IISER Pune
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH (IISER) PUNE
where tomorrow’s science begins today
An Autonomous Institution, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India
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FAQ 

Responses to Some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for All Faculty Applicants
 
Recruitment process:
 
Are there open positions? Are you accepting applications?
Yes, IISER Pune has open positions. While outstanding applications will be considered in all relevant areas, each department may have its priority areas for future recruitment. Applications are accepted throughout the year in response to a rolling advertisement on our website.
 
What faculty positions are available?
Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor positions are available.
 
What are the eligibility criteria?
  • All candidates must have a PhD degree in an area relevant to the research they plan to carry out at IISER Pune.
  • For the Assistant Professor position, Post-PhD research experience of a minimum of 3 years in a relevant area and high-quality research publications published in leading journals.
  • For the Associate Professor position, a minimum of 3 years’ experience at the level of Assistant Professor with high-quality independent research publications and a consistent teaching record, as well as evidence of having guided PhD students.
  • For the Professor position, a minimum of 4 years’ experience at the level of Associate Professor with an outstanding record of internationally recognized research publications, considerable experience of teaching and PhD level guidance, as well as evidence of leadership skills.
  • Interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary approaches are encouraged. Applications can be considered jointly by more than one Department if felt appropriate.
  • All government rules regarding Reservation will be followed.
Profiles of our current faculty, reflecting the diversity of interests are available here.
 
When should I apply? How early should I apply?
Applications are accepted throughout the year against our rolling advertisement. The entire process can take anywhere from a few months to a year. Candidates are advised to apply 1 to 1½  years in advance of the date that they are looking to take up a faculty position.
 
How do I apply?
The institute has an online application system. Applications sent by email or hard copy are not accepted. The website allows applicants to direct their application to one or more Departments.
Applicants are required to submit the following:
i) A CV including a list of publications.
ii) A research proposal looking at the next 3-5-10 years not exceeding 4 pages.
iii) A short statement of teaching interests and philosophy. Applicants are encouraged to identify suitable courses from the existing curriculam. They should also mention the courses that they would like to design.
iv) Contact details of referees (at least 4 for Physics and Mathematics and at least 6 for Biology, Chemistry, and Earth and Climate Science). The related institutional committee will write directly to the referees, with specific questions.
 
Will an excellent research profile guarantee that I am short-listed?
Not necessarily. The application files of each applicant will be preliminarily screened by an internal committee. This process can take up to 6 months. The screening and short-listing processes take into account several factors. Preference may be given for applicants in areas where the institute would like to augment its strength, while the bar could be considerably higher for areas in which the institute has recently hired or is already strong. The institute receives a large number of applications each year and only around 5-7% are short-listed.
 
What next, if I am shortlisted?
The Departmental committee contacts shortlisted applicants and invites them to visit us and give one or more seminars. For this purpose the institute provides on-campus accommodation takes care of local expenses (within Pune). The candidate is expected to spend a minimum of two days at the institute. The dates of the visit are decided based on the mutual convenience of the candidate and the relevant departmental faculty. Only in exceptional cases, the institute this visit may be conducted virtually through video conferencing.
 
What happens during my visit?
Each candidate is expected to present his/her research accomplishments, future research plans, teaching goals, etc. A department may request the applicant to give a “teaching talk’’ as well. Apart from the potential of the applicant in setting up an exciting research programme, the institute is also eager to know how the applicant will enrich the IISER Pune community in terms of research collaboration, teaching, mentoring, etc.
The visit provides an opportunity for interaction between the Department’s faculty members and the candidate, who may in particular wish to discuss the facilities and funding required for his/her future research with the Chair. The candidate is usually given a tour of the Institute’s facilities and information about its outlook for the future.
 
What are we expecting from the research seminar?
Apart from reporting on past and recent research, the candidate is advised to provide a flavor of his/her future research plans. It is particularly important to keep in mind that the audience will be quite diverse and generally includes faculty members, PhD students, and postdoctoral fellows and some advanced undergraduate students. While inviting a candidate to visit, the Department typically informs candidates in more detail about the type of seminar(s) desired.
 
What happens after my visit?
The Department will discuss the application in light of the candidate’s visit and decide whether to take it forward or not. If it is taken forward, additional independent evaluation letters are typically sought from experts. A few truly outstanding cases are invited to appear before a Selection Committee with external experts. This meeting can be attended in person or over video-conference. If the Committee makes a positive recommendation, the applicant can expect to receive an offer letter within a month or two of the meeting.
 
 
After receiving an offer:
 
How long is the offer valid?
Candidates offered a faculty position at IISER Pune are given a month to send their acceptance and asked to join within three months. Extension of the joining date can be considered based on a request from the candidate.
 
Do faculty members have to teach and what are the teaching responsibilities?
Yes, IISER Pune is a research institute where the significant emphasis is given to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. The institute expects its faculty to be committed to research-driven teaching and moreover to teach a diverse portfolio over the years covering both basic and advanced courses. Faculty members are encouraged to develop innovative ways to promote research-based learning. The institute has a Teaching Assistant system as part of the PhD programme and one or more Teaching Assistants are generally assigned to some of the (larger) courses.
 
What are the research responsibilities?
Faculty members are expected to spend a large fraction of their time on research projects that are both innovative and productive and that go towards establishing themselves as leaders in a front-ranking area. To this end, they are encouraged to expand their research interests with time and acquire new and relevant expertise.
 
