PhD Admissions in Chemical Science | Apply Now
Are you looking for PhD Admissions in a top research institute in India? The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali has announced PhD Admissions for August 2026 across multiple disciplines, including Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Humanities and Social Sciences. This IISER Mohali vacancy for PhD scholars offers an excellent opportunity for students interested in advanced research and Chemical Science careers. Candidates with national-level fellowships such as CSIR-UGC-JRF, GATE, JEST, DBT-JRF, ICMR-JRF, or DST-INSPIRE are encouraged to apply.
About IISER Mohali
The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali is a premier research institute established by the Government of India to promote advanced education and scientific innovation. IISER Mohali offers high-quality PhD Admissions in Chemical Science and other disciplines, including Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Environmental Sciences. The institute regularly announces IISER Mohali vacancy opportunities for PhD scholars and researchers interested in cutting-edge scientific work. With modern laboratories, interdisciplinary research programs, fellowships, and global collaborations, IISER Mohali provides an excellent platform for students pursuing Chemical Science careers and other advanced research fields in India.
Admissions to the PhD Program August 2026
Applications are invited from prospective candidates for PhD Admission in Chemical Sciences, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Humanities and Social Sciences for the session beginning in August 2026. Candidates interested in pursuing research in interdisciplinary areas are also encouraged to apply.
Eligibility Criteria
The applicant should have a Master’s/B.Tech/B.E/MBBS/M. Tech degree OR equivalent degrees (from a Recognized Institute/University, with at least 55% marks or CPI 5.5 on a scale of 10); OR 4-year BSc/BS (Honours with Research, with at least 75% marks or CPI 7.5 on a scale of 10); (relaxation to OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwD/Third gender category candidates will be provided as per the GOI rules) with good academic records and should be CSIR-UGC-JRF / ICMR-JRF / DBT-JRF / DST-INSPIRE* qualified in the relevant subject or other national-level fellowships or sponsored fellowships from private or state agencies. *DST-INSPIRE qualified candidates with additional national-level test qualifications are preferred.
A limited number of candidates with GATE/JEST/GPAT/ICAR-NET/CSIR-UGC categories (2 and 3) will be eligible for fellowships either from IISER Mohali or through extramural project grants held by faculty members.
While applying for admission in a given department, candidates are expected to meet the departmental eligibility criteria. Selection will be done following the provisions of the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006, and its amendments. Candidates should have valid national-level test qualifications at the time of the interview.
Projected need-based seats based on the resources: 158.
Application Procedure:
Prospective candidates should apply online using the “Online Application Facility” by visiting the website. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a screening test/interview at IISER Mohali.
Instructions: Read the instructions here before filling out the online applications.
Last Date: The online application facility will remain active from 7th March, 2026 until March 31st, 2026 (Tuesday) up to 11:59 PM. For further details about the program and research areas, please visit the IISER Mohali website. Additional information may be sought from the candidates shortlisted for the interview. Candidates must check their email periodically and provide the necessary information, if asked, failing which may lead to the cancellation of their application.
Departmental Eligibility Criteria
Biological Sciences: The applicant should have a Master’s degree / B.Tech/ B.E / MBBS / M.Tech / M.E / M.Pharm or equivalent degrees with a good academic record (at least 55% or CPI 5.5 on a scale of 10); relaxation to SC/ST/PD candidates will be provided as per the GOI rules. and should be GATE / CSIR-UGC (JRF/LS) / ICMR-JRF / ICAR-NET / DBT-JRF (Category I/II) / DST-INSPIRE qualified in the relevant subject or other national-level fellowship or sponsored fellowships by private or state agencies. Please note that these are the minimum eligibility criteria, and merely meeting these criteria does not entitle a candidate to be called for the interview.
Chemical Sciences: The applicant should have a Master’s degree / B.Tech / MBBS / M.Tech / M.Pharm in Chemical Sciences/Physical and Biochemical sciences/biotechnology/nanotechnology or any other relevant subject with a good academic record [General/OBC/General-EWS candidates should have secured at least 55% marks (or 5.5 CGPA) and OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwD/Third gender category candidates should have secured at least 50% marks (or 5.0 CGPA) in the Master’s degree or equivalent degrees]. The candidate should be CSIR-UGC (JRF/LS) /GATE/ ICMR-JRF/ DBT-JRF / DBT-BINC / DST-INSPIRE qualified in the relevant subject or other national-level fellowship or sponsored fellowships by private or state agencies. Candidates’ research interests will be considered while assigning a laboratory and a guide.
Physical Sciences: The applicant should (1) have a Master’s degree (M.Sc/MS) / B.Tech /B.E / M.Tech /ME with a good academic record (at least a high second class, as per CSIR guidelines, without rounding off: GEN / Unreserved / General-EWS/OBC: 55% marks; Scheduled Caste (SC) / Scheduled Tribe (ST) / Persons with Disability (PwD) / Third gender category candidates: 50% marks), OR 4-year BSc/BS (Honours with Research) with a good academic record (Minimum of 75% marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade on a point scale, relaxation as per GOI rules), and (2) should be CSIR-UGC (Category 1,2 and 3) / GATE / JEST / DST-INSPIRE qualified in the relevant subject area (all of these to be valid as of July 31, 2026).
