc / M.Sc (Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science) and B.E./B.Tech (Metallurgical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Nanotechnology and closely related branches). The advertisement uses the broader official wording above; your degree certificate should clearly sit in that band.
Experience counted is only the period after the minimum qualifying degree.
Who cannot apply (hard filters)
- Candidates who are not Indian citizens (Nepal subjects and certain Pakistan migrants need a Government of India eligibility certificate before appointment).
- Applicants who cannot show two years’ R&D experience with certificates or proof of employment (unless the Institute later relaxes experience for an exceptionally strong profile, which is discretionary).
- Serving staff already on an IIT Madras project who appear for the test or interview without a No-Objection Certificate / proper-channel approval.
No Tamil Nadu domicile condition is printed. Indian citizens from any state may apply.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Advertisement date | 04 September 2026 |
| Online application window | Open on the IC&SR portal until 21 September 2026 |
| Last date for online application | 21 September 2026 |
| Interview/test date | To be notified to shortlisted candidates by email |
| Correction/edit after submission | Not allowed once submitted |
No extension is announced in the current advertisement.
Quick Overview – IIT Madras Project Associate-II 2026
- Organisation: Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), Office of IC&SR
- Notification Number: ICSR/PR/Advt.175/2026 dated 04 September 2026
- Post: Project Associate-II
- Vacancies: 1
- Department: Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, IIT Madras
- Coordinator: Prof. Somnath Bhattacharyya
- Project nature: DRDO-sponsored research project (co-terminus)
- Job Location: IIT Madras campus, Chennai, Tamil Nadu – 600 036
- Sector: Higher education and defence-sponsored materials research
- Duration: Initially 3 months; extendable up to 2 years on performance
- Remuneration: ₹28,000 per month + 30% HRA
- Qualification: 4-year B.Sc or M.Sc in Natural / Materials Sciences, or B.E./B.Tech, plus 2 years’ R&D experience
- Age limit: Not mentioned in the official advertisement
- Application fee: Not mentioned in the official advertisement
- Job Type: Purely contractual research fellowship; no absorption right
- Mode: Online only
- Last Date: 21 September 2026
- Official Website: IIT Madras IC&SR project recruitment portal
- Apply Online: Apply for IIT Madras Project Associate-II Advt. 175/2026
- Notification PDF: Download IIT Madras Project Associate-II Recruitment 2026 PDF
- Institute site: Visit the IIT Madras official website for institute-level information
What Posts Are Available?
Only one designation is notified. The work is lab-heavy: build and study metal-hydride composites and energetic MOFs for hydrogen sorption, then report results to the project team.
| Post Name | Vacancies | Qualification | Remuneration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Associate-II | 1 | 4-year B.Sc (Natural / Materials Sci.) or M.Sc (Natural / Materials Sci.) or B.E./B.Tech + 2 yrs R&D | ₹28,000/month + 30% HRA |
Your qualifying-exam marks and publications matter before the interview There is no written-exam syllabus in this advertisement. Shortlisting rests on academic record, relevant research experience, publications and other credentials. Interview performance then decides merit, subject to document verification. A thin experimental CV with no sorption / MOF / hydride proof may never reach the interview room.
✅ Confirmed: 1 Project Associate-II post; Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering; Prof. Somnath Bhattacharyya; DRDO-sponsored, co-terminus project; ₹28,000 + 30% HRA; initial 3 months, extendable up to 2 years; last date 21 September 2026.
❓ Not specified: numerical age limit, reservation roster for this single seat, application fee, exact DRDO project code or full project title, interview date, campus hostel guarantee.
What Is the Age Limit?
No minimum or maximum age, and no age cut-off date, is printed in Advertisement No. ICSR/PR/Advt.175/2026.
Do not assume a DST/CSIR “35 years” cap for this specific notice. If IIT Madras later prints an age rule in the call letter, that later instruction will govern.
Use our Age Eligibility Calculator to check instantly if you are comparing this opening with another project advertisement that does print a number.
Use our Experience Calculator to confirm that your two years of R&D fall after the qualifying degree date.