What about funding/start-up money from the institute?
The institute is committed to support the new recruits during their initial stages and to provide all possible opportunities to enable a productive research programme. A selected faculty member is advised to communicate a list of requirements and approximate expenses. The institute can generally provide an initial research grant of 20-25 lakhs to a newly appointed faculty member. Higher levels of funding can also be considered, and the faculty member will need to discuss it with his/her Department Chair after joining.
 
Are there funding opportunities available from external funding bodies?
The Institute strongly encourages its faculty members to seek external funding for research. Securing external funding for research is a key catalyst for a vibrant research culture, developing institutional facilities, and training research manpower. The institute is happy to sponsor faculty members for fellowships and funding from national and international agencies. IISER Pune has an efficient Grants Management team that can highlight available grants, offer advice during the grant application process and help with disbursement and management of received grants. The Institute also has a dedicated Purchase team that facilitates the purchase of required items for faculty members consistent with procedures mandated by the Government of India and/or granting agency.
 
What kind of salary can I expect?
The salaries for different grades of positions at the Institute are fixed by the Government of India. Current gross salaries (including House Rent Allowance and Travel Allowance) are given here. Besides, telephone and broadband expenses are reimbursed up to Rs. 1500 per month.
All faculty members are entitled to receive a Cumulative Professional Development Allowance (CPDA) of 3,00,000/- per 3-year block. This money can be used for expenses towards participating in national/international conferences, membership fees of professional bodies, contingent expenses, etc. Additional funds for these purposes can be sought from Departmental funding.
 
Will I get medical benefits?
Institute has a medical policy for its Faculty / Staff which covers the employee and dependent family members. A member of the family is treated as a dependent only if his/her monthly income from all sources including pension and pension equivalent of Death-cum-Retirement-Gratuity (DCRG) is less than Rs. 9000/- plus the amount of Dearness Relief thereon on date of consideration of the claim. The income criterion does not apply to the spouse.
Eligibility/entitlement criteria for various medical treatments are as per the CGHS rules of the Government of India. The Institute has tie-ups with several reputed hospitals in Pune for out-patient and in-patient treatment.
 
Will I get retirement benefits?
Faculty members are covered under the New Pension Scheme (NPS) as notified by the Government of India for employees joining Government Organizations on or after January 01, 2004. For further information about NPS please see here.
 
Can I take up Industrial research projects or consultancies?
IISER Pune strongly encourages faculty members to take up Industrial research projects or consultancy assignments. All consultancy assignments must be done through the institute. The institute has written guidelines for these assignments.
 
 
About IISER Pune and the city:
 
What is the campus like?
IISER Pune is located on a 98-acre plot of land. The campus has 40,000 sq. mt. of academic space and 80,000 sq. mt. of residential space. It is modern, with green, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly buildings, conforming to a GRIHA 4 star rating. In addition to a modern lecture hall complex, research laboratories, and main academic building, the campus houses students’ hostels, guest rooms, and a central dining place. There are faculty and staff housing, a guest house and convention center, and a modern outdoor and indoor sports complex. The institute also has a daycare facility for children of age from 4 months to 14 years. This facility can be availed of by IISER Pune staff, postdocs, and PhD students for their children.
 
Are there research institutes close to IISER Pune?
The Pashan-Baner-Aundh area of western Pune, where IISER is located, is a prime research and academic hub. The campus is surrounded by many educational and research institutes including CSIR-NCL Pune, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Indian Agricultural Institute, National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, National Centre For Cell Science, National Institute of Virology, Armament Research and Development Establishment, and Defence Research and Development Organisation. The presence of multiple institutions in the area has been highly beneficial in enabling IISER Pune faculty members to build research collaborations.
 
Connectivity:
IISER Pune is situated within Pune city not far from the centre. The institute is well connected to transport hubs: the Pune International Airport (16 km), Pune Junction railway station (8.7 km). Mumbai Airport (153.7 km) is also accessible via an expressway.
 
Schools and colleges:
There are many good schools in and around Pune. A list of some schools (not necessarily complete, and in no particular order) where children of IISER Pune faculty and staff are enrolled is:
  1. Sanskriti School
  2. Vidya Valley School
  3. Gurukul School
  4. St. Joseph's High School
  5. Bishop’s High School
  6. DAV Public School
  7. Akshara International
  8. Bharati Vidyapeeth School
  9. Loyola High School and Junior College
  10. Dhruv Global School
  11. Lokseva e School
  12. Kendriya Vidyalaya
  13. Educon International School
  14. The Orchid School
  15. The Ecole Heritage School
  16. Vibgyor High School
  17. Sri Sri Ravishankar Vidya Mandir
  18. PICT Model School
What are the prospects for family members / spouses of faculty members to find employment in Pune?
Pune is a major city with a population of over 4 million and several large industries and major institutions are located here. There are web portals like naukri.com, monster.com, etc. which help aspirants to explore opportunities in their respective fields. Apart from these portals, one can avail of the services of recruitment firms such as ABC Consultants, Randstad India, Teamlease Service, etc. However IISER Pune does not endorse any of these websites or companies, and interested persons are advised to get detailed and up-to-date advice from peers and other reliable sources.
 

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