Applying to Science and Technology Academia in India

1. Applying to Science and Technology Academia in India A discussion based on my recent experience of applying to IITs and IISERs Anirban Hazra May 4, 2011

2. Outline • Who is hiring? • Responsibilities as a faculty member • Compensation • Steps and timelines of the application process • Preparing and sending the application packet

3. Who is hiring? Research Institutes • 39 Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) labs • 52 Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) labs • Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) labs • Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) labs • Institutes like the Bhabha Atomic Research Institute, Bose Institute, The Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, The Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, and more.

4. Who is hiring? Primarily Teaching Institutes • Government and private colleges under universities • 31 National Institutes of Technology (NIT) Research and Teaching Institutes • State and central universities • Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bangalore and National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneshwar • 15 Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) • 5 Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER)

5. The education sector in India is growing at an unprecedented rate and there is a shortage of skilled and dynamic people who can drive this expansion, which means, there is more opportunity for academics now than ever before!

6. Responsibilities as a faculty member • Start independent research group • Get external funding • Teach one course a semester on an average • Participate in institute’s internal committees • Apart from these minimum requirements, initiate new activities and programs

7. Compensation Assistant Professor (5 year appointment) • Total pay Rs. 69,812 per month including Rs. 7,600 of house rent allowance (Rs. 49,531 for Assistant professor on contract) • Moving expenses Rs. 80,0000 • Accommodation (after forgoing house rent allowance) • Telephone charges • Medical benefits • Leave Travel Concession for family • Pension after 65 • Professional development allowance of Rs. 1,00,000 per year for three years • Start up grant for first three years • Note that graduate students in India get their own fellowship

8. Applying: Steps and Timelines • Sending the application packet • Getting in touch with the director, dean of faculty or head of the department to inform them that you have applied andshowing interest in visiting • Giving a seminar at the institute when visiting India • Interview with faculty recruitment committee which can happen through videoconferencing • Receipt of offer Time between 1. and 5. can take one year! Time between 4. and 5. is a few weeks.

9. The application packet • Cover letter and application form • Curriculum vitae • Research proposal • Teaching proposal

10. Few things I learned while going through the process Note and disclaimer: The points below are not official rules or guidelines. They are just my impressions based on my limited experience of the application process. • Age – below 35 generally preferred for entry level position • There is no fixed time-table and the process can take a long time. • Apply as soon as you are ready and your CV looks decent. Set up your personal web page. • Communication during the process is not as quick as in the US – expect delays! • Head of the institute usually has a significant say in the hiring decision. • Teaching experience counts. • Being different helps! • Visiting the institute and presenting your work and yourself really helps!