What Is the Project Associate-II Remuneration in Chennai?
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly pay | ₹28,000 |
| HRA (30%, as printed) | ₹8,400 |
| Indicative monthly gross | ₹36,400 |
Chennai is listed in the advertisement with 30% HRA, so the HRA line is taken from the notice itself, not guessed from city-class tables.
Indicative annual cash from this engagement is about ₹4.37 lakh before tax. Actual take-home depends on TDS against your total income from all sources, attendance and whether the engagement continues beyond the first three months.
This is project remuneration, not 7th CPC Level pay and not a PSU IDA scale. No DA, NPS or pension figure is printed.
What Is the Application Fee?
No application fee is mentioned in the official advertisement for any category.
Do not pay anyone who calls or messages claiming a “portal fee” or “processing charge” for Advt. 175/2026.
How to Apply?
Applications are accepted online only on the IC&SR portal. Hard copies must not be posted to the Institute.
- Open the IIT Madras IC&SR current openings page and locate Advt. 175/2026 – Project Associate-II.
- Register or sign in with an active email ID. All later communication is by email only.
- Confirm the advertisement number on screen before you start. Other live IIT Madras project adverts (JRF, Project Scientist, Senior Project Engineer) are separate applications.
- Fill personal, academic and experience details. Upload photograph, signature and certificates. Use our Photo & Signature Resizer so files match the portal size limits.
- If you also want another live IC&SR post under a different advertisement, complete a separate application for that advert. Within one advertisement, select every relevant position before you submit; the system accepts a single application per registered email per advertisement.
- Submit the form. It cannot be edited or reverted after submission.
- Download and print the submitted form. Carry that printout when called for test or interview. Do not courier it now.
Apply once for this advertisement; do not file two forms for the same post. The notice states that if multiple applications are received from a candidate for the same post, the candidature will be liable to be rejected.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Selecting the wrong live advert on the same portal (Advt. 174/2026 JRF and Advt. 176/2026 Senior Project Engineer close in the same window).
- Counting internship or pre-degree lab hours as the mandatory two years of R&D.
- Writing “MOF / PCT experience” in the form without certificates, appointment letters or paper reprints to show at interview.
- Submitting twice for Project Associate-II after spotting a typo. The form cannot be edited; a second form can get you rejected.
- Serving IIT Madras project staff applying without proper channel / arriving at interview without NOC.
- Posting a hard copy to IC&SR, Chennai – 600 036. The notice says hard copy is not to be sent.
ஐ.ஐ.டி. மெட்ராஸ் சென்னை ப்ராஜெக்ட் அசோசியேட்-II ஆட்சேர்ப்பு 2026 – 1 பதவிக்கு ஆன்லைனில் விண்ணப்பிக்கவும்
ஐ.ஐ.டி. மெட்ராஸ் உலோகவியல் மற்றும் பொருள் பொறியியல் துறையில் திட்ட இணைப்பாளர்-II பதவிக்கு ஒரு ஒப்பந்த நியமனம் அறிவித்துள்ளது. விளம்பர எண் ICSR/PR/Advt.175/2026. ஆன்லைன் விண்ணப்ப கடைசி நாள் 21 செப்டம்பர் 2026. இது டிஆர்டிஓ நிதியுதவி திட்டம். ஆரம்ப காலம் மூன்று மாதங்கள்; செயல்திறன் பார்த்து இரண்டு ஆண்டுகள் வரை நீட்டிக்கலாம். நிரந்தர ஐ.ஐ.டி. பணியாளர் பதவி அல்ல.
யார் விண்ணப்பிக்கலாம்? இயற்கை அல்லது பொருள் அறிவியலில் நான்கு ஆண்டு B.Sc அல்லது M.Sc, அல்லது பொறியியல்/தொழில்நுட்பத்தில் B.E./B.Tech வேண்டும். அதனுடன் தொழில் அல்லது கல்வி நிறுவனத்தில் இரண்டு ஆண்டு ஆராய்ச்சி அனுபவச் சான்று கட்டாயம். MOF தொகுப்பு, வாயு உறிஞ்சுதல், PCT கருவி அனுபவம் உள்ளவர்களுக்கு முன்னுரிமை. வயது வரம்பு இந்த அறிவிப்பில் எண் வடிவில் இல்லை.
