PhD Opportunity in Climate-Smart Microbial Communities and Plant Nutrient Homeostasis at IISER Mohali Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali in

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali is inviting applications for one PhD position in an interdisciplinary research project titled “Integrating Climate-Smart Microbial Communities (CSMCs) to Modulate Plant Nutrient Homeostasis under Saline-Alkaline Stress.”

This opportunity is linked to the IISER Mohali Ph.D. Programme in Interdisciplinary Research (August 2026 intake) and is supervised by Dr. Santosh Satbhai and Dr. Sunil Patil. The project sits at the intersection of biology, agriculture, environmental science, microbiology, plant biotechnology, and molecular biology, with a strong focus on plant-microbe interactions, climate-resilient agriculture, and stress adaptation in saline-alkaline conditions.

Eligible applicants should have an M.Sc., B.Tech., or M.Tech. in Plant Sciences, Agricultural Biotechnology, Microbiology, Biotechnology, or Plant Biotechnology. The broader IISER Mohali I-PhD admission notice also accepts relevant Masters/B.Tech/B.E/MBBS/M.Tech degrees or a 4-year BSc/BS (Honours with Research), subject to marks/CPI thresholds and a valid national-level fellowship/test qualification such as CSIR-UGC-JRF, ICMR-JRF, DBT-JRF, or DST-INSPIRE. Experience in microbial culturing, plant tissue culture, omics technologies, and related areas is considered advantageous.

Funding information in the programme notice includes institute fellowships for some qualified candidates, yearly contingency support, partial financial support after fellowship tenure, conference travel support, and on-campus hostel accommodation. The application window is open from 1 June 2026 to 10 June 2026, 5 PM.

Interested candidates should apply online via the Google Form link provided by IISER Mohali. Shortlisted applicants will be called for a screening test/interview, and candidates are advised to check email regularly for updates.