IIT Madras Post-Doctoral Fellowship 2026-27: Check Eligibility, Fellowship Amount and Application

IIT Madras has announced Institute Post-Doctoral Fellowship (IPDF) 2026-27, offering eligible PhD holders a fellowship of INR 1.30 lakh per month and other research benefits. Check details here 

IIT Madras Post-Doctoral Fellowship 2026-27

IIT Madras IPDF: Indian Institute of Technology Madras has started accepting applications for its Institute Post-Doctoral Fellowship (IPDF) 2026-27. This programme is aimed at providing young researchers with an opportunity to strengthen their research profile and gain experience that can help them transition from a PhD to a faculty career.

IIT Madras IPDF offers a monthly financial support of INR 1.30 lakh, comprising INR 70,000 from IIT Madras and INR 60,000 as faculty support. Fellows will also receive a contingency grant of INR 2 lakh per year, medical benefits and support for attending conferences.

Who Can Apply for IIT Madras IPDF 2026-27?

Candidates who have completed their PhD within last five years can apply for IIT Madras Post-Doctoral Fellowship. The maximum age limit is 32 years. Age relaxation is applicable as follows:

• SC/ST candidates: 5 years

• Women candidates: 5 years

• OBC-NCL candidates: 3 years

They must also have a strong research record. They are required to have published at least two papers in Q1 journals as the primary author. Another important requirement is that candidates must be nominated by an IIT Madras faculty mentor. They need to identify a suitable faculty member whose research area aligns with their proposed work before applying.

IIT Madras IPDF 2026-27 Fellowship Benefits

Selected candidates will receive several financial and academic benefits during the fellowship. These include

• INR 1,30,000 monthly fellowship

• INR 70,000 from the institute

• INR 60,000 faculty support

• INR 2 lakh per year contingency grant

• Medical benefits as applicable to PhD scholars

• Support for conference travel

• Opportunity to develop and pursue an independent research direction

IIT Madras Post-Doctoral Fellowship Tenure

IIT Madras IPDF will initially be offered for one year. This can be extended, subject to applicable conditions and performance, up to a maximum period of three years. The programme also requires a minimum commitment of two years.

How to Apply for IIT Madras IPDF 2026-27?

Candidates interested in applying for IIT Madras IPDF first need to identify an IIT Madras faculty mentor working in their area of research. Application can be filled in 

• Identify an IIT Madras faculty member whose research area matches candidate's interests

• Obtain faculty mentor's concurrence to supervise/support proposed post-doctoral work

• Get signed Commitment Form (Annexure 1) from faculty mentor

• Apply through identified faculty mentor

Candidates can apply throughout the year rather than waiting for a single fixed application deadline.