ஊதியம் மற்றும் தேர்வு முறை என்ன? மாத ஊதியம் ₹28,000 + 30% HRA. சென்னையில் இது சுமார் ₹36,400 மொத்தம். எழுத்துத் தேர்வு பாடத்திட்டம் இல்லை. கல்வி, ஆராய்ச்சி அனுபவம், வெளியீடுகள் ஆகியவற்றின் அடிப்படையில் சுருக்குப்பட்டியல்; பிறகு நேர்காணல். நேர்காணலுக்கு பயணப்படி இல்லை. திட்டம் முடிந்ததும் பணி முடியும்; நிரந்தர உரிமை இல்லை.
எப்படி விண்ணப்பிப்பது? IC&SR தற்போதைய அறிவிப்புப் பக்கம் திறந்து Advt. 175/2026-ஐ மட்டும் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கவும். சமர்ப்பித்த பின் விண்ணப்பத்தை திருத்த முடியாது. அதே பதவிக்கு இரு முறை விண்ணப்பித்தால் வேட்பு நிராகரிக்கப்படலாம். அச்சிட்ட நகலை நிறுவனத்துக்கு அனுப்ப வேண்டாம். சிக்கல் இருந்தால் recruitment@imail.iitm.ac.in அல்லது 044-2257 9796.
How Are Project Associate-II Candidates Selected?
No interview date is printed yet. No written-paper marks table is printed either.
Selection is a chain of stages, not a single event:
- Online application screening against the printed qualification and two-year R&D rule.
- Shortlisting on academic qualifications, relevant research experience, publications and other credentials. The Institute may limit the number called.
- Interview (a written or skill test may be added if the Institute so decides). No TA/DA is paid.
- Document verification of originals for education, experience, national-level exam qualifications if claimed, and publications.
- Engagement offer for an initial three-month contract, subject to project need.
Merit comes from shortlisting plus interview performance. Pay is not negotiated as part of ranking.
No interview stage is missing from the notice; interview is the named selection event after shortlisting. There is simply no published CBT syllabus.
Minimum qualification or experience can be relaxed for exceptionally outstanding candidates. Experience may also be relaxed for SC/ST candidates if the competent authority finds too few eligible reserved applicants. That is discretion, not a second advertised vacancy table.
Why Does IIT Madras Chennai Matter?
Indian Institute of Technology Madras is an Institute of National Importance under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, located at Chennai, Tamil Nadu. IC&SR runs the Institute’s industrial consultancy and sponsored-research hiring for project staff.
This seat is inside Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and is funded through a DRDO project on hydride composites and energetic MOFs. For a materials researcher, that means access to an IIT lab and a defence-linked problem statement, not a clerical campus job.
Candidates search “IIT Madras project associate”, “IIT Madras Chennai materials jobs” and “IIT Madras IC&SR careers” because an IIT project stamp helps later PhD, DRDO/CSIR lab and industry R&D applications. They also search “IIT Madras recruitment 2026” when several IC&SR adverts go live in the same week.
The honest downside: IC&SR project staff are hired against a grant. When the DRDO project ends, the seat ends. The notice is explicit that finishing the contract creates no right to extension, regularisation or permanency at IIT Madras or DRDO.
Read more IIT-linked openings on our IIT Madras organisation page, browse other Tamil Nadu government and institute jobs, and compare roles in higher education and research hiring.
The SahisarkariJobs.in Analyst’s Take
Stack this notice next to a CSIR lab Project Associate-II or a DRDO lab walk-in, not next to GATE-based IIT faculty or Institute regular Group A/B drives. Those CSIR/DRDO PA-II seats often use the same ₹28,000 or ₹35,000-plus-HRA band. What you buy here is an IIT Madras Metallurgical and Materials Engineering lab address and hydride/MOF experimental work under Prof. Somnath Bhattacharyya, for a thinner vacancy (one seat) and a very short first contract.
