Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, is inviting applications for the award of Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) to empower students to contribute to research in Physical, Chemical, and Life Sciences. All selected candidates will register for a PhD in Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI).
Job Overview
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is offering Junior Research Fellowships for young, talented, and motivated students in frontier areas of scientific research and cutting-edge technologies. The total duration of this fellowship is five years.
Important Dates
- Start date for receipt of applications: 10/03/2026
- Last date for receipt of applications: 31/03/2026
- Tentative dates for interview: June-July 2026
Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must be an Indian national with a consistently good academic record.
- Candidates must have successfully cleared and have a valid certificate for at least one of the following national level examinations: UGC-CSIR-NET Fellowship; JEST Score; ICMR-JRF Test, ICAR-JRF Test; DBT-JRB Biotechnology eligibility Test; GATE Score in Physics/ Chemistry / Life Sciences / Biotechnology; JGEEBILS. The certificate must be valid as on 01-07-2026.
- Candidates should have secured a minimum of 60% aggregate in B.Sc. and 55% aggregate in M.Sc. from a recognized University.
- Candidates with five years integrated M.Sc. / B.S-M.S. (Dual degree) should have secured an aggregate of minimum 55%.
- Candidates having a 4-year / 8-semester bachelor’s degree (B.S with fourth year Research) with a minimum of 75% marks in aggregate are also eligible.
- M.Sc. /Integrated M.Sc. / B.S-M.S. (Dual degree) /B.S. (with fourth year Research) is the eligible qualification with the following subjects: Chemistry (General/ Applied/ Organic/ Inorganic/ Physical/ Analytical) with Physics as ancillary subject at B.Sc. Level and Mathematics at H.Sc. level; Life sciences (Life Science/Botany/ Zoology/ Agriculture/ Biochemistry/ Microbiology/ Molecular Biology/ Biotechnology/ Marine Biology/ Bioinformatics/ Genetics/ Plant Science/ Plant Breeding/ Plant Pathology/ Entomology/ Animal Science/ Biomedical Sciences/ Biosciences/ Food Science/ Food Science and Technology) with Physics or Chemistry or Biochemistry or Agriculture Chemistry or any other allied Chemistry as one of the subjects at B.Sc. / five-year integrated M.Sc. level.
- Candidates who have completed but are awaiting the final results of M.Sc. Degree/5-year integrated M.Sc. / B.S-M.S./4-year bachelor’s degree may also apply, subject to meeting specified minimum aggregate marks up to the previous semesters.
- Certain specific M.Sc. degrees (e.g., Industrial Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, etc.) and specific degrees in Life Sciences disciplines (e.g., Fisheries, Horticulture, B.Tech./ M.Tech.) are not eligible.
- All academic requirements for the award of qualifying degree must be completed before 10th August 2026.
Age Limit
The candidate should be less than 28 years of age as on 01-08-2026.
- Age relaxation is applicable up to 3 years in case of Other Backward Class Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL) applicants.
- Age relaxation is applicable up to 5 years in case of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe applicants.
- Age relaxation is applicable up to an additional 10 years in case of persons with benchmark disabilities (PwBD) applicants.
- Only SSC/Matriculation Certificate or Birth Certificate will be accepted as proof of date of birth.
Application Fee
- Application fee of ₹500/- is payable at the time of submission of online application through Online mode.
- Application fee is exempted for Women candidates and candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Person with Benchmark Disabilities.
- Fee once paid shall not be refunded under any circumstances.
- Application fee should be paid on or before the last date of receipt of online application.
Selection Process
Applications will be scrutinized, and candidates will be screened in for interview based on their eligibility as per the national level exam and their score in the qualifying exam. Final selection will be based on the performance of the candidate in the selection interview only. Allotment of research project will be on the basis of the performance rank of a candidate in the selection interview.
Traveling Allowance
Candidates called for the interview will be reimbursed to and fro Third AC railway fare by the shortest route from the registered address (city) mentioned in their application to Mumbai, subject to production of original tickets. Air travel reimbursement is limited to AC-III tier normal fare or actual fare, whichever is less.
Fellowship and Tenure
Selected candidates will be initially considered as Junior Research Fellows (JRF) and will be paid a stipend of ₹37,000/- per month for a period of two years. On satisfactory performance, the tenure will be extended and upgraded to Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) from the third year onwards with a stipend of ₹42,000/- per month. They are entitled for contingency grant including book allowance of ₹60,000/- per year.
Accommodation and Medical
At stations where hostel accommodation is provided, stay and payment of mess charges are mandatory. At other stations, candidates will be entitled for House rent Allowance (HRA). Selected candidates are eligible to join the Contributory Health Services Scheme of this Centre for self, on payment of prescribed contribution.
How to Apply
- Facility for submission of online application will be available from 10/03/2026 to 31/03/2026.
- Applications will be accepted ONLINE only.
- To apply, candidates should visit BARC Online Application Portal.
- Candidates should read instructions given on Home Page by clicking the option ‘How to apply’.
- A valid e-mail ID and Mobile Number are mandatory.
- Candidates must upload recent front facing passport size photograph in JPEG format not exceeding 50 KB and signature, ensuring they are clearly visible.
- Candidates should upload their SSC/H.Sc./B.Sc./ M.Sc./M.Sc. Integrated/B.S. (4 years) mark sheets and Degree Certificate along with the valid Qualifying Examination Score Card and Caste certificate (if applicable), while applying online.
Official Notification & Links
For detailed information, candidates are advised to refer to the official notification.
- Official Notification: View official PDF document
Important Instructions
- Before applying, the candidate should ensure that he/ she fulfills all the eligibility conditions.
- Age, qualification, community status, creamy layer status will be reckoned as on 01-08-2026.
- At the time of interview, candidates will be required to bring printouts of online applications, original marksheets/ certificates, etc. and a copy thereof.
- Candidates who are not meeting the mentioned eligibility criteria need not apply.
- Selected candidates should be ready to carry out their PhD work at BARC, Mumbai and other BARC facilities at Kalpakkam, Indore, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam.
- Any difficulty in applying online or uploading the document should be mailed to [email protected].
Conclusion
This is an excellent opportunity for motivated Indian nationals looking to pursue multi-disciplinary research in frontier areas. Eligible candidates are encouraged to submit their online applications before the deadline.
