Precision Instrumentation & Control LaboratoryElectrical Engineering · IIT Kharagpur
Join PIC Lab

Build instruments that do not yet exist.

PIC Lab is building its founding research team at IIT Kharagpur. We are actively recruiting PhD students and welcome expressions of interest from postdoctoral researchers.

PhD opportunitiesPostdoctoral opportunities
Functional parallel AFM research illustration
Current status

Founding team in formation

PhD studentsActively recruiting through the IIT Kharagpur admission process.
Postdoctoral researchersExpressions of interest welcome.
Laboratory infrastructureCurrently being established.
Founding researchers should be motivated by the opportunity to build new experimental platforms and workflows. The laboratory does not yet operate as a mature turnkey facility.
PhD opportunities

Apply through Electrical Engineering

Prospective students who wish to work with PIC Lab must apply to the Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Kharagpur, through the official Institute PhD admission process.

IIT Kharagpur currently operates a rolling PhD admission system. Applicants should verify all eligibility conditions and current procedures through the official brochure and portal.

Who should apply

Applications are encouraged from electrical and electronics engineering, instrumentation, control and automation, mechatronics, mechanical engineering, engineering physics, MEMS, biomedical engineering, robotics, embedded systems, signal processing, machine vision, and related fields.

Strong fundamentals, careful technical work, hardware or computational initiative, independence, collaboration, and clear scientific communication are valued more than prior experience in every listed topic.

Selected current eligibility notes

  • GATE is not mandatory for candidates with an M.Tech., M.S. by Research, or equivalent degree.
  • Under the current rolling brochure, eligible B.Tech./B.E./B.S. graduates from IITs or from CFTIs/universities/institutes with current NIRF rank 25 or better may apply without GATE/NET when the stated CGPA threshold is met.
  • Meeting minimum eligibility does not guarantee departmental shortlisting or admission.

Institute assistantship

The current rolling brochure lists Institute Research Assistantship of ₹37,000 per month for the first two years and ₹42,000 per month for the next three years, subject to Institute rules and satisfactory progress.

How to apply

Review the research directions

Identify the PIC Lab program that most closely matches your background and explain a specific research fit.

Read the official brochure

Verify degree eligibility, GATE/NET requirements, category, documents, selection procedure, and current funding information.

Submit the official application

Use the IIT Kharagpur portal and select the Department of Electrical Engineering. An email to the laboratory does not replace the official application.

Send a laboratory follow-up

After submitting, email your application number, CV, transcripts, and a one-page research-interest statement.

Official rolling PhD pageCurrent PhD brochureOnline application portal

Follow-up email

To: vikrantkumarsingh@ee.iitkgp.ac.in
Subject: [PhD Application Follow-Up] Full Name — IIT Kharagpur Application Number

Attach your CV, transcripts, application number or form, one-page research-interest statement, and relevant thesis, publication, project report, portfolio, or code link.

GATE 2026 Top-50 candidates

IIT Kharagpur currently advertises the Director’s Platinum Jubilee Excellence PhD Fellowship for eligible GATE 2026 candidates ranked within the top 50. The Institute lists ₹80,000 per month for the first two years and ₹90,000 per month for the subsequent three years, subject to admission criteria. No separate DPEF application is required.

View the current DPEF notice
Postdoctoral opportunities

Expressions of interest welcome

PIC Lab welcomes researchers interested in helping establish new experimental programs in precision instrumentation and control. This is an invitation for expressions of interest, not a formal guarantee of an immediately funded vacancy.

Possible directions

  • Six-axis contactless positioning, machine-vision metrology, and high-bandwidth control
  • Multi-probe AFM dynamics, shared instrumentation, and real-time parallel feedback
  • Force sensing in liquid, automated mechanical stimulation, and patch-clamp integration
  • Modular open-source actuator–sensor–controller platforms

Expected profile

Suitable candidates will normally have completed, or be close to completing, a PhD and will be able to take technical ownership of a defined research program. Evidence of strong publications, experimental systems, control or estimation, MEMS or microscopy, electronics, machine vision, and scientific writing is valuable.

Expression-of-interest package

Email a detailed CV, a two-page research proposal, up to three representative publications, a brief PhD summary, expected completion date, preferred start period, current fellowship status, and two referee contacts.

Subject: [Postdoctoral Expression of Interest] Full Name — Primary Research Theme

Email the PIIIT Kharagpur postdoctoral information
Frequently asked questions

Before contacting the laboratory

Can I join PIC Lab only by emailing the PI?

No. PhD applicants must complete the official IIT Kharagpur application to Electrical Engineering.

Is prior experience in AFM, levitation, or mechanobiology required?

No. Strong fundamentals and evidence of rigorous technical work are more important than familiarity with the exact project.

Is the laboratory already fully equipped?

No. PIC Lab is currently being established, and early members will help commission equipment and build the first experimental platforms.

Are funded postdoctoral positions currently guaranteed?

No. The laboratory is accepting expressions of interest. A specific funded vacancy will be marked as a formal advertisement.

Admission and fellowship information last checked against IIT Kharagpur’s official rolling-admission pages on 20 July 2026. Applicants must verify current requirements before applying.