Mathematical Sciences:
Minimum Eligibility: Master’s degree or a BTech degree with a good academic record (at least a high second class). Students from SC/ST/PD/OBC-NCL/EWS who have not qualified the national level tests mentioned above but are GATE/JEST/GPAT/ICAR-NET/NET-LS qualified in the relevant subject would be eligible for consideration for the award of an institute PhD fellowship, and are hence also encouraged to apply. Please note again that for admission in Mathematics, all candidates must appear in the NBHM Doctoral Scholarship Test conducted by the National Board for Higher Mathematics (NBHM), and while applying through the online admission portal of IISER Mohali, candidates must mention their NBHM Doctoral Scholarship Test roll numbers and test centre in their application.
How to apply?
Candidates must apply online through the official application portal available on the IISER Mohali website. Those interested in PhD Admission in Chemical Science and other research disciplines should carefully fill out the online application form and upload the required documents before the deadline. Candidates must appear in the NBHM Doctoral Scholarship Test conducted by the National Board for Higher Mathematics (NBHM).
While applying through the online admission portal of IISER Mohali, candidates must mention their NBHM Doctoral Scholarship Test roll numbers and test centre in their application.
Selection: Based on the performance in the NBHM Doctoral Scholarship written test, some candidates may be invited for an interview at IISER Mohali. Based on the performance in the interview, some of them may be offered admission. Preference will be given to candidates who have a valid scholarship, e.g., UGC-CSIR (JRF), DST-INSPIRE, NBHM Doctoral Scholarship, etc.
Earth and Environmental Sciences: An applicant should have an MSc/M. Tech/B.E./B.Tech degree with at least a high second class (minimum 55% for General/OBC category and minimum 50% for SC/ST/PD) in one or more of the following subjects: Atmospheric Sciences / Computer Sciences and IT / Climate Sciences / Chemistry / Data Sciences / Artificial Intelligence / Earth and Environmental Sciences / Microbiology / Biotechnology / Bioscience and Bioengineering / Environmental Engineering/ Geology / Geophysics / Earth Sciences / Hydrology / Mathematics / Meteorology / Microwave Remote Sensing / Planetary Science / Physics / Remote Sensing / Civil Engineering / Geomatics Engineering or B.Tech/B.E degree (minimum 55% for General/OBC category and minimum 50% for SC/ST/PD) in one or more of the following subjects: Computer Science and Information Technology/Data Sciences/ Artificial Intelligence/engineering streams (e.g. Civil / Aerospace / Agriculture / Electrical / Electronics and Communication). Applicants should have qualified for a national-level qualifying exam such as GATE, CSIR-UGC (JRF/LS) / DST-INSPIRE fellowship / DBT-JRF in the relevant subject or any other national-level fellowship or sponsored fellowships by private or state agencies (all of these to be valid as of July 31, 2026). A limited number of institute fellowships will be available in the following areas: Geochemistry/hydrogeology, Microbiology/Biotechnology/Bioscience, and Bioengineering.
Humanities and Social Sciences: Humanities and Social Sciences: Applicants should have any one of the following degrees: M.A. / M.Sc. / B.Sc-MSc. / M.Phil degree (minimum 55% for General and OBC category, minimum 50% for SC/ST/PD), with specialisation(s) in one or more of the following broad subject areas: Hannah Arendt Studies / Continental Philosophy / Solidarity, Pluralism and Forms of Belonging in the Contemporary Public Sphere / Philosophy of Work / Modern Indian History / Architecture / Built environment studies / Infrastructure studies / Political ecology / Urban Studies / Feminist Theory. Please note that PhD seats are available only for the aforementioned subjects/specialisations. Applicants should have a valid national-level qualifying exam, such as GATE, UGC (JRF/LS). External fellowships are encouraged, as the available institute fellowships in the HSS department are highly limited at the individual faculty level. Candidates from SC/ST backgrounds and women who do not have external fellowships are encouraged to apply. It is recommended to see faculty profiles on the department website before applying. Apart from applying online, an applicant must send a statement of proposed research (minimum 1500 words) to the following email address: hssiisermohali@gmail.com, mentioning the broad subject area (Modern History, etc.) as the subject of the email, failing which the application will not be shortlisted for a PhD interview. This email address is meant ONLY for sending the statement of the proposed research for Humanities and Social Sciences. Specific subject/department-related inquiries can be emailed to headhss@iisermohali.ac.in
Salient features of the PhD Admission program at IISER Mohali:
Cutting-edge research in six major subjects – Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Physics – and a large number of their sub-disciplines.
- Subject-specific as well as interdisciplinary areas of research.
- Research teams with a unique mix of PhD fellows working with undergraduate and postgraduate students and post-doctoral fellows.
- Opportunities for training, tutoring, and teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students.
- A number of institute fellowships are offered to students who have qualified for a national exam but could not secure a fellowship.
- Yearly contingency to students with institute fellowships (similar to the students with external fellowships).
- Financial support (partial) to well-performing PhD fellows after completing the tenure of regular PhD fellowships.
- Financial support to present research at international conferences.
- On-campus hostel accommodation for all PhD students.