Best fit: experimental materials or metallurgy researchers who already have two documented R&D years and can talk about MOF synthesis, gas adsorption kinetics or a PCT rig without reading the advertisement aloud in the interview.
Also Read: NIT Trichy Project Associate & Assistant Recruitment 2026 – Apply Offline for 2 Posts
Who should skip: fresh postgraduates hoping the two-year experience line will be ignored; candidates who want a pensionable IIT staff card from day one; theorists with no wet-lab or sorption-lab trail.
Practical tip: Put the PCT / MOF / hydride proof in the first page of your CV and in the portal’s experience box. Shortlisting is on papers and lab evidence. A generic “materials characterisation” line will lose to a candidate who names the apparatus.
Timeline reality: similar IC&SR interviews are often called within a few weeks of the close date, but joining still depends on project paperwork. Plan for a three-month first letter, not a two-year guarantee.
What Documents Are Required for Chennai IIT Project Jobs?
Carry originals plus a set of copies when called. The notice lists educational certificates, experience proof, national-level examination qualifications if claimed, publications and other credentials.
Typical set for this portal:
- Submitted online application printout
- Photo ID (Aadhaar, passport or equivalent)
- Degree and mark sheets for the qualifying B.Sc / M.Sc / B.E./B.Tech
- Month-wise experience certificates or employment proof covering two years of R&D after the qualifying degree
- Publications list and reprints, if claimed
- Category certificate only if you seek any later discretionary relaxation
- NOC if you already work on an IIT Madras project
- Passport-size photographs matching the uploaded file
Document alert: experience letters must show R&D or scientific work, not only “project assistant – general duties.” Internship letters dated before your degree award will usually not count.
Service Conditions
- Purely contractual; co-terminus with the DRDO-sponsored project.
- Initial tenure 3 months; later extension up to 2 years is performance-linked and funding-linked, not automatic.
- Completion of any contract period does not confer extension, regularisation or permanency at IIT Madras or DRDO.
- Place of work is the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, IIT Madras, Chennai.
- Hostel, canteen or campus housing is not guaranteed in this advertisement.
- Indian citizenship is required, with the limited Nepal / Pakistan-migrant exceptions stated in the general instructions.
What Happens After Selection?
- Shortlisted names receive an email call letter for an interview or any Institute-decided test. Watch the same inbox used on the portal.
- You attend document verification and interview at IIT Madras, Chennai, at your own cost (no TA/DA).
- If selected, IC&SR issues a temporary engagement letter stating pay (₹28,000 + 30% HRA) and the initial three-month term.
- You join the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering group and start synthesis, characterisation and H₂ sorption experiments on hydride composites and energetic MOFs, plus meetings and reports.
- Near the end of three months, the coordinator reviews performance and project funds. Extension up to two years may follow. There is no advertised absorption path into regular IIT Madras or DRDO service.
- When the DRDO project or your letter ends, the engagement ends. Keep every joining and relieving paper; later lab and PhD applications will ask for them.
Contact & Helpline
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Office of Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai – 600 036 |
| Project coordinator | Prof. Somnath Bhattacharyya, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, IIT Madras |
| Recruitment email | recruitment@imail.iitm.ac.in |
| Recruitment phone | 044-2257 9796 |
| Apply / openings page | icandsr.iitm.ac.in/careers/current_openings.php |
Use the email or phone for portal login problems, not for lobbying shortlisting.
⚠️ Contact details sourced from the official IC&SR notification and registration pages. 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 Madras Project Associate-II 2026
| Description | Link |
|---|---|
| Notification PDF | Download IIT Madras Project Associate-II Recruitment 2026 PDF |
| Apply Online | Apply for IIT Madras Project Associate-II Advt. 175/2026 |
| Current openings | IIT Madras IC&SR current project openings |
| Official website | Visit the IIT Madras website |
| IC&SR home | IIT Madras IC&SR portal |
FAQs – IIT Madras Project Associate-II 2026
What is the last date to apply for IIT Madras Project Associate-II 2026?
21 September 2026. Late portal entries are not provided for in the advertisement, and no extension is announced as of 05 September 2026. Submit on Advt. 175/2026 only and save the printout after you submit.
What is the age limit for IIT Madras Project Associate-II?
Not printed. Advertisement No. ICSR/PR/Advt.175/2026 gives no general maximum, no category-wise extra years and no cut-off date. Do not treat a DST or CSIR 35-year line from another lab as this notice’s rule unless IIT Madras later writes it in the call letter.
Is there an exam for IIT Madras Project Associate-II, or is it interview-based?
No published written exam paper. Screening is online, then shortlisting on academics, R&D experience and publications, then an interview. The Institute may add a test. No TA/DA is paid. Final joining still needs original documents.
What is the salary of IIT Madras Project Associate-II?
₹28,000 per month plus 30% HRA, as printed. That is about ₹36,400 gross in Chennai before tax. It is project remuneration, not a 7th CPC level. The first letter is only for three months unless extended.
Can final-year students or result-awaited candidates apply for IIT Madras 2026?
No safe reading of this notice supports that. You need the four-year B.Sc, M.Sc or B.E./B.Tech plus two years’ R&D after that qualification. Result-awaited candidates should not treat this as a “degree by interview date” window unless a later official note says so.
Is IIT Madras Project Associate-II a permanent government job?
No. It is a purely contractual project fellowship, co-terminus with a DRDO-sponsored project. Finishing three months or two years does not create a right to regularisation at IIT Madras or DRDO.
Can candidates from other states apply for IIT Madras recruitment?
Yes. This is an Institute of National Importance posting in Chennai. No Tamil Nadu domicile clause is printed. Indian citizenship is required, with the narrow Nepal / Pakistan-migrant certificate route stated in the general instructions.
Where will I be posted if I get selected for IIT Madras Project Associate-II?
At the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, IIT Madras, Chennai – 600 036. This advertisement does not offer a multi-campus preference form.
Is GATE mandatory for this IIT Madras project post?
No. GATE or another national-level exam is not listed as a mandatory filter. If you hold such a qualification, take the certificate to the interview because the notice asks you to produce national-level examination documents when you claim them.
Do IIT project associates get campus hostel in Chennai?
Not promised here. Facility claims should follow only what the appointment letter later states. Plan your own stay in Chennai for the first three months.
What are the disadvantages of an IIT Madras project associate post?
The trade-off is prestige versus tenure. You get an IIT Madras and DRDO-project line on the CV, but the first contract is three months, pay is a fixed ₹28,000 plus HRA, and there is no absorption promise. If you need a multi-year government scale, this is the wrong notice.
Is IIT Madras a government or private institute?
Government. IIT Madras is an Institute of National Importance under the Ministry of Education. This particular vacancy is still project staff hired by IC&SR, not a regular Institute cadre post.
How do I check my IIT Madras application status?
Through the same IC&SR login email. The Institute says further correspondence is by email only. There is no separate public “admit card portal” named in this advertisement.
Pre-Contract Checklist – Before You Apply
Use this checklist before you apply:
- You hold a 4-year B.Sc / M.Sc in Natural or Materials Sciences or a B.E./B.Tech, and you can prove two years of R&D after that qualification.
- You understand this is a fixed-term project contract (first 3 months, possible extension up to 2 years), not a permanent IIT Madras or DRDO job.
- You accept ₹28,000 + 30% HRA with no printed pension or DA.
- You can produce experience certificates, degree papers and, if claimed, publication and PCT/MOF proof at the interview.
- You can work in Chennai in the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering department for the full letter period.
- You have read that renewal is not guaranteed and that the seat dies with the DRDO project.
📄 Source: Official notification released by IIT Madras (Office of IC&SR) on 04 September 2026. All details are sourced from the IIT Madras Project Associate-II official notification PDF.
